CAGB Index

Background: The Custer Association of Great Britain (CAGB) was formed on the 10th June 2000 by a core of fellow enthusiasts who had up until that date met on a regular but informal half-yearly basis since 1998 at a college in Birmingham. We are a diverse group of individuals who have a common fascination for the life and times of George Armstrong Custer, the Battle of the Little Big Horn, the Plains Indian Wars in general and the culture of the tribes involved. Prior to the first meeting, the majority had developed this interest either in isolation or were members of the English Westerners' Society, which covers America's Frontier history across a broader spectrum. Some had also joined the Custer Battlefield Historical & Museum Association (CBHMA) or Little Big Horn Associates (LBHA) but had had few opportunities to participate in events in the United States. After an initial gathering it turned out to be much more enjoyable meeting together and indulging in our hobby. The CAGB is a non-political, non-profit making and open-minded organisation. Meetings (we call them 'Gatherings') are held twice a year for a full day, usually in May and November, in different parts of the country, each of which includes a number of presentations and discussions on related subjects.

Membership: Subscriptions for 2009-10 are £8.00 for residents of the United Kingdom, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man and for those residing in the Republic of Ireland and elsewhere in mainland Europe it is £10 or 12 Euros. For the rest of the world it is $20.00. Subscriptions are due annually as at the 1st June. Members who join after that date will receive both issues of The Crow's Nest regardless of when they join the Association within the Membership Year, which is 1st June to 31st May. Subscriptions cover administrative costs (predominantly mailings), the publication of the CAGB's Journal, The Crow's Nest and the maintaining of this website, which contains details of events, links to other related sites, useful information about travelling to the USA and book and film reviews.

Committee: The CAGB is run by a small committee of the members who carry out the functions of Chairman, Vice-chairman, Secretary, Treasurer, Webmaster, Event Co-ordinator, Editor (Literary) and Editor (Technical) of The Crow's Nest. The committee are elected at the Annual General Meeting in November and their appointments begin on the 1st June in the following year.

Chairman and Editor (Literary) of The Crow's Nest	Peter Russell
Vice-chairman	Lawrence Sherrington
Treasurer	Mike Christian
Secretary, Webmaster and Editor (Technical) of The Crow's Nest	Kevin Galvin
Event Co-ordinator 2009-2010 Gatherings	Gary Leonard

Our first President Francis Taunton has relinquished his appointment after 7 years, his successor is Derek Batten. Derek Batten is a founding member of the CAGB and was one of our two Vice-presidents. Joan Croy, Newport, Michigan, USA, who was one of the CAGB's first overseas members remains as Vice-president.

Information: If you would like to join us or receive further information about the Association, please contact the Secretary Kevin Galvin at Secretary@CAGB

As stated above, the CAGB was formed in June 2000 and first presented a copy of a draft Constitution to the Gathering held in May 2005. After a full discussion on its contents some minor changes where made and the amended version was ratified at the Annual General Meeting that preceded the Gathering in Birmingham, 12th November 2005. Subsequent changes in the composition of the Committee has resulted in some minor changes being necessary and Version Two, if approved at the 2009 AGM, will be published here in due course.

The Crows Nest (Volume 9, Number 2) is in the editorial stage of production and will be sent to all those members who have paid their subscription for 2009-10.

The Crow's Nest Index lists the contents for the 17 issues published to date.

Reports from 2001 have now been archived, which includes the 125th Anniversary report and U.S. Army Staff Ride.

Reports from 2002 have now been archived and includes both the May and November 2002 'Gathering' reports.

Reports from 2003 have now been archived and includes both the May and November 2003 'Gathering' reports.

Reports from 2004 have now been archived and includes both the May and November 2004 'Gathering' reports.

Reports from 2005 have now been archived and includes both the May and November 2005 'Gathering' reports.

Reports from 2006 have now been archived and includes both the May and November 2006 'Gathering' reports.

Reports from 2007 have now been archived and includes both the May and November 2007 'Gathering' reports.

The next 'Gathering' of the CAGB will be on Saturday, 12th June 2010. Location to be confirmed.

A set of three David Shanahan prints are now available. These prints will be limited to 100 and funds raised will be used to support the Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation.

This is a series produced in association with the English Westerners' Society. Members of the CAGB can purchase copies of each volume at the subscriber's rate. An introduction to the series is at British Custeriana Series. Remember, at present both Volume 1 and 3 are limited to 100 copies. Volume 2 has been reprinted largely due to orders from the Little Bighorn Battlefield National Monument Book Shop. Copies can be obtained from the Secretary. Please either e-mail your order or write, his address will be in the newsletter. See each Volume for the cost of the publication.

Reviews are the comments of the reviewers only and ultimately we always recommend that you read the books for yourself and make your own judgement.

