Discover millions of ebooks, audiobooks, and so much more with a free trial

Only $11.99/month after trial. Cancel anytime.

Thundering Courage: George Armstrong Custer, the Union Cavalry Boy Generals, and Justified Defiance at Gettysburg
Thundering Courage: George Armstrong Custer, the Union Cavalry Boy Generals, and Justified Defiance at Gettysburg
Thundering Courage: George Armstrong Custer, the Union Cavalry Boy Generals, and Justified Defiance at Gettysburg
Ebook791 pages15 hours

Thundering Courage: George Armstrong Custer, the Union Cavalry Boy Generals, and Justified Defiance at Gettysburg

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars

()

Read preview

About this ebook

"Promotions or a coffin!" To George Armstrong Custer, war is the Devil's own fun. And his luck—"Custer Luck"—peaks during the Civil War, keeping him alive against all odds. Yet, for the first two years of the war, Custer luck has not earned him a command—until, three days before a brewing battle at Gettysburg, Captain George Custer is promoted to brigadier general. Possessed with raw courage, rare gallantry, and reckless heroism, Custer becomes the youngest general in the Union army.

Hugely spirited, tactically flexible, and fiercely ambitious, Custer, on July 3, 1863, trots in front of the First Michigan cavalry regiment, grips his sheathed saber, and pulls. The blade swishes from its metal scabbard with the sleekness of a swooping hawk. "Come on, You Wolverines!" he yells. And the 23-year-old leads one of the greatest cavalry charges in the annals of warfare.

Craving attention, approval, and glory, the boy general with long, flowing, golden locks is an impulsive, fearless daredevil. Commanding the Michigan Cavalry Brigade, Custer is throttled by his vainglorious reporting senior and ridiculed by battle-hardened Wolverines. But the pride that lies in the flesh of all men is thicker in Custer. He loves dancing at the edge of death's doorstep. And he believes that moral courage means leading from the front—but not always following orders. Because he knows that, between orders and duty, blind obedience and justified defiance hang in the balance.

Thundering Courage is the riveting story of the Union cavalry's Second and Third Divisions at Gettysburg, boy generals who face crises of justified defiance, and the unsung hero who wisely keeps a human thunderbolt on a tight, short string. Built firmly upon the annals of history, Thundering Courage journeys through the hearts and minds of Union cavalry heroes who face the agony of choosing between blind obedience and justified defiance at the Battle of Gettysburg.

LanguageEnglish
Release dateOct 24, 2023
ISBN9781631070525
Thundering Courage: George Armstrong Custer, the Union Cavalry Boy Generals, and Justified Defiance at Gettysburg
Author

Terry C. Pierce

Terry C. Pierce is a Captain, USN, retired. He commanded USS Whidbey Island LSD-41 and was Chief of Staff Amphibious Forces 7th Fleet. He was the speechwriter for Admiral Mike Boorda, Chief of Naval Operations. He retired as the Director of the Center of Innovation at the United States Air Force Academy. He holds doctorate and master’s degrees from Harvard. He is the author of Warfighting and Disruptive Technologies: Disguising Innovation, (Frank Cass, 2004).

Related to Thundering Courage

Related ebooks

Historical Fiction For You

View More

Related articles

Related categories

Reviews for Thundering Courage

Rating: 0 out of 5 stars
0 ratings

0 ratings0 reviews

What did you think?

