[Jackson, Pickett, McClellan, Burnside] Official Register of the Officers and Cadets of the U.S. Military Academy, West Point, New-York. June, 1846 [Burton, Henry Stanton, Stoneall Jackson, Ambrose Burnside, et al.] American Civil War,Military

[New York: W.L. Burroughs, Printer], 1846. 6 x 4 inches, 21, [3] pages, stitched. Without original wrappers; spine expertly strengthened; old stain to final leaf; very good. Stonewall Jackson s name leads this very rare Register of West Point cadets from June 1846, the year he graduated. Older than most classmates, Jackson entered the Academy in 1842 "ill-prepared for higher education," but, as Patricia L. Faust observes, "his grades improved steadily each year, and in 1846 he graduated 17th in a class of 59." Jackson s hallmark as a cadet was his discipline and work ethic. Despite early setbacks, he studied with extraordinary diligence, often rising before dawn to review lessons. Over his four years, he moved up in class standing every year. In all, thirteen future Union and eight Confederate generals appear in these pages, including George B. McClellan, Ambrose E. Burnside, John Buford Jr., George E. Pickett, Ambrose P. Hill, Quincy A. Gilmore, John Gibbon, Alfred Gibbs, John G. Parke, Dabney H. Maury, Beverly Robertson, and George Stoneman Jr. The Register also notes cadets who became Medal of Honor recipients, state governors, and military leaders on both sides of the conflict. Academic staff were equally notable, including Gustavus W. Smith, William S. Rosecrans, and E.P. Scammon, each of whom later served as generals. The compiler, Henry S. Burton, who signs his name on the final leaf, would himself rise to the rank of Union brigadier. Organized by staff and cadet merit, and including conduct rolls and coursework details, the Register records the antebellum Academy on the eve of the Mexican War. A rare record documenting an extraordinary group of men who would later command on both sides of the Civil War.