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.