11 x 11 in. heavy leather-trimmed yearbook with marbleized boards and gilded edges, titled "Portraits" on the black leather spine. The yearbook contains 34 oval salt print portraits of cadets, faculty, and staff, each approx. 5 x 7 in., mounted recto/verso on thick album pages protected by tissue paper dividers with accompanying signature and residence inked adjacent to photograph (cadets only, no signatures or residences with faculty and staff images). Inside the front board is an applied trade sticker for "Wm F. Murphy & Sons, Stationers, Printers, Lithographers and Blank Book Manufacturers, 380 Chestnut St., Philadelphia." Period ink inscription on first page "E.M. Baker / June 13th 1859" indicates this book likely descends from Eugene Mortimer Baker (1837-1884), who graduated West Point with his fellow cadets on June 14, 1859. Baker's image and signature are included in the album. 

This record of Academy esprit, American history and antebellum photography recorded the youthful demeanor of 23 Cadets - 16 Northern born and 7 hailing from the South - on the cusp of unthinkable Civil War. Thanks to their elite West Point credentials forged in the credo of Duty, Honor, Country, the entire class would shortly be called upon to make and enforce profound decisions not normally expected of young men in their twenties.

They would quickly assume the burden of rank and responsibly far in excess of what they might have imagined as they stood for these portraits, and on much deadlier terms than as pranksters and roommates of old. Not one faltered. Leadership and command are ruthless taskmasters, intangible traits that could only be partially instilled in the classroom but honed on American battlefields with no quarter given and no second chances. History has recorded that the Class of 1859 aspired to its duty. Seventeen officers served the United States and six were conscious-bound to join the Confederacy. Many of these officers are virtually unknown today outside of the Army Register.

Whether by perseverance or intrepidity they would labor arduously and receive promotions and brevets commensurate with their service. A third of the class would ultimately become generals and four others would be mortally wounded or killed in action. Two more endured grievous incapacitating wounds. A single cadet would be awarded the Medal of Honor. Others like Martin Davis Hardin and Joseph Wheeler were destined to become warriors for the ages, molded as legends and the inevitable catalyst of hallowed Academy tradition. The essential faculty and staff of West Point are represented by eleven additional portraits.

The Class of 1859 portraits include: 

