The General George Armstrong Custer wayside marker is on the west side of the Center Square in Hanover, Pennsylvania, next to the fountain. The marker commemorates Custer’s first battle after being promoted from a staff captain to brigadier general in command of a brigade of cavalry. The wayside marker is a short distance from the Major General George Armstrong Custer memorial tablet, which tells more information about the general, and the location of the “Custer Tree”, where Custer tied up his horse before and after the battle, a living memorial to the battle for many years.
Text from the marker:
General
George Armstrong Custer
George Armstrong Custer was appointed brigadier general on June 29, 1863, and assigned as commander of the Michigan brigade which he led as the Union cavalry entered Hanover on the morning of June 30, 1863. Pastor Zieber stated, “During the charge of the Federal troops driving the enemy out of town, I saw … men led by General Custer come dashing down Abbotstown Street. They met a squad of the enemy right in front of us, and a sharp encounter took place… [We] had lost all consciousness of danger and whenever we saw our troops gaining any advantage over the enemy, we applauded them.”
Custer’s troops helped push the Confederate cavalry of J.E.B. Stuart out of Hanover and impeded his linking with Jubal Early’s Confederate infantry, which was redeploying from York towards Gettysburg. This led to Stuart not arriving at Gettysburg until late on July 2 the Battle of Hanover, then, was an early important action in the Gettysburg campaign which favored the Union.
General Custer also took a leading part in the great cavalry fight on the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, where he won distinction for gallantry.
Location of the General George Armstrong Custer wayside marker in Hanover, Pennsylvania
The Center Square in Hanover, Pennsylvania is the location for a number of Civil War markers and monuments. (39°48’01.7″N 76°58’59.7″W)