Members are requested to submit reviews of films and videos (including documentaries) that deal with Custer's life, or are associated with the Plains Indian Wars, 1866-1890.

On the Little Big Horn and the Rosebud. By Ken Doran. An account of the 125th Anniversary Event at the Little Bighorn Battlefield and the U.S. Army Staff Ride on the Rosebud.

Trip of A Lifetime. By Gordon Richard. An account of his trip with his brother to the American West in the summer of 2006.

Members are requested to submit photographs for publication to Kevin Galvin.

For anyone with money to spare and as a worthwhile investment, they could buy one of Mari Bolen's excellent sculptures of George Armstrong Custer. This superb work and is in a limited edition of 25 pieces. There is also a series on the Plains tribes - this will be a full body piece for each of the 34 tribes that Mari intends to sculpture.

There have been numerous works of art produced since the demise of George Armstrong Custer and his 5 companies of the 7th U.S. Cavalry and by searching the internet looking for images they can be found. There are number of sites which are recommended so if you have the money why not invest in a print by any of the artists whose website is listed here.

Mark Churm who has produced three paintings so far on the subject and are available as prints.

The late Eric von Schmidt who produced Here Fell Custer that was used as the front and back cover for Volume 4, Number 1 of The Crow's Nest.

Paul Smiley a US artist has produced two Custer paintings - one showing GAC in Civil War uniform and the other in his study - see both paintings. Paul is happy to take commissions to paint historical figures.

Ken Ferguson provided the artwork for the back cover of The Crow's Nest (Autumn/Winter 2007, Volume 7, Number 2). You can see more of his work at www.kennethfergusonfineart.com.

Another artist whose work has featured on the front cover of The Crow's Nest was Michael Schreck. His work has featured extensively in the CBHMA journal the Greasy Grass and on the cover the LBHA bi-annual journal the Research Review. To see more of his work visit his website at http://michaelschreckart.com/index.html.

For those UK members visiting the USA and locations associated with Custer it is intended to provide details of places to stay or visit that are based on the views of members. Ultimately where you decide to base yourself when travelling to the USA from the UK (or for our U.S. members) is a decision for the individual or group concerned.

The 7th Ranch run by Chip and Sandy Watts lies near Little Bighorn Battlefield and is also home to the Greasy Grass Scouts - a cowboy action shooting club devoted to keeping the Spirit of the West alive through re-enacting and single action shooting. They do both mounted shooting and ground shooting with old-style guns in 1880s attire.

The Grandview Campground in Hardin, Montana, provides accommodations close to the battlefield.

For those seeking to participate in re-enactment or learn to ride as a U.S. Cavalryman then the sites below should be visited:

C Company 7th U.S. Cavalry is a site maintained by a group of UK-based re-enactors and contains some interesting material on uniforms and equipment as well as other factual information relating to the battle. New recruits to this UK based organisation are always welcome.

The U.S. Cavalry School was first started in the late 1990s by western horseman and military veterans that rode in Kevin Costner’s “The Postman”, for the reason of preserving the proud history of the horse soldier. They have worked with U.S. Army Staff rides (training courses) at the Little Bighorn Battlefield and teaching courses from one hour to one week encampments, their school’s staff has grown in numbers as have the number of students trained. The U.S. Cavalry School is situated in Washington State’s majestic Methow Valley or at the Battle of the Little Bighorn Re-enactment, Crow Agency, Montana.

Custer Battlefield Historical & Museum Association (CBHMA) This site as been updated with some interesting new pages as well as the latest news from the largest American 'Custer' Group. A Message Board has recently been added to this site.

Tom Custer Home Page A site dedicated to that other Custer who died alongside his more famous older brother.

Against All Odds This is a site put together by Richard Federici which provides links to the Battle of the Little Bighorn and other battles in American History.

Jim Creitz's site contains a series of pictures of the battlefield and should be checked out.

Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation provides news from Custer's last home, which is one of the buildings re-built as part of the Foundation's efforts to restore the buildings that would have existed during the tenure of the 7th U.S. Cavalry.

Steve Alexander and his wife Sandy, who have re-enacted the lives of General and Mrs. G A Custer for many years have their website at GeorgeCuster.com, which is worth visiting to find out more about Steve and Sandy's portrayals of Autie and Libbie.

Custer Lives is a new site that I came across by accident worth a look as it appears to have won a number of awards.

	Volume 1 - George Armstrong Custer By Fred Dustin & The Custer Trial: The Aftermath
Volume 2 - Army Failures Against The Sioux in 1876: An Examination by Francis B. Taunton.
	Volume 3 - "Such Signal Success"? Confrontation Along the Washita. A Collection of Essays compiled and edited by Kevin E. Galvin with Introduction by Sandy Barnard.