Col. William Emory Merrill, Wisconsin, POW '61-'62, WIA Yorktown '62, 4 Civil War brevets, Col. US Veteran Vol. Engineers TN and GA '64-'65, died in service 12/14/91. -- Col. Samuel Henry Lockett, Virginia, resigned '61, Col. CSA Engineers '61-'65, died 2/4/93. -- Col. Charles Reed Collins, Pennsylvania, resigned '61, Col. 15th Virginia Cavalry CSA, KIA Spotsylvania 5/12/64. -- Brigadier General Chauncey B. Reese, New York, 4 Civil War brevets, Chief Engineer Army of Tenn. '64-'65, died in service 9/22/70. -- Major Orlando G. Wagner, Pennsylvania, Asst Top Engr. Peninsula campaign '62, 2 Civil War brevets, mortally wounded 4/16/62, DOW 4/21/62. -- Col. Robert F. Beckham, Virginia, resigned '61, Col. CSA Artillery, KIA Franklin 11/30/64. -- Col. Moses H. Wright, Tennessee, resigned '61, Col. CSA ?61-65, died 1/8/86. -- Col. Edward G. Bush, Illinois, brevet Major for Gallantry at Gettysburg, died in service 7/4/92. -- Brigadier General Francis L. Guenther, NY., artillery operations KY & TN ?61-64, 4 Civil War brevets, BG in Spanish-American War, retired 2/22/02. -- Lt. Col. Elias B. Carling, Maryland, Va. operations '62, Sioux expedition '63-'64, Chief QM Wilson's Cav. Corps. '64-'65, 2 Civil War brevets, died in service 7/1/75. -- Brigadier General Martin D. Hardin, Illinois, wounded four times and lost arm, 5 Civil War brevets, promoted BG 7/2/64, retired as BG due to wounds 12/15/70, died 12/11/23 last of the Class of 1859. An exemplary, unheralded American soldier. -- Col. Eugene M. Baker, NY., cavalry operations Army of the Potomac '62-'63, 2 Civil War brevets, 1 Indian War brevet, died in service 12/19/84. -- Col. Norman J. Hall, NY., WIA Antietam, 3 Civil War brevets including Gettysburg, retired 2/22/65 wounds, died 5/26/67. -- Brevet Major Roderick Stone, Minnesota, WIA Val Verde, NM 2/21/62, DOW 3/3/62. -- Col. Robert F. Crilly, Pennsylvania, POW '61-'62, general manager US Military RR's, 3 Civil War brevets, resigned 2/8/69. -- Brevet Brigadier General Allen L. Anderson, Ohio, engineer duty NM & CA '62-'66, 3 Civil War brevets, resigned 1/7/67. -- Brigadier General Henry H. Stoughton, Vermont, Colonel 4th VT, BG 11/5/62, POW '63, appointment expired 3/4/63, died 12/23/68. -- Brigadier General Caleb H. Carlton, Ohio, Col. 89th OVI, POW '63, 2 Civil War brevets, retired as BG. 6/30/97, died 3/21/23. -- Lieutenant General Joseph Wheeler, Jr. CSA, Georgia, resigned '61, Col. 19th Ala., BG CSA '62, MG CSA '63, Lt. Gen. CSA '65, arguably the South's premier cavalry tactician and corps commander, MG USV during Spanish-American War, BG USA 6/16/00, retired 9/10/00. -- Col. John J. Upham, Wisconsin, Ca. frontier '61, Army of the Potomac '62-'63, brevetted for Gettysburg, retired 1/30/92, died 10/21/98. -- Brigadier General Abraham K. Arnold CMOH, Pennsylvania, WIA Gaines Mill, awarded CMOH for action at North Anna River 5/18/64, 2 Civil War brevets, BG USV Spanish-America War 5/4/98, retired 3/25/01, died 11/23/01. -- Capt. Henry F. Worth, Virginia, CA frontier '61, Peninsula campaign '62, WIA Gaines Mill, resigned 7/14/63 wounds, died 7/16/00. -- Colonel John R.B. Burtwell, Class of 1860, Alabama, resigned '61, Col. AL. Cav. CSA '61-'65, died 10/21/73.

Among the 11 portraits of faculty and staff are seven West Point graduates, active and former army officers, as well as non-military staff.

West Point graduates include:

William H. C. Bartlett '26, Professor of philosophy and natural sciences since April 1836, retired Feb. 1871, died 2/11/93. -- Col. James G. Benton '42, Instructor of ordnance & gunnery, 2 brevets for faithful service in Ordnance Dept., died 8/23/81. -- Albert E. Church '28, Professor of mathematics since March 1838, died 3/30/78. -- Brevet Major General Richard Delafield '18, Superintendent USMA, BG & Chief Engineer during Civil War, one brevet to MG, retired 8/8/66, died 11/5/73. -- Brigadier General James C. Duane '48, Instructor USMA '52-'61, Chief Engineer, Army of the Potomac '63-'65, 3 Civil War brevets, BG & Chief of Engineers 10/11/86, retired 6/30/88, died 11/8/97. -- Henry L. Kendrick '35, Mexican War & Assistant Prof USMA, Professor of chemistry and geology since March 1857, retired 12/13/80, died 5/24/91. -- Dennis Hart Mahan '24, distinguished international scholar and military theorist, Professor of engineering since Jan 1832, drowned 9/16/71.

Non-military staff included:

H.R. Angel, Professor of French. -- J. W. French, Chaplain and Professor of ethics. -- L. Janon, fencing instructor. -- R.W. Weir, Professor of drawing.

Consignor relates that the West Point archives do not include an original copy of this Class of 1859 album, although a previous owner supplied scans of each cadet for inclusion on the USMA virtual website. We surmise that no more than 35 albums were originally assembled in the spring of 1859.