Readers who are not fans of George Custer may soon groan that I have changed the focus of my Small but Important Riots blog to a Custer blog. Not true. I have spent a lot of time with Custer for the last year, as I have worked on a couple presentations, and he will appear below several times but, hang in there as he is not the subject of the story.

On December 5, 1866, George Custer appeared before an examining board to determine his fitness for his new commission as lieutenant colonel of the Seventh Cavalry. In 1866, Custer had to pass a test for a position in the cavalry. Really? The idea has always made me chuckle. What were some hide-bound officers in Washington going to ask Custer about cavalry tactics? You see, I assumed he would be tested on cavalry tactics and army regulations. Seemed logical and my assumption prevailed for years. I envisioned George striding into an office, shaking hands with a bunch of older, overweight officers who hadn’t heard a shot fired in anger in years, chewing the fat and swapping stories for a few minutes and then walking out having passed the ‘exam,’ with the necessary signatures on the required form. But you see my error – I assumed. And if Custer ever wrote of the exam, I have not seen his description. Then, while recently working on one of the presentations, I had reason to look through some documents related to Custer and his staff officers, including Lt. Edwin Forrest Norvell.

One of ten children born to John and Isabella Norvell in Detroit, Michigan, Edwin Forrest Norvell enlisted in Company I, 1^st Michigan Cavalry, on September 5, 1861, at just 18 years of age. Older brother Freeman had received a commission as captain of Company M, 1^st Michigan, a couple weeks earlier. Freeman resigned his commission the following year to accept a commission as colonel of the 5^th Michigan Cavalry. I have written at some length of Freeman’s rocky tenure with the 5^th Michigan in Chasing Jeb Stuart and John Mosby. I believe all but the youngest son, James, served during the war.

Edwin received a commission as second lieutenant in July 1862 and remained with the regiment until he accepted a position on Custer’s staff in July 1864. Norvell remained with Custer until ordered to rejoin the 1^st Michigan in Colorado on December 11, 1865.

He later detailed his service during the war as follows:

“Edwin Forrest Norvell. Born in Detroit, Michigan, August 14, 1843, where I have since resided. Was mustered into the service of the United States, 10^th of September 1861 at Detroit, Mich. I remained in the service until 11 April 1866. During that time, I served in the Valley under Gen’l Banks, participating in the battles of Winchester, Banks’s retreat, and all skirmishes of the campaign.

I was under Gen’l Pope, participating in its cavalry fights at Warrenton, Va., several battles of Bull Run, and numerous other skirmishes of the campaign. Afterwards under Gen’l Stahel but had no fighting of any account.

My Regt. was then placed in General Kilpatrick’s Division, was in all the cavalry fights of the Pennsylvania Campaign.

I was afterward detailed on the staff of Major Gen’l Custer and participated in all the cavalry fights, from the time Gen’l Sheridan took command until the close of the war. I afterwards went to Texas with Gen’l Custer, where I remained until I was mustered out…”

I have included his name as he and his mother spelled it, though some accounts show his middle name as Forest rather than Forrest.

Recommending Norvell for a brevet, Custer explained, “I… recommend that Lieut. Norvell be promoted by brevet to the rank of Major… Since August 1864, he has served upon my personal staff. By his gallantry, intelligent transmittal of orders, and energy, he distinguished himself at the Battles of Winchester, Fishers Hill, Cedar Creek, Waynesboro, [Tom’s Brook], and throughout the raid from Winchester to Petersburg in March 65.

“He performed an active and important part in the closing battles near Richmond, participating in all. At the Battles of Dinwiddie CH, Five Forks, and Sailor’s Creek, he particularly distinguished himself. At the latter he was foremost in the charge which carried the enemy’s works, his horse being shot under him when within a few feet of the enemy’s entrenchments.

“At the Battle of Appomattox Station, the evening of the 8^th, [he] with a small party of men led the advance in the charge which gave us possession of three large trains of cars loaded with supplies intended for the rebel army. I consider it due in a great measure to the judgment, skill, and daring, of Lieut. Norvell on this occasion that we effected the capture of these supplies and the additional capture of 24 pieces of artillery, and a large number of prisoners before the close of the same engagement.”

