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The Class of 1846: From West Point to Appomattox: Stonewall Jackson, George McClellan, and Their Br others
written by John Waugh
Studio : Ballantine Books
by Ballantine Books
Release Date : 1999-06-01
Publisher : Ballantine Books
Released : 1999-06-01
Availability : Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Number of Items : 1
EAN : 9780345434036
Avg. Customer Rating: (based on 22 reviews)
List Price : $17.95
Our Price : $10.50
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Product Description |
No single group of men at West Point--or possibly any academy--has been so indelibly written into history as the class of 1846. The names are legendary: Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, George B. McClellan, Ambrose Powell Hill, Darius Nash Couch, George Edward Pickett, Cadmus Marcellus Wilcox, and George Stoneman. The class fought in three wars, produced twenty generals, and left the nation a lasting legacy of bravery, brilliance, and bloodshed.
This fascinating, remarkably intimate chronicle traces the lives of these unforgettable men--their training, their personalities, and the events in which they made their names and met their fates. Drawing on letters, diaries, and personal accounts, John C. Waugh has written a collective biography of masterful proportions, as vivid and engrossing as fiction in its re-creation of these brilliant figures and their pivotal roles in American history. |
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An inportant look into our Civil War military leaders |
I initially heard of this book after reading a review in the Wall Street Journal. I was very impressed with the way Waugh weaved this story together. We bond with the characters as they struggle through their years at West Point. The friendships started in the Academy are then forged on various battlefields in Mexico (a war about which most Americans know next to nothing... including me!). Then, these life-long friends turn into enemies during the Civil War.
I have to admit that when reading Waugh's description of the surrender at Appomattox, I was moved to tears... while deadheading in an airplane full of passengers! I was totally caught up in Waugh's storytelling. Masterful job and a great read.
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Interesting background on Civil War leaders... |
Having read a number of Civil War books lately, I was surprised at how many officers were friends and colleagues from their days at West Point. The Class of 1846 From West Point to Appomattox: Stonewall Jackson, George McClellan and Their Brothers by John C. Waugh is a good place to start to learn some of this background.
The class of 1846 at West Point was an illustrious class in many ways. This was the biggest class in academy history up until that time, and included such luminaries as George McClellan, Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, George Pickett and Ambrose "A.P." Hill. At the time, West Point was one of the best colleges in the nation and certainly the best engineering school. Waugh provides a glimpse of what it was like to be a cadet, and I can't even imagine spending ten hours a day in the classroom as a freshman with seven hours of math and three hours of French (most military manuals were written in French at the time). Of the 122 plebes who began in 1842, 59 graduated four years later.
Timing is everything and soon after this class graduated, the Mexican War started heating up and the president doubled the size of the regular army. This put the class of '46 on the fast track for promotions. Fifty-three served in the Mexican War, and it was here that they met many other West Point graduates and future Civil War leaders including Robert E. Lee, P.G.T. Beauregard, Ulysses S. Grant, James Longstreet and Winfield Scott Hancock.
The majority of this book deals with the Civil War. Twenty-two members of this class became Union or Confederate generals. Waugh focuses on how these men contributed to the battles and events of the war. The handsome, dashing and intelligent George McClellan graduated number two in his class and great things were expected of him. After a promising start in the Mexican War, the vain and pompous McClellan proved to be a big disappointment. The true star turned out to be quiet, unassuming Stonewall Jackson. Jackson barely met the entrance requirements and started off at the bottom of his class. Through hard work and perseverance, he graduated number seventeen. "Nobody saw in him any suggestion of genius or gift for command." When Jackson died after Chancellorsville, it truly was a blow to the Confederacy. Prior to reading Waugh, I thought Stonewall was just plain crazy. After, I've gained a new respect for this eccentric general.
The Class of 1846 has a section of photos and drawings, as well as a list of the many classmates that are mentioned in the book. This helps to keep the lesser-known characters straight. However, Waugh should have included some maps to help the reader with battle locations. Otherwise, I found this book to be very interesting.
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A Very Good Study in Relationships |
This is a standard rendition of two primary Civil War generals: Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson and George McClelland. In this portion of the book Waugh tells us what we already know about George, that while he was always at the head of the class moving up the ranks, he failed miserably once at the top. Similarly, Stonewall, no doubt as crazy as a loon, became the Civil War's finest and best tactician produced by either side.
Focusing as he does on the West Point graduating class of 1846, the year the War with Mexico was initiated, we meet numerous men who studied together and fight together in the Mexican War, the Indian Wars, the Mormon War and, in the climax of their military lives, against each other, in the Civil War.
Having gone through school together for 4 years, these men competed against each other for most of their adult lives. But as the competitions were intense, the personal relationships were even closer. Cadmus Wilcox was Sam Grant's best man; James Longstreet was also in the wedding party. George McClelland and Robert E. Lee served together on Winfield Scott's staff. Gideon Pillow and John B. Magruder brevet a youthful Tom Jackson at Chapultepec. Clarendon Williams, Jackson's graduation day dancing partner, dies in the Navaho war. Lee, George Thomas, George Stoneman, John Bell Hood and Albert Sidney Johnson serve for 6 years together in Texas in the US Second Cavalry. Lewis Armistead, William T. Sherman and Winfield Hancock serve together in California.
John Waugh has produced a unique view of the Civil War, through the eyes of men who, while they fought against each other with all the skill they possessed, fought against comrades, close friends and former classmates who at times, just couldn't have seemed like the enemy.
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As Good As It Could Be |
This book is at its best in the first 200 pages, when all of the classmates get fairly equal coverage at West Point and the Mexican/frontier Wars.
The book is extremely entertaining and well researched throughout, and the author is not attempting to challenge any aspect of Civil War history, so the narrative on the soldiers as we know them in that War does not change.
As mentioned in other reviews, the Civil War portion of the book is discombobulated almost out of necessity, since the soldiers were no longer equally important. Doing so would make the book incredibly long, and the simple truth is that people will inherently be more interested in Jackson than Stoneman.
Regardless, it's still a more than worthy book to pick up, if only to see how opinions and relationships were molded over a 15 year period of time among all these brothers turned enemies. |
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student |
This book is a MUST READ for any serious student of the Civil War. It lets us see how the West Pointers were trained and how they bonded. It gives us the insight To the meaning "an Officer and Gentleman". You find many times over the gallantry and foolishness of men. You also find the depth of friendships that led to the healing of wounds so a young nation could move forward.
It is hard to see these young men's dreams fall to battle. Without their leadership it would have been so much worse on the average citizen. Read it, then cry for all our nation lost. |
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