Tap to rate

Review must be at least 10 words

    Book preview

    Thundering Courage - Terry C. Pierce

    '7ebook_preview_excerpt.html}ْFޫ@㰇*⦑h6W`dYU`c#.b. [ʷ7'9HPͦ,{|"Y@"|g?WU~b]m6j6嶉NGqs[DhiDe2i,wSɲw*JYJml%J& kUqmVpTФ3L~XvIT[k[я4֖uGuXJy%>' \eoԦăZZYԖѲN&IGk[d^yb]MO6mY.imnKmIn1|4,uS&EU55uf&JLm{Lm MLӣj)gYj淭Si1lS85KIE=O릍xC˦)tΖYִ~͕hn6x&Oiچm.,T8|ڼP)y &[iTYYXPaڮD۔$D,+ZPlstoEJT-F5ˮ^ M;mg48xَK>2ji,[Л &eYD>?ZtqB#-7-@ńIMItd<H]隔H\|ynDGO攤QI،tl팿͜ c/6F(D jŢ6;#NXD'xpx}md~h6Wd/dHR6D/IC]+h!m/V~0+3 Q?$yiſ *31+BbdU^xі0+Bu͟k_@otGgflRg{[ӤE2+'-iC>x5?NF :vo0OCllMTλ*!S!ᶛZ&4MV) Σ!JYʠiNkwism4HLҚ N,i5{MCVZt"op`E-vCc%PI('ENfYi1~'|!)zM#}Ҵm51reHǗ]L_o]܃b]1'|'iqG&N|]yW$?BVrߗ胾-<|9ed2+)ĺ[ Į-*Vm=11.)@慅ܜŜiL 11 'au''AL9LJI0ipi-4n GO1|3@EYb-U6^Q2l+0lM4ѓs `)=@z1?:s+m/6DlF2C`1k`I[7" Q"}`^QHo='ig7hLqH0$i9QQۺW($!ؑҌan ȕ.!@h@Ր zPX*V $ە=iv7#6 ^zoDF't[P2$<{I#zLS&2&}I0ek[O2|:(c+ kZa/IMy+%J`"nX i%H39Z. wH9_ Mq3]o.lɳ97as-$)i6_**"RoF S"XFkrJmB,_-K؉3 I4cF?z ! "m3\MΤɱePsk䭸DȨ֘q,p?Ɉ >PDnK`ؿL:/ HLbWbyvj^8"A dU,Nۢ_s[ 7ϰW Dv6K> 키P咹Yƻ^렩_WESl9LNȁXdonVN;cya4)2RCC&@&{ ^X,WflG ExE"j&BˇȢ)sa6@4qiB bjSƟșݐ]Psiˤ.+oio*e'TCx;-H |;,,VkCHxO!@X.J^d IIPgw~*j\_O?{i=Aidjo&3 #Ky#{o6 -5?Mxxg+Y LeQF$ `@CxC CK2̎^)OBl@N$;ڪSnƒN[vc?heC+C< RWիBL<+A*㮑(< r( %3*s tGȒ SȋUWZ2s陛NwlQT?)E8'6iHQik`^çgBHpR"G IǜH<XDo`@|njB )!~ܑjl\ӡ,س ^2YQuE=ß΍T4l $tN0yH$!;;v HABp{ x2X 3>#I@QX' a& )VyW`c,QZhA}2z i(&wqK7t㭟uL*$5%秳]`8;99iU Xj`۪WȎ qXGiXP1AF dc{L_}nKC\Cl%pT lھ #{KbH|"ukkSxSі]f \'2kY^FDҥzSA|ɡeCDDJ\).ļ`)dzY&_3GAk"جqNQX}!DwSZYvMsCDnbHEtg46qJ½#^]3h3 Q|3fmY(Y1Ѷ6,x1q kV3 HqԻ5@̽3 <?QbbزQIRQg{W,0a$v%6gG'CN? *UVڲ4>5ُ&5@9a"E8{F2q^8S6m@Jx,S'3mVYq@Y1XG2CƢDBY .M|1C S!n)HmQbn.l0uKoҶ|W):4dPH9P%HwX}i z/ +}Z@/$y+08W$rJ߭/߄7-FR "4 h|P&Si觗eG,3E\ǑN7AܺMvLOwJdv$PԅO7xE i