The West Point Diploma of Langdon C. Easton, Who Would Be General William T. Sherman’s Quartermaster General in the Victorious Georgia Campaign of 1864

This is a very early West Point diploma

Langdon C. Easton graduated at the U. S. military academy in 1838. He served in the Florida and Mexican wars, and during the Civil War. He was Chief Quartermaster of the Army of the Cumberland from December 1863, until May 1864, and of the armies commanded by Major General William T. Sherman from May 4, 1864, until the war’s end, being present during the operations of the campaign from Chattanooga to the taking of Atlanta, and subsequently at the capture of Savannah. On the march from the latter city to Goldsborough, NC., and thence to Washington, DC., via Raleigh and Richmond, General Easton acted in the same capacity. During the war he was brevetted major, lieutenant colonel, colonel, and brigadier general, “for distinguished and important service in the quartermaster’s department in the campaign terminating in the capture of Atlanta, Georgia,” and major general, March 13, 1865, “for meritorious service during the war.” After the war he remained in the regular army, serving as quartermaster with the rank of colonel.

Document signed, with an eagle, stars, flags and cannon, Washington, July 4, 1838, being Easton’s diploma issued upon his graduation from West Point. The diploma recommends him to the President for promotion in the United States artillery, infantry, and dragoons (cavalry). It is signed by West Point Superintendent Russy and ten members of the faculty.

The signatories are a veritable who’s who of American military instruction a quarter century before the Civil War. René Edward De Russy was an engineer, military educator, and career U.S. Army officer who was responsible for constructing many coastal fortifications, as well as some forts on the West Coast. He also served as Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy. He was promoted to general during the Civil War. Thomas Warner was a minister and for ten years was Chaplain and Professor at the West Point. Claudius Berard taught French there for 33 years. Dennis Hart Mahan was a noted military theorist, civil engineer, who taught at the academy from 1824–1871. He was the father of American naval historian and theorist Rear Admiral Alfred Thayer Mahan. Albert Church was a mathematician who wrote Elements of the Differential and Integral Calculus, Elements of Analytical Geometry, Elements of Analytical Trigonometry, and Elements of Descriptive Geometry. All four of these texts were used in the mathematics program during his tenure as Professor of Mathematics. Miner Knowlton taught artillery and authored Military Pyrotechny for the use of the Cadets of the U.S. Military Academy. J.W. Bailey was professor of chemistry, mineralogy, and geology. He was later president of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. W.H.C. Bartlett was professor of natural and experimental philosophy at West Point. During his over thirty years there he oversaw the installation of new telescopes, made detailed observations of stars and comets, took the first photograph made in the U.S. of a solar eclipse, and wrote textbooks on optics, acoustics, astronomy, and mechanics. Artist Robert W. Weir was a professor of drawing and a well known artist of the day. C.F. Smith was Commandant of Cadets and Instructor of Infantry Tactics. He later fought in the Mexican War. In the Civil War he served under two of his former pupils, Grant and Sherman.

This is our first ever West Point diploma, and among the earliest West Point diplomas we have ever seen reach the market.