82. 1859 WEST POINT PORTRAIT YEARBOOK A superlative, very rare bound volume of signed portraits of the faculty and outgoing graduates of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York in 1859, marbled boards with leather spine and gilt printed title "PORTRAITS", this copy signed on the front flyleaf and dated June 13, 1859 by graduate WILLIAM E. MERRILL (1859-1891), later a major with the Army's 1st Battalion of Engineers. Merrill would be wounded at Yorktown, captured and held a P.O.W. until 1862 when he escaped and was recaptured. Each portrait within the book is oval, about 5 1/4" x 7 1/4" mounted to 9 1/2" x 11 1/4" heavy stock bound within the book. Each portrait is signed, and they appear as follows: RICHARD DELAFIELD (1798-1873) Academy Superintendent and later a Union brigadier general and Chief of Army Engineers during the war, signing and adding: "Col'n of Engineers Supdnt M. Acd'y"; WILLIAM J. HARDEE (1815-1873), later a Confederate lieutenant general who led his corps at Shiloh and Atlanta, and attempted to halt Sherman's March to the Sea, adding rank: "W.W. Col. U.S.A. Comd't Cadets"; D. H. MARHAN as Professor of Engineering; W. H. C. BARTLETT as Professor of Natural and Experimental Philosophy; A. E. CHURCH as Professor of Mathematics; ROBERT W. WEIR (b. 1803) as Professor of Drawing; H. R. AGNELI as Professor of French; J. W. FRENCH, Professor of Ethics and Chaplain; H. L. KENDRICK as Professor of Chemistry; P. DE JANON as Professor of Spanish; JAMES G. BENTON (d. 1881), later Colonel of the U.S. Army Ordnance Dept., signs as Captain of Ordnance and Gunnery Instructor; and JAMES C. DUANE (1824-1897), later a Lt. Col. with the 1st Batt. Eng., signs as an instructor, followed by cadets, each of whom has also signed: WILLIAM E. HEMLE, ORLANDO G. WAGNER (d. 1862), later a First Lt. of the 1st Batt. Eng., mortally wounded at Yorktown, MARTIN D. HARDIN (1837-1923), later a Union general who fought with distinction at Gettysburg and helped to repulse Jubal Early's raid on Washington, twice wounded; SAMUEL H. LOCKETT (1837-1891), later Pemberton's Chief Engineer of the Dept of the Mississippi and Louisiana during the Vicksburg campaign, a hero who blew-up a bridge to avoid a hurried Union attack; EUGENE M. BAKER (d. 1884), later a Captain in the Army 1st Cavalry; JOSEPH WHEELER (1836-1906) later the famous Confederate major general, "Fighting Joe", a brilliant cavalry officer who raided Rosecrans at Chattanooga and harassed Sherman's army through Georgia and the Carolinas, signs adding "Jr." and giving his address as New York; FRANCIS L. GUENTHER, later a Captain with the Army's 5th Light Artillery; ELIAS B. CARLING (d. 1875), later served as Captain with the Army's 3rd Light Artillery; RODERICK STONE, later served with the U.S. 14th Infantry, died of wounds sustained in New Mexico on Mar. 3, 1862; FRANCIS J. CRILLY, later a captain in the Quartermaster's Dept.; JOHN J. UPHAM, later serving in the Army 6th Infantry, fought at Gettysburg and brevetted major; E. G. BUSH (d. 1892), later served as a major in the U.S. 10th, promoted on the field at Gettysburg; NORMAN J. HALL (d. 1867), later served with the Army 5th Light Artillery and 7th Mich., brevetted for Antitam, Fredericksburg and Gettysburg; MOSES H. WRIGHT (1836-1886), later joined the CSA Ordnance Bureau; CHAUNCEY B. REESE (1837-1870), later served as Captain with the Army Engineer Corps., died of yellow fever in 1870 and brevetted brigadier general, HENRY A. F. WALSH, joined the Confederate Army, was wounded at Gaines Mill and resigned in 1863 due to those wounds; ROBERT F. BECKHAM (d. 1864), achieved the rank of Colonel in the CSA artillery, killed at Franklin on Nov. 30, 1864; EDWIN H. STOUGHTON (1838-1868), achieved the rank of Union major general and fought on the Peninsula, surprised and embarrassingly captured by John S. Mosby in 1863; A. L. ANDERSON; ABRAHAM K. ARNOLD (1837-1901), later a Captain with the Army 5th Cavalry and eventually a brigadier general in 1898, awarded the Medal of Honor for a brilliant charge at Davenport Bridge, Va.; and JOHN R. B. BOUTWELL, later a Colonel of Alabama cavalry from 1861-65. A few of the images show some slight lightening at the edges (Hardee slightly so at top), else the balance, including Wheeler and Stoughton are near fine condition. These albums were as a rule owned only by the wealthiest graduates, as such photographs, especially of this size, were costly to produce. A superb item! $10,000 - 12,000