iK_7]b%'1}Í资'ߙD2h[qH՛We:;]֣Z,c9+X.7Ȓh%H8| IH$N﯎F[>h+LwN瑽} NY>z ƌ@PJVE W+NSŧrw(s4O)4 Dqv >L;;K@9q/:xW8C$z48Q1LxPw?Uheu n/to'ؽ'SdeeF\*Q4]=d1{S$c=pn TS='%l :޸ju 1AmUn:T(7"=95ABДIVi"zEdxЕqG[w^j~!ZƤkvJdOvBxls$9@Eohւ9 Js?KRL"d. K.G7¯ⷣr<iw@Mը-c/]ޫ+jSAs%-d &V 6zi OoX3B2S\vK͈ 7͈ tք?x|t7z|LyB f.eOǏYp'ؽѽȞG{Gw?2rHy㧿?vOHڙ"ŜWYOkd"`eL4X!Mb A@:GbXP9=T kaz!C4I4C}BKGO Z`  ;5z_^Nm>Eۂp!Y쐆Y_ 1Iq焻/0〳J9A.B:W# L"Er9 V`]̃#@#M9/=>r @=0O9m4D~d䭸\MmfP\rKh0ZAf>s ➆ n ɍ bʶ|/nI_f%$3D\P>D 1cY# ݑ ef,3hf y'xCX2,H&V/iH U-׬I ̗3 ?}N{sP' h*~vEa$nHD]D'2r fJ/~OܲIqw|H6M֩q?$j3|yNy] P&īY$&pbނ |s,HGTٰMeal\ߗPζq\16 BFbʺx~nMB_ID>G$LDha66]%L- :R-&T:96&sx2k-R&mYh["#âes|yP؟qr1~B`WjZYʲZ nR|lIIf9 U4't63迅5E i0G5eKYrX Orj>D` Y9;=}A=~DPM=r !FYǶp}x8ТGO4/^n܆~x~3|Jඅ9avHEHI ?ߚßϥd7@9OҿgmixWH2^<t!RսGiޝo߻cGG=>/ 4Y29۶j~s'bAg.׿m]q7qύ&z=D{q{cȾ;wz96Td+@IZ#L&Dv$ )rܓ!a,8L/ʲ#ϼ-K῾T`B5dC"=1z/.HGW*'p0?x^>?|QG;'z~& <=كxEGEۓSуOKSrcݒo4Co<:{|~z\tWHC lgYYZit.V>1GG;Gnr<,Asq1  pSCS˩zFp;NR|xy/rELD@$!HDQV=>o#hj{mr `\6|΄-oydi3}5dz#Tat3?>Za|<-kۖ>?"_2< Qp7jyJ+ %,iҌ#ROʱG9p>ORԤAEs=??P؏qWqZד5=kX.>DѴ\61[\Ε7޻0s3(#TT'(Gu 5 QÌ6?FSzn$kVA\:5DyBodsS!q<yi'ьI9먈*T*f51]"AEqd6wwRps޽w<:SU;{td5 XAyfؾQod!Yߠ-8_"2FAfbwe<'$#zt twP暷rK= ?|2E~N{|qQ1(+1;^.ݩDu j}>'/7d$A+sASSSa%Cѝ{}Rp{.](1jU@(EU .e#]gJvͭSVP(I3wPϪLqm&naMrMt~)$ߒZM,BVդ_ Dx]nVI 7e iy^bdtNB'Mc'na_ ΕtKI"+Q)=hHŷBFڐ5QjzNGv2 ^QrR=%ɻRwEePnWLBdM%i6Gc\#>pč4J/ . Q!Eq>J=aȂd?P*"Yg j 4׾4 Y8I4ð`>-RG5 6'\;O:жPwZD'+)lqW,׭`EMPMqYAwNmq{ny$H"@ZǨĀ2;7vpN7p7ޙh^HmjKRLB>/n,fEf(@z"hv)ҡnp']Gtr6C b_E ZLab{YI6ԅ; :.s线;@W2+׿ wwY P>e6'qZR9= 1H $ aׄ86Fʟk.pwpM4ҁd̔ULyhLٵ5K}[o@UHIҦY+|Ywz( Mmp˴􍁝7۔&`-}kMKֺniR8TCQJ =W% 3\`"b0O!Apt5\G·cQ]jOI($jnGBۻ\>"llزʴHM[R{s/ nK盉^a ˝kƃ.X$h\:n@W93'ih)~K+-tKwI>ndx2uQ>: WF :A |nR~[KWXmm$q{3\6h;,N0a׸@(RHt{E{msdծmkZW%ewӗٽٮX43 -=qۓdu*rCP&vn9[ +V.f6S]4~\cMN79\Cwo`~`CtBԶ-S΀j1_jͽKuGgV]GY %zx?0v_hs`@YiL> ;A2>ψ;'7T|!