45 cadets graduated in the West Point Class of May 1861
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 original Class of 1861 is listed as May 1861, while the original Class of 1862 is listed as June 1861.
Class of May 1851 members who served in the Civil War
For Federal officers indicated rank is as U.S. Volunteers unless shown as “USA,” which indicates rank in the Regular U.S. Army
| Adelbert Ames |  |
5 | Major General USV | Earned Medal of Honor at Bull Run 1861 |
| Orville E. Babcock | |
3 | Lieutenant Colonel USA | |
| John Barlow | |
14 | Captain USA | |
| Eugene Beaumont | |
32 | Major USV | |
| Samuel N. Benjamin | |
12 | Captain USA | Earned Medal of Honor for distinguished service |
| Adelbert R. Buffington | |
7 | Captain USA | |
| Charles C. Campbell |  |
24 | Major | |
| Nathaniel R. Chambliss | |
9 | Major | |
| Charles E. Cross | |
2 | Captain USA | Killed at Fredericksburg, June 1863 |
| Francis A. Davies | |
23 | Captain USA | |
| George W. Dresser | |
19 | First Lieutenant USA | |
| Henry A. Du Pont | |
1 | Lieutenant Colonel | Earned Medal of Honor at Cedar Creek 1864 |
| Robert L. Eastman | |
35 | Captain USA | |
| William A. Elderkin | |
22 | Captain USA | |
| Campbell D. Emory | |
38 | Captain USA | |
| Charles H. Gibson | |
43 | Captain USA | |
| Erskine Gittings | |
30 | Captain USA | |
| Franklin Harwood | |
18 | Captain USA | |
| Henry C. Hasbrouck | |
21 | First Lieutennt USA | |
| Charles E. Hazlett | |
15 | First Lieutenant USA | Killed on July 2 at Gettysburg on Little Round Top, monument at Gettysburg. |
| Guy V. Henry | |
27 | Brigadier General USV | Earned Medal of Honor at Cold Harbor 1864 |
| Mathias W. Henry | |
44 | Major | |
| Llewellyn G. Hoxton | |
6 | Lieutenant Colonel | |
| Leroy L. Janes | |
37 | Captain USA | |
| Jacob Ford Kent | |
31 | Lieutenant Colonel USV | |
| Henry W. Kingsbury | |
4 | Colonel USV | Mortally wounded at Antietam, Sep. 1862 commanding the 11th Connecticut Infantry |
| Edmund Kirby | |
10 | First Lieutenant USA | Mortally wounded Chancellorsville, May 1863 |
| Hugh Judson Kilpatrick | |
17 | Brigadier General USV | |
| Charles McKnight Leoser | |
20 | Colonel USV | |
| Leonard Martin | |
33 | Colonel USV | |
| James E. McQuesten | |
39 | Captain USA | Killed at Third Battle of Winchester (Opequon), Va. Sep. 19, 1864 |
| Henry Noble | |
36 | First Lieutenant USA | |
| Charles E. Patterson | |
16 | Lieutenant Colonel | |
| John Pelham | |
— | Major | Withdrew before graduation. Killed Kelly’s Ford, Va., 1863 |
| John S. Poland | |
34 | Captain USA | |
| Jacob B. Rawles | |
29 | First Lieutenant USA | |
| Olin F. Rice | |
41 | Colonel | Reported in Cullum’s Register as killed at Third Battle of Winchester but survived the war. |
| Wright Rives | |
42 | Captain USA | |
| John L. Rodgers | |
11 | Captain USA | |
| George O. Sokalski | |
40 | Captain USA | |
| Jacob H. Smyser | |
28 | Captain USA | |
| Sheldon Sturgeon | |
45 | Captain USA | |
| Emory Upton | |
8 | Brigadier General USV | |
| Malbone F. Watson | |
25 | Captain USA | Wounded at Gettysburg, losing his right leg. |
| John B. Williams | |
26 | Captain USA | Dismissed 1863 |
| Pierce M.B. Young | |
— | Major General | Resigned two months prior to graduation with Georgia’s secession. |
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Main West Point Officers page
with list of class years
Alphabetical Index of West Point Officers in the Civil War
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