Suspecting his service with Custer would soon end, Norvell applied for a commission in the regular army on December 1, 1865. Custer endorsed Norvell’s letter, noting “he is brave, energetic, and possessed of excellent judgment, [&] thoroughly acquainted with the duties of a cavalry officer and possessing a good education, I trust his application will be granted.”

On December 11, Custer issued Special Order 8, announcing Norvell’s departure. “The General Commanding takes this occasion to express his high appreciation of the services of Lieut. Norvell. Entering the service in July 1861, he served continuously until the surrender of the rebel Armies …And now at the close of the Rebellion he can look back and recount more battles than his life numbers years. Such a record needs no comment.”

Officially separated from the army in April 1866, Norvell had received no response to his request for a commission in the year since he had applied. On Christmas Eve, 1866, his mother wrote to General Grant.

“I hope you will forgive the liberty I take in addressing a private communication to you on the subject of my son, Edwin Forrest Norvell… Not having a father or any influential friends to push the matter, nothing has been heard of the application since it was made. This induces me to apply to you for your influence, feeling confident that you will give it, unless you know some cause why it would be impossible for you to do so.

“Having served nearly five years with the Army and not having been educated for any business or profession, he naturally prefers it to any other, independent of being thrown on the world, at 23 years of age, without the means of support, for I am, myself, dependent upon my children. If you cannot comply with my wishes for the army, do you think it would be possible for him to get employment in any of the military departments in Washington?

“…I hope you will excuse my intruding upon you in this manner and attribute it, to its true cause, the great anxiety I feel about my son.”

With the army undergoing a large reduction in force, officers applying for commissions faced stiff competition, but Grant helped, telling Stanton in late-January 1867, “I… recommend Lt. Ed F. Norvell, of Detroit, Michigan, for a Lieutenancy of Cavalry. Lt. Norvell enlisted as a private at the beginning of the war, in the cavalry and served faithfully until mustered out of service less than one year ago… I know the family well and have known them for many years most favorably…”

In mid-March he received and accepted his appointment. A week later he passed a physical examination. All that remained was a test before the Examination Board on April 10. In addition to Maj. Gen. David Hunter, who ran the board, the other members may have been Maj. Gen. William Emory, Brig. Gen. Lawrence Graham, and Capt. Robert Montgomery.

What appears below is the only example of such a test I have seen. Some evidence suggests the questions below mirror, though to an unknown extent, the test cadets took upon first arriving at West Point.

The handwriting suggests that the examiners presented questions verbally and the applicant then wrote out the questions and his answers. I have transcribed Norvell’s handwriting as accurately as I can. Words I cannot decipher I have marked as —-. Words I have taken my best guess at I have placed in brackets. I have also placed some of his spelling errors in brackets. The board members asked several of the questions twice. In some cases, I have moved the duplicate questions together so readers might see more quickly any difference in his answers. In the interest of space, I have eliminated a couple other duplicates, where his answers remained the same. Examiners also marked some, though not all, of his incorrect answers.

“Spell the following words and phrases:

April, February, Ruff and Ready, a piece of tough wood, The [prophet –], Retinue, Enough, Weights & Measures, Height, A Very Rough [Yen], Examination, Faithful, [Ocenn], — Magnificent.

What is Geography?

A description of the earth & surface.

What is a continent?

It is the different countries of the world, as America.

How many continents are there?

Two, Northern & Southern.

What is the figure of the Earth?

Round like an orange.

How many nations has it?

Three hundred & sixty-five.

What is latitude?

Distance from the equator north or south.

What is longitude?

Distance from an established meridian east and west.

What is the meridian used in this country?

Washington, as longitude is — from the [capitol] of the country we live in.

How many motions has the earth?

Two – yearly and daily.

What is the effect of these motions?

The yearly makes the seasons and the daily, night and day.

What is a zone?

It is a division of the Earth formed by the tropics or polar circles.

What do you mean by the tropics?

Two imaginary circles around the Earth parallel with the Equator.

How many zones are there?

Five – one torrid, two temperate and two frigid.

What are the boundaries of the United States?

On the north by British America, on the east by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by the Pacific, on the south by the Gulf of Mexico.

What are the principal rivers flowing into the Atlantic Ocean?

Mississippi and Ohio [He might have crossed out Ohio].

