GENERAL SHERMAN'S ANNOTATED WEST POINT REGISTRY.

Major General George W. Cullum. (1809-1892). Biographical Register of the Officers and Graduates of the U.S. Military Academy, at West Point, N.Y. New York: D. Van Nostrand, 1868. 2 volumes, 8vo. Original brown cloth. With "W.T. Sherman" and "P. Tecumseh Sherman" bookplates to interior front board. Nevins II 49; Sabin 17865. First edition.

A noteworthy copy of the well-regarded West Point Register featuring hand-written notations of General William Tecumseh Sherman regarding the status of his classmates from the Class of 1840. For nearly every member of the class, Sherman makes a brief note of their current whereabouts. The note on Stewart Van Vliet, "in Washington, 1887" conveys the date for when Sherman likely made his annotations. By this late date, the majority of the 1840 alumni were deceased, prompting the General to simply state "Dead" below their biographical sketches. The work itself was extremely popular in the post-war era, especially as most of the prominent figures of the conflict are included, prompting continuous publication and the issue of supplemental volumes. Nevins regarded the work highly: "a fundamental starting point for data on the war's leading commanders; provides full records of antebellum service."

A unique copy of the West Point Register.

PROVENANCE:

The Sherman-Fitch Library

Primarily assembled by General William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-1891), the collection of books was inherited and curated by his son, Philemon Tecumseh Sherman (1867-1941). Before his death, Philemon transferred the library to his niece, Eleanor Sherman Fitch (1876-1959). Eleanor was the granddaughter of General Sherman through his eldest daughter, Maria "Minnie" Ewing Sherman Fitch (1851-1913). Until now, the Sherman-Fitch library was held at the family estate in Washington County, Pennsylvania.

The library includes a range of diverse material owned by General Sherman that principally relates to the Civil War, American history, and the Sherman family. Many works in the Sherman-Fitch library are historically significant, including General Sherman's annotated copy of Ulysses S. Grant's memoirs, the Sherman family bible, and Barnard's "Photographic Views of Sherman's Campaign."

Most examples in the collection are affixed with bookplates that bear both General Sherman's and Philemon's names. In some cases, where General Sherman's ownership was clear, his bookplate was not always affixed. However, books with just Philemon's bookplate were generally acquired after his father's death in 1891. General Sherman’s bookplates were likely added by Philemon after his father’s death. Philemon’s bookplates were placed by Tecumseh Sherman Fitch (1908-1969) after he inherited the library in 1942.

[Civil War, Union, Confederate, Generals, Ephemera, Books, West Point, U.S. Military Academy, US Military Academy, United States Military Academy]