The United States Military Academy

The United States Military Academy was established at West Point, New York in March of 1802. Its mission was to train the new nation’s young men in advanced military and engineering skills and prepare the future leaders of the United States Army. The Academy produced 445 Civil War generals: 294 fought for the Union, and 151 for the Confederacy. Of this number 105 were killed and 151 were wounded – 57% of the total. A West Point graduate commanded one or both armies in every one of the 60 major battles of the war.

West Point Graduates by Class Year

The links below lead to a page for each West Point class year which graduated a future Civil War officer.  The first class is in 1802, and the last class in 1864.

Each class year page lists the cadets who served in the Civil War from that class in alphabetical order. It also lists their allegiance, highest rank reached, class rank (for years after 1818, when ranks were first awarded) and other pertinent information. Graduates who did not serve in the Civil War are also shown, although less information is listed for them.

The list includes some cadets who did not graduate. Lewis Armistead (1839), for example, was supposedly dismissed for the understandable action of breaking a mess plate over Jubal Early’s head. These cadets are listed with the class with whom they should have graduated.

Classes

1802 – 1809

1811 • 1812 – 1813 • 1814 • 18151817 • 1818 • 1819

18201821 • 1822 • 1823 • 1824 • 1825 • 1826 • 1827 • 1828 • 1829

18301831 • 1832 • 1833 • 1834 • 18351836 • 1837 • 1838 • 1839

18401841 • 1842 • 1843 • 1844 • 18451846 • 1847 • 1848 •  1849

18501851 • 1852 • 1853 • 1854 • 18551856 • 1857 • 1858 • 1859

1860 • May 1861June 1861186218631864

No one from the classes of 1802-4, 1807, 1809 or 1813 served in the Civil War. There were no graduates at all for the classes of 1810 and 1816. After the war started in 1861 the class which would have graduated in 1862 was accelerated and graduated the month after the class of 1861. The following classes then graduated a year earlier than originally planned. This resulted in an unbroken string of classes graduating each year with a double class in 1861.

Alphabetical Index of
West Point Officers
in the Civil War

A • B • C • DE • FG • H • IJKL
MNOP • QR • S • TUV • W