Custer

[Jazz]

Can anyone please advise me. I have a vignette of General Custer being attacked by a Native American. This piece I put on PF some months ago and it caused some consternation due to the Native being an Apache. I am trying to remedy this by changing the name of the piece. Can anyone tell me if Custer ever had any encounter with the Apache tribe? I have searched the net trying to find an answer to this but have come up blank.

 

[DaveG]

Hi John. I'm pretty certain no such encounter ever occurred. Furthest south Custer operated after the ACW was probably Southern Colorado which gets close to Apache territory though I've never come across any reference to actions against them. Hope that helps.

DG

 

[Jazz]

Thanks dave. Appreciate your help. Damn, you would think the best known Indian hunter would have come across at least one Apache in his time wouldnt you?

 

[mikec55]

Hi John-

Here's a thought. Repaint Custer's hair a darker color & rename him Gen. George Crook. Crook fought the Apaches while chasing down Geronimo.

Mike

 

[Steve]

Crook was several years older than Custer and wore a beard he groomed into forks. In the field he wore civilian canvas clothing. I have never read of Crook being involved in direct combat in the Plains Wars. Custer was involved in action as far south as Oklahoma, but at that time there were no Apaches here. This one is difficult, John. I guess you could alter the appearance of the warrior to reflect a plains tribe but that would mean repainting the whole piece after extensive surgery. I hope you share your solution!

 

[IIICorps]

...Can anyone please advise me. I have a vignette of General Custer being attacked by...an Apache. I am trying to remedy this by changing the name of the piece...

How will changing the name of your vignette solve your problem?

 

[Jazz]

III Corps...If Custer had been involved in fighting with the Apache I was going to call the piece something like "Apache encounter" instead of "Custers last stand" which is what it currently is named as.
Steve...Thanks for all the advice mate. Changing the warrior would be really difficult as he wears moccassin boots. I think the best way forward would be for me to change Custers head somehow and then rename the piece completely. I mentioned this in the PM to you. The head is caste to the body and would be difficult to remove but this looks like the only answer unfortunately.
Mikec55...thanks for the suggestion, but Steve really does know his stuff about the Plains Indians. I could just use an anonymous Army head I suppose!!
Thanks anyway guys. I really appreciate your comments.

 

[DaveG]

I dunno John. Just went back and looked at your photos of this again and it is such a nice looking scene as it is. Maybe just name it something that works, like "If Custer visited Apacheria..."

Just a thought. Hate to see you go tearing this up.

DG

 

[chippy]

I remember seeing this piece a while back and thought the Apache and the Custer figure were beautifully painted , just both in the wrong place at the same time . The easiest way out would be to repaint the Custer figure into a standard cavalry officer figure , light blue trousers with one yellow stripe on each leg . Depending on how well you have glued the hat on you could turn this up at a jaunty angle the way troopers like to do and repaint it a lighter colour or replace it with a kepi .
Not only was Gen. Crook a much older man than Custer he also liked to ride his favourit mule on campaign , I can't think of it's name just now , but Gen. Crook is way of the mark
chippy

 

[Mark S]

Jazz, a simple fix I reckon would be to re-name the piece instead of
"Custer's last stand" you could call it "Custers lost steed" perhaps.
Without too much change to the current title and keeping a little humour in it without changing the figures at all.

 

[DaveG]

Jazz, a simple fix I reckon would be to re-name the piece instead of
"Custer's last stand" you could call it "Custers lost steed" perhaps.
Without too much change to the current title and keeping a little humour in it without changing the figures at all.

Absolutely brilliant!

There you go John. That one gets my vote. :lol:

DG

 

[Jazz]

Thanks a million guys. I appreciate your comments.

 

[Jeff]

Hi John,

Looking at the piece here is a thought. Take out the Indian and replace it with one that fits more with Custer. Andrea makes at least two probably more mounted Sioux in that scale. You could mount the Apache on a base of his own. He is a fine figure all by himself. Riding at the viewer would be most dramatic. I know it would mean a lot more work but if you enjoyed the experience of painting the first one it might be fun to do a second.

 

[marco55]

You could change the title to "What If".Just a thought.
Mark

 

[Jazz]

Thanks for all your suggestions guys. I have decided what to do. I am going to take Custer off the base and have him by himself on a new base. Then I will buy (eventually) the Andrea figure of "Shot down 1876" number s4s7 depicting a fallen horse and cavary sgt taking aim with a rifle. I may also include a dead cavalryman.

 

[chippy]

So money to burn then Jazz . I like your thinking on this , I have the Custer figure and I introduced an running Confederate figure so it looks like Custer is chasing a fleeing rebal . The Andrea Shot Down kit is one I've always promised myself to have , it should go well with the Apache . Shenandoah do some died and wounded civil war figures that could fit into this easily .
Look forawrd to seeing the reworking on both kits .
chippy

 

[AJLaFleche]

So money to burn then Jazz . I like your thinking on this , I have the Custer figure and I introduced an running Confederate figure so it looks like Custer is chasing a fleeing rebal . The Andrea Shot Down kit is one I've always promised myself to have , it should go well with the Apache . Shenandoah do some died and wounded civil war figures that could fit into this easily .
Look forawrd to seeing the reworking on both kits .
chippy

I guess the scene could have been renamed "Custer Meets Hollywood," but the replacement sounds better. I have that Custer figure, too, and mine will feature a wounded Shenadoah rebel.