Army Capt. Thomas Custer the first double recipient of the Medal of Honor

Army Capt. Thomas Custer

JAN. 27, 2020 | BY KATIE LANGE , DOD NEWS

For this Medal of Honor Monday, we’re honoring a famous Custer, but not THE Custer you’re thinking of — Civil War Gen. George Custer, of “Custer’s last stand” fame. Today, we’re honoring his brother, Capt. Thomas Custer, who became the first double recipient of the Medal of Honor. 

Thomas Custer was born March 15, 1845, in New Rumley, Ohio. He was six years younger than his more famous brother, whom he idolized, and he wanted to follow him into the military. 

When the Civil War broke out, Custer was only 16 and too young to join, so he lied about his age. He enlisted in the Army’s 21st Ohio Volunteer Infantry in 1861. 

Custer took part in several battles in Tennessee and Georgia before being sent to perform escort duties on the staff of three generals until his unit was disbanded. When Custer reenlisted in 1864, he was promoted to second lieutenant and transferred to the 6th Michigan Cavalry, which served in Virginia. There, he worked on the staff for his brother, a brigadier general. He also fought in several campaigns, including the April 1865 Battle of Five Forks. His efforts there led to his battlefield promotion to brevet major. 

On April 3, 1865, Custer was leading a charge over an enemy barricade near Namozine Church in Virginia when he grabbed the Confederate flag out of the hands of its bearer. He also secured the capture of 14 prisoners.

Three days later, Custer was at the Battle of Sailor’s Creek in Virginia when he captured two more flags — one of which he stole while charging the color bearer on his horse. The animal was shot out from under him, and Custer was wounded in the face, but he managed to shoot and kill the enemy soldier to take the flag.

Custer received a Medal of Honor for each of those actions. He was the first of 19 men to have earned the nation’s highest military honor more than once.

And if you’re not sure why stealing flags warranted the Medal of Honor, here’s why. 

According to the National Cemetery Administration, Custer’s actions took away the honor of two enemy regiments. Military regimental flags were considered highly significant during the Civil War, as they helped guide troop movements during chaotic battles. If a regiment’s flag was lost or stolen, confusion set in that sometimes led to men on the same side shooting each other. The flags were also often made by the communities from which the regiments came, so they symbolized local pride and sentimentality. The taking of a flag brought shame to that regiment’s soldiers. 

After capturing those flags, Custer wanted to keep fighting, but he was forced out of the battle due to his injuries, even though they weren’t serious. He was sent to recover in a Virginia hospital.

When the war ended, Custer stayed in the military. He was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the 7th U.S. Cavalry — where his brothers George and Boston were also serving — and fought in the Dakota and Montana territories. In 1875, Custer was promoted to captain and put in command of Company C.  

Custer and his brothers died during the Battle of Little Bighorn on June 25, 1876. Often referred to as “Custer’s last stand,” the short battle spearheaded by George Custer led to the deaths of nearly a third of the men of the 7th Cavalry, who were encircled and slaughtered by their enemy in less than an hour. The Custer brothers’ bodies were found near one another on the battlefield. 

Thomas Custer was initially buried where he fell, but in 1877, he was reinterred at Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery in Kansas. That military post was the main supply depot for the U.S. military west of the Mississippi River. 

Medal of Honor: Captain Thomas W. Custer, First Double Recipient

Thomas W. Custer was six years younger than his famous brother, George Armstrong Custer. The 16-year-old Thomas enlisted in September 1861 as a private in the 21stOhio Volunteer Infantry. In spite of his humble beginnings, Thomas Custer distinguished himself in battle twice, for which he received two Medals of Honor.

With the 21st Ohio, Custer participated in major Western Theater action including the battles of Stone’s River, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, and the Atlanta Campaign. A capable young soldier, he obtained duty on the staff of Major General James Negley in April 1863. He remained in this position until mustering out in October 1864.

Seeking further military service, Custer reenlisted, earning a promotion to second lieutenant. He also transferred to the 6th Michigan Cavalry, which served in Virginia. In the Eastern Theater, Thomas worked hard for his brother, Brigadier General George Custer, on staff in the Shenandoah Valley. He fought bravely at Waynesboro, Dinwiddie Courthouse, and Five Forks–which led to a battlefield promotion to brevet major.

During an engagement at Namozine Church on April 3, 1865, Custer captured a Confederate flag. For this he received the Medal of Honor Three days later, Custer again demonstrated his valor at the Battle of Sailor’s Creek. Astride his horse, Custer leapt over enemy works to capture two color standards. He was wounded in his face and his horse was shot out from under him. For this, Custer received a second Medal of Honor–the first of nineteen men so honored.

In the Civil War, regimental flags, or colors, were of great military significance. They played a role in guiding troop movements amid the chaos of battle. The loss of a flag meant troop confusion, disarray, and the potential for taking friendly fire. Also, the communities from which the regiment originated often paid for the flags, so they symbolized local pride and sentimentality for the soldiers. As flag capture meant low morale and shame, Custer’s double-flag capture took the honor of two enemy regiments.

Custer continued his military career after the Civil War. In 1866, commissioned as first lieutenant in the 7th U.S. Cavalry, he fought in the Dakota and Montana territories. Promoted to captain in 1875, he took command of Company C. By this time he and his brothers, George and Boston (b. 1848), all served in the 7th Cavalry. Their fates were united to the end. Following the Battle of Little Big Horn on June 25, 1876, the bodies of the three Custer brothers were found near one another. Thomas was initially buried on

Custer wearing two Medals of Honor, c.1875. Mead Army Museum, Amherst College.

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the battlefield, but in 1877 his remains were reinterred in Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery, Kansas.

Six two-time Medal of Honor recipients are buried in VA National Cemeteries:

•   Captain Thomas W. Custer, Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery (Section A, Grave 1488)
•   Coxswain John Cooper, Cypress Hills National Cemetery (Section 2, Grave 5022)
•   Sergeant Major Daniel Daly, Cypress Hills National Cemetery (Section 5, Grave 70)
•   Captain William Taylor, Loudon Park National Cemetery (Section OFF, Grave 16)
•   Captain of the Hold Louis Williams, Cypress Hills National Cemetery (Section 6, Grave 12616)
•   Sergeant William Wilson, San Francisco National Cemetery (Section WS, Grave 527)