°,‘>cI!i /<& vkp7+i!+L" P(fYg} FCg2ԳzтW$Ml,:!B4? ߸w!Q$:F_!( 'xn\[pVA"-'G̞>f}5 Ș9!+":k:dm맄) 7CV?rm<- sQᵗd|>OjU.; 5n/V/NNZE{:wH#6 chbw;5mCyi6sҏ=K2_fkKftyWYzNCw@bOYu1SҚǞ-^,g;OhL#?'+%tڼٓczt!cߎh2 gޕBړdB Dj4a2dvWY2~<ްMa~rŝEЯ6)*4$8^JАidny-YǙⒷl @7ɑBb5=5:W53[x>`W͍S>lR/Z?'oc>eb9'V|ғ]8M@S\}nOK4ғnڣmq 24[Wɔ{zKx^}87Dag{X3dWdDzZn-dq̢[Hp!C?w{j3i#n)8*}Iz7Ox;ݼKv4)N>סgYJT(A>654A  u'?ϓ2٭9ל~謒ψs+ߎ[GQlkr97E/-0 tÑ4ͺѮ;hC"o]4V% O*~ŗq: RxCeǟlI^6 n 2(litzz՗{(ĩ5H=iv#!GWl=nC1?z_m/ ,7" L*5BΧ>V̍[ׁVZS=623$!&祾C F/M/mmmןIr ~rX{I0w1^G?Jou}^qm9&t 1wN6 [ҽbnxMgҔ%4kv·JKI9c9+eh3& h?ċDݨZ=qd5B!7| +wYdX6 g eA1Z̘u%~S@:I\mdPn[L7|"G Zza+W.^^0_0; @OܺL*$⮮PohΤ5/p-btD.aMH%,uMecʷ%5|KPSI! d.Ę\KHU5(`\kcƲ/@'/\Ern Рu]UGiJLn]6nHũgvW*/0ĦL֦|LuF+K- 3T|MLs&U&p]e<*C2C!J)|-/! z7;T#S[{෼'z<-`UD\F#kMHj=-5`bv+kH8m" 8M2䈥dQyYw ң  \E¨UA$Nx.KQhZ;= jEUU4i?C> uL?~FFu'iXhhzLDJ: @Dzh*UT?lxwmDSZlu$N0I2[KibbW _8m!f,hJs׻*oĉDd ^w:1q+YщeD)KEoƀ!6nKf6X g yrkZ LФ<|Q8u6izˤcY8i‡%jMV8'_DR:˚$o$j_:ŷޠ׸-)C6(}fLe=o EoRК8 Bbx(XI \JŽcTԷ 2LFg2V*jxu|s/,h@kEzl?if,T;Gzb+iF֜^eҪ`rGBir ap eZd,t%욺DFm _ef<49&jcE~=@*eȃUw p)Ru{DboKs1oJDirr)C iW'q&n V- .X[ϧrx6F]3B`3^- {%\riS/aW[2Ӭcq봀1h A0tNwwY8 S4Ɂ6.M(hݓahM-z-48XyB[#zSӝ "-իoֺ q66/%Q[Y&g(1hR60@9Gd8$ ?b' Bô˫Yp Y-{~YֆPPQt \Ǜ%f. ̶DHܔGvh7|`Nc>MPl.9"X30`r@v?/-o%_ x?.4tb e~p( xH.d&rv@ЀYZzUV6JZ&Bl[z;àԦ%x%ћ q`N;c,Dt!P v0zYyWE։^=ϸ>czRU&CKb*NB&jw4o à J5sk2blY f+ /[{5u">D U(Ag)V O(=Aèez@(p,Qa% l>xj2>%)Mѥ0]p0(|60:WZ֠\@D} ,eOվuPu'm K8}#]p>l{ Ybz*oVң,\p28 9r?"Tn/4sY T ތE|1V̎~BN$BzܤOqc!g&f3ΈAKdKY˲骋.Ya$b*&zb5 ZVHwZMTrOgK@|D$@i2FS+v7s/ uI]-J5ի =`2xbGQAl h%AsW;}o8Mq݀멑9lVQ,(J,J "z $ q0mTd83`*CҀY$߆L7%@#[ ;4[Ԯ)5WixOȻLfjO7:B4L/}sɼVg?