West Point Class Rankings

[jodak]

Yesterday on the Ford D thread I alluded to the USMA class rankings of various of Custer's contemporary officers.  I thought that some might be interested in a more detailed look at the rankings of some of the notables of that period, as follows:

Rank

1 McPherson (53), Custis Lee (54), McKenzie (62)

2 R. E. Lee (29), Beauregard (38), McClellan (46), Warren (50)

3 Halleck (39), Porter Alexander (57)

4 Howard (54)

5 Pendleton (30), Meigs (36), Bragg (37), Sherman (40), Rosecrans (42)

6 None of note

7 Rodman (41), Pleasonton (44), Slocum (52), Schofield (53)

8 B. Huger (25), Albert Sydney Johnston (26), Polk (27), Fitz-John Porter (45), Upton (61-1)

9 None of note

10 Peagram (54)

11 Thomas (40), Lyons (41), Buckner (44)

12 Ewell (40)

13 Joseph Johnston (29), Couch (46), Jeb Stuart (54)

14 Ramseur (60)

15 R. Anderson (25), McGruder (30), A.P. Hill (47)

16 Buford (48)

17 Trimble (22), Ord (39), Pope (42), T. [Stonewall] Jackson (46), Kilpatrick (61-1)

18 Early (37), Hancock (44), Burnside (47)

19 Meade (35), Hunt (39), Pender (54), Wheeler (59)

20 Gibbon (47), Marcus Reno (57)

21 Grant (43)

22 Manning Kimmel [Father of Husband] (57), Merritt (60)

23 Jefferson Davis (28), McDowell (38), Bushrod Johnson (40)

24 Sedgwick (37), Doubleday (42)

25 Edmund Kirby Smith (45)

26 Hardee (38), Reynolds (41)

27 Pemberton (37)

28 D. H. Hill (42)

29 Hooker (37), Garnett (41)

30 None of note

31 Haupt (35)

32 Buell (41), Sturgis (46),

33 Bee (45), Stoneman (46)

34 Sheridan (53), Custer (61-2)

35 Granger (45)

36 None of note

37 None of note

38 Heath (47) [last in class], Crook (52)

39 Sykes (42)

40-43 None of note

44 Hood (53)

45 Fitzhugh Lee (56)

46-47 None of note

48 McLaws (42)

49-53 None of note

54 Longstreet (42) [out of 56]

55-56 None of note

57 Maxey (46)

58 Picket (46) [last in class]

 

[benteen]

jodak,

Good post, thanks for taking the time. Very interesting. It almost seems the worse you were at West Point, the better you turned out as an Officer Dont let Capt Clair (West Point graduate) in the other forum see this, it will break his heart.

Be Well
Dan

[montrose]

West Point was and is an engineering college. I see no relevance between attending a non tier college and future performance in the military.

Students at USMA are not commissioned officers. They are no different than any other applicant to be an officer. Too many electrons have died needless deaths trying to show some relevant factor between an officer who attended USMA, and one who did not.

The tactics taught at USMA in this era were based on the Brown Bess musket, and were hopelessly obsolete. To this day, USMA wears uniforms and practices D&C from the 1812 war.

Whatever the source of commission, pay attention to demonstrated performance. This army had design flaws, that prevented promoting on merit. The exceptions created resentment. But promoting Crook and Miles led to USA winning wars. They got the job done. And I am no Miles fanboy, he was a jerk with numerous bad decisions. (I do not mind a jerk with good decisions Patton, Abrams Dupuy, etc; Fred half the guys you served with).

Attending West Point is not an indicator of success in the US Army. Not then, and not now. So rankings within a school with no relevance on future Army performance is a futile exercise.

Just so you know, less than 20% of USMA grads make a career in the Army. The rest quit or are kicked out.

[Beth]

What is D&C?

[dave]

Beth
I believe it is Drill and Ceremonies. I could be wrong but am pretty sure it is right. If you have ever seen the movie "The Long Gray Line" you would notice the D&C at the end when Marty is being honored with a parade by the corps.
Regards
Dave

[Beth]

I figured the D might be drill but was lost on the C. D&C has a much different meaning to women then men.

[dave]

Last in Their Class: Custer, Pickett and the Goats of West Point by James S. Robbins is available on Amazon.com in Kindle and hardcover. Looks to be pretty interesting.
Regards
Dave

[montrose]

My bad.

Drill and Ceremonies

www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/FM_3-21.5_Drill_and_Ceremonies.pdf

[Colt45]

Oct 8, 2015 18:31:20 GMT -6 Beth said:

What is D&C?

Drill and Ceremonies.

[magpie]

Academics rarely predict ability. Academics punish independent thought and reward parroting. As one who often clashed with professors I tested this to the fullest. Debate is poorly developed in the US. One of my communications professors told me when I missed a test question ("if you loose a debate are you personally diminished") that only a small percentage (she guessed 5-6%) of the population believes you are not diminished. So no one say's I don't get it Mr. President how are you going to police 23 million angry Iraqis that don't speak our language and share our values with 40,000 men when It takes 40,000 men to police 10 million New Yorkers and when ever you let the number fall there's trouble. No one asked, too scary, gosh he's a Yale grad, he must know. We train people to be parrots. Unfortunately our society wants to produce and advance the anointed ones.

All that said it is a measure of commitment and stick to and a measure of intelligence just not the only one.

[Beth]

Oct 9, 2015 0:49:32 GMT -6 montrose said:

My bad.

Drill and Ceremonies

www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/FM_3-21.5_Drill_and_Ceremonies.pdf

There was no bad, just sometimes I have different meanings for the abbreviations that seem to be commonly used in the military.  

The manual looks very interesting, thanks for sharing them.  I admit I am fascinated by exhibition drill teams.