The Class of 1846

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.