© 2024 Connecticut Public

FCC Public Inspection Files:
WEDH · WEDN · WEDW · WEDY · WNPR
WPKT · WRLI-FM · WEDW-FM · Public Files Contact
ATSC 3.0 FAQ
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
With our partner, The Connecticut Historical Society, WNPR News presents unique and eclectic view of life in Connecticut throughout its history. The Connecticut Historical Society is a partner in Connecticut History Online (CHO) — a digital collection of over 18,000 digital primary sources, together with associated interpretive and educational material. The CHO partner and contributing organizations represent three major communities — libraries, museums, and historical societies — who preserve and make accessible historical collections within the state of Connecticut.

Custer's Commander

On June 25, 1876, over two hundred men serving under George Armstrong Custer were wiped out by a combined force of Lakota and Cheyenne warriors at the Battle of the Little Bighorn in present-day Montana. Custer’s Seventh Cavalry was part of a larger military operation intended to round up the remaining free Plains Indians and force them onto reservations. This larger force was led by General Alfred H. Terry, Commander of the Department of Dakota.

Terry was born in Hartford in 1827, attended Yale College, and was a lawyer in New Haven when the Civil War broke out.  Terry immediately took to the field with the New Haven militia; he went on to raise a regiment of volunteers and served throughout the war, achieving the rank of major general of volunteers.  His capture of Fort Fisher was considered one of the most brilliant exploits of the war.  After the war, he was one of the few volunteer officers to remain in the army. He served in Georgia during reconstruction and helped to negotiate the Treaty of Fort Laramie, which ended the Red Cloud War in 1868.

On June 27, 1876, Terry and his troops arrived at the Little Bighorn and discovered the bodies of Custer and his men.  News of the defeat shocked the nation, leading to immediate controversy over the cause of the defeat and speculation that Custer had either disobeyed or exceeded Terry’s orders. 

Terry continued in command of the Department of Dakota until 1886, when he was advanced to full major general and placed in command of the Division of the Missouri, with headquarters in Chicago.  He retired for disability in 1888, and returned home to New Haven, where he died in 1890, widely recognized as “an ideal soldier and gentleman” and “one of the most, gentle, kind, and brave characters that ever served his country.”

Stand up for civility

This news story is funded in large part by Connecticut Public’s Members — listeners, viewers, and readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

We hope their support inspires you to donate so that we can continue telling stories that inform, educate, and inspire you and your neighbors. As a community-supported public media service, Connecticut Public has relied on donor support for more than 50 years.

Your donation today will allow us to continue this work on your behalf. Give today at any amount and join the 50,000 members who are building a better—and more civil—Connecticut to live, work, and play.

Related Content