Gettysburg Daily

West Point’s Class of 1861 Part 8 With Licensed Battlefield Guide Christina Moon

April 11, 2012
Eugene Beauharnais Beaumont (1837-1916) was born in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. He entered the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1856 and graduated 32nd out of 45 members of the Class of 1861. This image was created circa the 1880s-1890s.

Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Christina Moon is our host for a series on members of the West Point Class of 1861 who fought at the Battle of Gettysburg. With the coming of the Civil War, the academy had two classes graduating that year because the original class of 1862 petitioned to graduate a year early. So the original class of 1861 graduated in May, 1861. The original class of 1862 graduated in June, 1861. We will refer to them throughout the series as the May and June classes. Christina has been a Licensed Battlefield Guide since 2008.

In the first West Point Class of 1861 post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Christina Moon discusses the life of May, 1861 graduate Adelbert Ames who commanded a brigade and a division in the Eleventh Corps. At Gettysburg, Ames’ Brigade had 1337 engaged and suffered 778 casualties (68 killed, 366 wounded, and 344 captured) for a total percentage loss of 58.2%.

In our second West Point Class of 1861 post, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Christina Moon presents the life of Colonel Emory Upton who commanded the 121st New York Infantry Regiment at Gettysburg.

In the third West Point Class of 1861 presentation, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Christina Moon shows us monuments related to Engineering officer, John Whitney Barlow.

In the fourth West Point Class of 1861 presentation, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Christina Moon begins to follow Lieutenant Charles Hazlett around the Gettysburg Battlefield.

In the fifth West Point Class of 1861 presentation, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Christina Moon showed the different possibilities for the placement of Hazlett’s Battery on Little Round Top.

In the sixth West Point Class of 1861 presentation, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Christina Moon provides some background on Hugh Eugene B. Beaumont, known by some as “Kill Cavalry.”

In the seventh West Point Class of 1861 presentation, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Christina Moon provided some background on Malbone Francis Watson, who commanded Battery I, 5th United States Artillery until he was wounded on July 2, 1863.

In today’s West Point Class of 1861 presentation, Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Christina Moon provides some background on Eugene Beaumont, who was a staff officer under John Sedgwick at Gettysburg, but who would be awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions in the western theater during 1864-1865.

To email Licensed Battlefield Guide Christina Moon, please click here to reveal her address.

Click here for Christina’s Facebook page.

This map shows the location of where our West Point Class of 1861 at Gettysburg videos were produced. Videos #1-#23 were shown in our previous posts. Videos #21 and #22 were on the western slope of Cemetery Ridge at the marker for Battery I, 5th United States Artillery. Video #23 was taken near the Taneytown Road and the Jacob Weikert Farm. Videos #24-#26 were taken southwest of the John Sedgwick equestrian statue along Sedgwick Avenue.This map was created facing north at approximately 7:30 PM on Tuesday, April 10, 2012.

Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Christina Moon is the host for our series on West Point’s Class of 1861. She is standing along Sedgwick Avenue, near the monument to the 7th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment. The equestrian statue to Major General John Sedgwick is in the background. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 5:30 PM on Friday, March 23, 2012.

In Video #24 (Videos #1-#20 were shown in our previous Class of 1861 posts) Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Christina Moon provides information on Eugene B. Beaumont before and during the Gettysburg Campaign. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 5:30 PM on Friday, March 23, 2012.

Licensed Battlefield Guide Christina Moon is standing closer to the equestrian statue to Major General John Sedwick on Munshower Hill along Sedgwick Avenue. The monument was dedicated on June 19, 1913.This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 5:30 PM on Friday, March 23, 2012.

In Video #25 Licensed Battlefield Guide Christina Moon explains the activities of Eugene Beaumont following the Battle of Gettysburg including the actions for which he was awarded the Medal of Honor. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 5:30 PM on Friday, March 23, 2012.

Christina Moon is near the Sedgwick monument, which was produced at a cost of $25,000. The sculptor was Henry K. Bush-Brown, who also did the Meade and Reynolds equestrian statues and the bust of Lincoln on the monument in the National Cemetery. Sedgwick’s horse was named Handsome Joe. This view was taken facing northeast at approximately 5:30 PM on Friday, March 23, 2012.

In Video #26 Christina Moon explains the post-war career of Eugene Beaumont. This view was taken facing southeast at approximately 5:30 PM on Friday, March 23, 2012.

To see other posts by Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guides, click here.