Originally Aired: September 22, 1957

In Gunsmoke #285, “Custer,” Marshal Matt Dillon arrests a suspicious drifter, Joe Trimble, for the brutal murder of a reclusive old rancher. But just as Dillon prepares to take him to trial, a U.S. Army major arrives with shocking news—Trimble is actually a deserter from the 7th Cavalry under an alias. Though Matt is convinced of Trimble's guilt, the Army demands custody. In a chilling twist of justice, Trimble escapes a civil conviction only to be sent back north to rejoin the very unit preparing for a fateful expedition against the Sioux. A slow-burning moral dilemma unfolds, ending with a haunting name—Colonel George Custer.

Cast: William Conrad, Parley Baer, Howard McNear

Tags:
Western, justice, murder, army, desertion, trial, MattDillon, WilliamConrad, 7thCavalry, Custer, Sioux, LittleBighorn, oldtimeradio, frontierjustice, militaryvsjustice, 1950sradio, classicwestern, suspense, historicalforeshadowing, Gunsmoke