}|lVMf2 Vd#Fl}nѬV+$#Mߠ.D(LS c z=AucbL a-Q.Vut;6QճEq3rHTZk+Li=Jn.mME8ɔD&0P΄LZP+\zм$TJŒi溼60jߏ 1jI"Qr@. Yݰs#̛nB؟r5+T(ؔW',.lNx|fsnj,0bb[e%#O/l^SINIpH\|f]*:ٍt1 MiP!b}J+F2;n"Ҋ6,4nV\٨= |MD Λ SF"qRJԍv:֤NCUZq4vta)Gg\Mm3VSf-"rEb`ݩpAt" ؁f7urdVh`Crinj^Ӷ.;& KLU dWJ;:ӼH)R.y,3h_nHKktlPL/bEtTٽa\1C@"\`+6>&EX)tV}kTF|ċܱ&5F<Ε>Ȥڮ2'\]pD(n ӟԑlFO,H6Hi!9M+:l.J kT%dP ťҀCE>K`x[\pt)$Tvk4'nfzމD#3G䈻 u2cĠؓ3/Q'@LDg=[w#g5 (gz/x\Xu"QVzUp>;8ϊq#vg$&Jz& ۰AQ~j}a 8)Z˚o`$JX$3\+^8F}AvDG]{NbD>(9tknP^V%{Q$}y(e J0E_E6]6`!-ȗԔ2Yw))/.G}IZjxVn]jjoL֡ ++܄WE!ɰqc3,}_huW}WRbk$}v w~.N:YYl2ϔ Gyƭȑ©0@wsO24 M!m.V,llw`ef&8<xk]C$>ۄ%!%̢W4HW V1V"^-܅h7DdWfT29JqwKҥkĉ1 _&Ds~Y4Q׺RF8 !/n#,T,zb;5`3c墙߄$Iy ;s< 8w]7ي9y :l,~oUAEPؾ/P,\>4PKi I4e*EOPfnAipq CM!Vəɮ"%pq??#bjlwJAZ &.C:7;|Y7'[8pop_UBODY pi !}|rJ3bQВފA-Dq`5T%i;6ж|ߺdnW0 \Z+t鯠{ٖ`-C.#d_19y'r&-/&Y1/ 5OfкمKdu}K"fCȠ&c R#}ɅQEمd+cl-W=u*8xJp <I $)`fه+VQ]Qōnm(8s(^QM?]oʑFdqiJJR?JOrNiJzB%Ncd Jz'=,kWw\2 Y#HJRDR[>!Ud0G\L:Wd5h(YLBYB͸'.MЃZ(雥f%;q`35%&63񀘻@qx; ;y,?I@*Ǧ7ޅTDn ۱Є(* $uyո)4:3Vtk.IzL/.* 8,̂@[/ hisM%)R Ѫ`/s|U%pK ЎMՕ{UVt\)RBZ:jk|y2l-8a3 '44U--kh&%>+K;dv%;:cl0l5C1J )J%H6}R߆On[7ܞUTheeC֒)[!9Wh69dUI+l t^gΓaF(Xdv/kQR3tATulZ}:,9.կ5]fz nB\_%W`FX@%y+ @z_A盅]DF*ٜ-wG4DvcΓ Cj|y܈ڥq:a\^0p)7^Yro]C] X0X~C]?[_{צy$M"K'Eu$,}-zbbxۨjgC'X um˒M/-vC9ȝĻрQŁ9v)H-:Ni~$7 m4deZq"m&s-Ty'qO'14;>>JLޡJҽ?Azv@UpqsS!'WV>p\++W S5HZ؁֍j2m\qcUcERe㤓xFPi AD"Ns\Y6R=|rm!HGoƻmiIW% P::xuy&'pMȤ:aNZVr8؊{䌱)7eJ#a :uI| Mq/S oQ9؅Du@g4*.p=jù\ "<zB/ Id)LO0D1:b.D$Xu"n;z]hFzJUFrw8E|ovz\2qm~nm}ki !TFU>ʿBGՔ[ RK3_>-WPө3/ǿb0gRR1JөGzV8DO*UȁsV^q}Bp`zAaOEn.t[ÕEOK7pקAQ2;_E~^&_J,-M5Iqop=*F@6Rۚ ͚ LU6L ˀ&ǩJK7HAyE_ h%Ēƣ`p` -ⳖC xsUy!⚕7W.)my#ڠf(52- f#.@|w?hNo^Ri(AƩd%,9Lg'^[ 64Lʉ!<羓QKr:rU "Idh*h\c)WIYM:̬=Rv6 % RFl(4SyȽ8(&~ -`g'&-Q6)d[=A@uwU|e$ lbr\K8XHF){"O.nvT]ޓp^.UVn
    Enjoying the preview?
    Page 1 of 1