What are the principal rivers flowing into the Pacific?

Sacramento River.

What are the boundaries of Kentucky?

It is bounded on the north by the Ohio River, in the east, Virginia.

What do you mean by the earth [moving or having] 365 motions?

I mean revolutions.

What causes winter & summer?

The motions of the earth.

What motion is it that causes winter and summer?

Revolving of the earth around the sun.

What are the [principle] kingdoms of Europe?

England, Greece, Africa, Asia.

Where is the [Mediterranean] Sea?

Between North and South America.

Where is the Mediterranean Sea?

It is in South America.

How many pounds of each, pork, flour, and coffee, will you require for 20,000 men for 16 days, allowing each man per day ¾ lb. pork, 1 and a quarter lbs. flour and 1/16 lb. coffee? Also, how many wagons will you require to transport the total amount allowing 1800 lbs. to each wagon?

15,000 lbs. pork, [25,000 lbs. flour, 1258 lbs. coffee, 22 and 16/18 wagons. [I believe the examiner wrote in that Norvell had allowed for one day only].

If you have command of 3 regiments and each regiment of the following strength – 1^st regiment 890 men, 2^nd regiment 520 men, 3^rd regiment 640 men – and you receive an order for 130 men, how many would you detail from each regiment?

43 from two of the regiments and 44 from the other. [The examiner wrote in, 1^st regiment should be 56 and 110/205, 2^nd regiment should be 32 and 200/205, and 3^rd regiment should be 40 and 100/205 + 130].

Name the four fundamental rules of arithmetic?

Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, and Division.

How many kinds of fractions are there?

Two – common and vulgar.

Give some examples of each?

½, 2/3, ¾. 5/27, 7/15.

In eight whole numbers, how many fourths?

Four [Examiner noted – Wrong].

Reduce 16 and 1/8 to an improper fraction?

16/128.

Add ¾ + 2 and 1/8 + 6 and 2/9?

8 and 6/21. [Examiner noted – Wrong].

Subtract 19 and ¾ from 29 and 1/6?

10 and 37/58. [Examiner noted – Wrong].

Multiply 6/7 by 6?

36/42. [Examiner may have marked Correct and then crossed it out].

Divide ¾ by 9?

27/36 [Examiner noted – Wrong].

If a bushel of corn cost ¾ of a dollar, what will 5/6 of a bushel cost?

8/10

If a garrison of 6400 men has provisions for 2 years and 3 months, to what number must the garrison be diminished to make the provisions hold out 4 years and 6 months?

3200 or one half. [Examiner noted – correct].

What are the names of the tropics?

The Tropic of Cancer is the northern and the Tropic of Capricorn is the Southern.

What is the latitude of the tropics?

23 and ½ degrees from the equator.

How many races of men are there?

European, African, American, [Malnys], Anglo Saxon.

Give the boundary of Europe?

It is bounded on the north by the Atlantic Ocean, on the east by Africa and Asia, on the south by the Pacific.

How is Africa bounded?

It is bounded on the north by Asia, on the east by Atlantic, on the south Russia, and the west by Europe.

Where is the Cape of Good Hope?

It is in Maine.

Where are the Straights of Gibraltar?

They are between North and South America.

Where is the North Sea?

It is between the Tropic of Cancer and the Artic Circle and is sometimes called the Artic Ocean.

Where is the Baltic Sea?

It is in British America.

Where is the Black Sea?

Can not answer.

Where is the Red Sea?

It is in Africa.

Where is the Island of Jamaca?

In the Mediterranean Sea.

Where is Cape Horn?

It is in California.

Bound the state of Michigan?

It is bounded on the north by Lake Michigan, on the east by Lake Huron and the Detroit River, on the south by Ohio, and on the west by Illinois.

Where were you born?

Born at Detroit, Michigan.

How many years did you live there?

Twenty-three years, with the exception of four years that I was in the army.

How many wars has the United States been engaged in?

Five wars, Revolutionary, between England and America, which commenced in 1776 and lasted eight years and the next war was the French War of 1812, and the next was the Indian War, and the next war was the Mexican War, and the last was the war with the south, which commenced 1861 and lasted until the 9^th of April 1865.

What is arithmetic?

It is the science of computing numbers.

What is a common or vulgar fraction?

