West Point Register look-up request

[Hank Trent]

Does anyone have easy access to one of the Registers of the US Military Academy (West Point) that goes back to the 1840s, like one of the decade issues?

Our library doesn't have it, and I could interlibrary loan it, but if someone has access to do one quick look-up, I'd greatly appreciate it.

I'm looking for George B. Fitzgerald, born in 1828 and graduated by the Mexican War, so he was probably Class of 1844, '45, '46 or '47. His residence would have been Virginia or possibly District of Columbia.

I'm curious to know what year he graduated and anything about him that it includes, service record, where he graduated in his class, etc. I've got his service information from the Historical Register and Dictionary of the United States Army, but haven't been able to find what year he graduated West Point or how well he did there, though I have reason to believe he did attend the academy.

Thank you!

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[Dignann]

Re: West Point Register look-up request

Hank,

This is quite the mystery you're trying to unravel, and it appears to only get murkier.

I took a look through Brevet-Major General George W. Cullum's Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York Since Its Establishment in 1802 , edited by Colonel Wirt Robinson. (Saginaw, Mich.: Sermann & Peters, Printers, 1920). There is only one Fitzgerald listed and he was from N.Y. and in the Class of 1892. If your George B. ever attended USMA, he never graduated.

Eric

[Hank Trent]

Re: West Point Register look-up request

If your George B. ever attended USMA, he never graduated.

Well that's a surprise. Everything else he claimed from that period checked out; most of the confusion seemed to happen later.

What age was most typical for graduation in that era? Since the Dictionary says he became a 2nd Lieutenant March 8, 1847, would it be reasonable to guess he was still attending at age 19, but accepted a commission due to the Mexican War and didn't stay to actually graduate? Would that be typical for his generation?

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net

[Dignann]

Re: West Point Register look-up request

Since the Dictionary says he became a 2nd Lieutenant March 8, 1847, would it be reasonable to guess he was still attending at age 19, but accepted a commission due to the Mexican War and didn't stay to actually graduate?

It's certainly possible, but highly unlikely. A graduate of USMA at that time was offered a commission at the rank of 2nd Lieut. It's doubtful that the regular army would have offered him the same rank after just a year or two of schooling. There just wasn't as much of a need for officers during the Mexican War as there was during the Civil War, thus options weren't as plentiful for cadets who wanted to bag their education in hopes of getting into the war.

That said, you might want to contact the West Point archives directly and ask them to see if George B. Fitzgerald ever matriculated. The staff there is very helpful. Some years ago, I requested the cadet records for two individuals who served during the Civil War and they were very good about sending me copies, once I paid for the copying and postage. Some of these records can also be found at the National Archives -- Record Group 404.

USMA Special Collections and Archives Division

Eric

[rdr5mo]

Re: West Point Register look-up request

From the 1966 edition of the register of graduates:
No George Fitzgerald is listed for the class of 1844, 1845, 1846, and 1847.
On a side note the first Fitzgerald listed to attend is Frederick Fitzgerald (# 1892), Class of May 1861(Did not graduate). It also lists during this same time period three more Fitzgeralds.
Joseph I. Fitzgerald (# 1899), Class of May 1861 (Did not graduate)
James F. Fitzgerald (# 1956) Class of June 1861 (Did not graduate)
John M. Fitzgerald (# 1964), Class of June 1861 (Did not graduate)
It would be interesting to find out if the above dropped out when their states left the union or if they dropped out earlier.
The 1966 edition starts with the individual biographical records of individual graduates starting with the Class of 1890, I have, but cannot find an earlier edition that has the individual biographies of all the graduates. If I find it I will post more information.
If you have a chance to get a copy of the registers, they are well worth it for a good reference. I got my copies at a second hand book store

Derrick Robinson

[LWhite64]

Re: West Point Register look-up request

We have a 2002 copy of the Register and it has a listing of nongraduates and he is not listed among them, I checked from 1839 to 1848. I know of a couple of cases where men were claimed to be West Point grads, but ended up grads of another military school.

Lee

[ephraim_zook]

Re: West Point Register look-up request

Hi, Hank,

I ran your query past a USMA alumnus friend and got the following reply:

"Hi Ron,

Have not seen you in a while, and I apologize for that. Maggie and my
schedules have been out of synch.

As for the request, I have the 2002 Bicentennial Edition of the Register,
and there is no George B. Fitzgerald listed in the Register. That would
mean for all classes. I have looked at all spellings, and I cannot find
this person. I am more than willing to work with this person, but as for
now, his person is not listed. I also looked at the classes he listed and
he is not a non-grad either for any of those classes.

John

John H. Dilley, Jr
LTC, Ret."


regards
Ron Myzie

[MPDoughBoy153]

Re: West Point Register look-up request

If there wasn't any 2nd LT spots in the army when a person graduated they were offered a brevet rank. Once a spot opened even if it was four years after a USMA soldier graduated that later date would be the date of record for commision.

Brendan Mackie

[Hank Trent]

Re: West Point Register look-up request

Thanks to everyone! I knew that George Fitzgerald made up a lot of things, but this caught me by surprise. The information about his attending West Point was from a fellow prisoner's description of him in 1864: "Once he had all the comforts wealth could give him. A graduate of West Point; a lieutenant in the old army; mingling with the Lees, McClellands and Grants;… beloved by many who admired him for his learning and accomplishments."

Everything was checking out--he came from a wealthy and well-respected Virginia military family based on census records and Norfolk histories, he was a lieutenant in the "old army" based on military records, and his brother at least was one of the original 160 members of the Aztec Club which also included Robert E. Lee, McClellan and Grant, even if he himself wasn't.

So I'm surprised he apparently made up the West Point thing. But evidently so. The other possibility is that the prisoner remembered it wrong (though he sure got everything else right) and Fitzgerald did in fact attend or graduate from some other military academy. I checked a list of VMI graduates who died in Confederate service, and he wasn't there, but beyond that, it could have been any military school.

Hank Trent
hanktrent@voyager.net