# General Custer — The Life of Buffalo Bill character guide

> General Custer in The Life of Buffalo Bill by William F. Cody.

**Role:** supporting

**Also known as:** Custer

**First appearance:** 0023-xxi-a-military-expedition

## Snapshot

A flamboyant cavalry officer whose fame on the Western frontier made him a legend, he crosses paths with Cody during the Indian campaigns.

## Who they are

Custer belongs to the circle of celebrated military men—Sheridan, Carr, Crook, Terry—under whom Cody served as scout and guide, and his name carries the weight of the era's most storied campaigns. His flamboyance and appetite for glory sit in uneasy contrast with the grim, grinding reality of frontier warfare that Cody describes. For readers, his presence signals the high-stakes world of cavalry expeditions that shaped Cody's reputation.

## In the story

### [In Business](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_life_of_buffalo_bill_se/chapters/v-in-business)

Quoted for his detailed and admiring description of Wild Bill Hickok's appearance and character.

### [XII: A Wedding](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_life_of_buffalo_bill_se/chapters/xii-a-wedding)

Cody guides Custer from Fort Hays to Fort Larned; Custer initially doubts Cody's mule but later praises its endurance.

### [Hunting with a Grand Duke](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_life_of_buffalo_bill_se/chapters/xxv-hunting-with-a-grand-duke)

Flirts with Spotted Tail's daughter during the war dance.

### [I Return to the Plains](https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_life_of_buffalo_bill_se/chapters/xxx-i-return-to-the-plains)

His massacre at Little Big Horn is reported; Buffalo Bill claims the first scalp for Custer.

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_life_of_buffalo_bill_se/characters/general_custer
- Book: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_life_of_buffalo_bill_se
- All characters: https://www.betterreads.dev/discover/the_life_of_buffalo_bill_se/characters