One whose — is less than its — [Hard to read].

What is a decimal fraction?

It’s tens, hundreds & thousands.

Write down in figures the sum of one million two hundred & nine thousand nine hundred and six?

1209906.

Add ¾ + ¼ + 6 and 2/9?

7 and 2/9.

How many cubic feet are there in a block of marble 16 feet long, 12 feet thick, and 14 and ¾ wide? Also, its value at 25 cents per cubic foot?

2735 feet and $448.00 [examiner noted – Wrong].

Subtract 20 and ¼ from 30 and 2/9?

9 and 25/35.

If you had command of four companies of cavalry and each company the following strength – Company A = 70 men, Company B = 80 men, and Company C = 90 men, and Company D = 100 men – and you receive an order for a detail of 130 men, how many would you detail from each company?

26 and 260/340, 30 and 200/340, 34 and 140/348, and 38 and 20/340.

Multiply ¾ x 6?

4 and ½.

Divide ¾ by 6?

1 and [5/24]. [Examiner noted – Wrong].

What is the interest on $205.05 at 6 per cent for one year, nine months and ten days?

$34.17 and 3/6. [Examiner noted – Wrong].

How many pounds of each, Pork, Flour, and Coffee will you require for 30,000 men for 16 days, allowing each man ¾ lb. of pork, 1 and ¼ lb. of flour, and 1/16 lb. of coffee per day?

36,000 pork, 600,000 flour, and 30,000 coffee. [Examiner noted his answers for pork and coffee as wrong].”

Well, how many of you passed? I do not know what the army considered a passing score, but I suspect I am still a civilian, looking elsewhere for employment. Edwin Norvell failed the exam. He applied and received a chance to take the test a second time. A copy of the second exam is also in his file. Failing a second time, he gave up on his quest for a commission in the army. Custer had credited him with having received a good education, but we know nothing further. As his mother had stated, he only knew life in the army, and now, like so many young men in the country he began seeking employment elsewhere.

I am not sure what to think of the test, which is apparently designed to determine overall intelligence rather than military acumen. He had entered the army at 18, served as an enlisted man and as an officer leading men in battle. As such he must have understood the military manuals of the day and had a head for tactics, at least on a junior officer level.

Life in the post-war army could be dreadfully boring, and opportunities for advancement would have been extremely slow. Did a young officer stationed, for example, at Fort Wallace, in the barren plains of northwestern Kansas, where not a tree or pond could be seen, need to know where the Baltic Sea was, or the Tropic of Cancer? Probably not. Did he need to know how to supply his command? Yes, but he would have had help from commissary officers and quartermasters. The larger question might have been could he have learned from them, did he have the capacity to learn, and, with positions at a premium, the army could afford to be picky.

One question remains; do we think the board asked George Custer the same questions?

Edwin Norvell married Margret Smith of Washington, DC on July 2, 1867, and they raised two children. He appears to have worked as a lighthouse surveyor until his death in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 28, 1876. With the June 25 disaster at the Little Big Horn still dominating the news, Norvell’s passing received little notice. A brief item appeared in the Detroit Free Press on July 29, noting that he had died after being “thrown from a carriage and seriously injured.” On August 1, papers across the country carried a slightly longer obituary under the heading “Death of One of Custer’s Aids.” The Cleveland papers appear to have not mentioned Norvell’s death, though a key issue is missing. However, the Plain Dealer of July 31 mentioned two carriage accidents on July 28. In one, “A horse… ran away…and threw the vehicle…breaking it in pieces.” Of the second accident, listed immediately below the other, the paper said, “A horse…ran away…and ran into a carriage…breaking it very badly.” Norvell rests today in Detroit’s Elmwood Cemetery.[8]

His widow moved back to Washington, DC, to live with her parents. There she worked for the Treasury Department. She filed for her husband’s pension in 1908 and died on April 29, 1931. She rests today in Rock Creek Cemetery in the nation’s capital.

Sources:

Documents at the National Archives viewed via Fold3 and Ancestry

Find A Grave

Cleveland Plain Dealer

Detroit Free Press

New York Commercial Advertiser

Aaron Bliss, Record of Service of Michigan Volunteers in the Civil War, 1^st Michigan Cavalry

T. J. Stiles, Custer’s Trials

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