Description:

George Custer
n.p., ca. 1876
Eight Strands of George Custer's Hair, Cut By Wife Libbie Before His Death & Scalping- Superb Provenance!
Hair

A rare relic of Colonel Custer: eight strands of his sandy-blond hair taken from a braid created by his wife Libbie prior to his death and scalping at Little Big Horn. The strands range in length from approximately .5" to 1.5", and are preserved under plastic. Presented on a handsome 8.5" x 11" sheet with a color image of Custer and provenance information, ideal for display.

Provenance: The strands are of direct lineage from descendants of James C. Custer, the Colonel's nephew (1871-1954); they were thence part of the Martin Lane Historic and Western Americana lifetime collection, which explains: "Before Lieutenant Colonel Custer left Fort Abraham Lincoln on his last campaign, his wife had a dream of her husband being scalped by the Indians. Upon her insistence, he cut his hair before his last battle. The locks of his hair that he gave to his wife were passed down to his descendants."

Elizabeth "Libbie" Bacon Custer (1842-1933) was born in Michigan as the daughter of an influential and wealthy judge. She graduated from a girls' seminary at the head of her class in June 1862 and soon met her future husband, George A. Custer, that autumn. Initially against his daughter becoming an army wife, Judge Bacon eventually agreed to the match following Custer's promotion to brevet brigadier general in 1863, and the couple was married on February 9, 1864.

Both George and Elizabeth Custer were ambitious and stubborn, and their dozen years of marriage were tumultuous. She followed her husband to every assignment, refusing to be left behind in comfort. After the war, Custer reverted to his Regular Army rank of lieutenant colonel and held a series of frontier assignments in Texas, Kansas, and the Dakota Territory. Later in 1876, he left his wife at Fort Abraham Lincoln in the Dakota Territory to pursue Sitting Bull, Crazy Horse, and other Sioux and Cheyenne.

After Custer's death at the Battle of Little Big Horn, President Ulysses S. Grant publicly blamed him for blundering into a massacre. Libbie quickly sought to defend her husband's image, aiding his first biographer as well as authoring articles and books of praise. Indeed, her version of Custer would prevail in popular culture for decades. Libbie never remarried and was a widow for more than a half-century before she died in New York City. She was buried next to her husband in the United States Military Academy Post Cemetery at West Point.

This item comes with a Certificate from John Reznikoff, a premier authenticator for both major 3rd party authentication services, PSA and JSA (James Spence Authentications), as well as numerous auction houses.

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  • Dimensions: 8.5" x 11"
  • Medium: Hair

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November 19, 2025 10:00 AM EST
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