West Point Graduate/Civil War Officer's Belt and Buckle

[lduncan]

I am researching an 1851 Federal Sword Buckle with belt attributed to a Union soldier from Pennsylvania. His descendants say he graduated from West Point prior to the Civil War. His first name was Benoni and his last name was either Wilkinson or Moorehead. How could I find out if he was at West Point prior to 1861?

[R Leonard]

I am researching an 1851 Federal Sword Buckle with belt attributed to a Union soldier from Pennsylvania. His descendants say he graduated from West Point prior to the Civil War. His first name was Benoni and his last name was either Wilkinson or Moorehead. How could I find out if he was at West Point prior to 1861?

 

Well, according to my trusty "Register of Graduates and Former Cadets 1802-1980 United States Military Academy" 1980 Cullum Memorial Edition, there is no Wilkinson, Benoni nor Moorehead, Benoni, nor anyone even reasonably close.

 

Up through 1980 there is no listing for any one last named Moorehead. Closest is Moorhead, Henry C., class of 1836, died 15 April 1861. Quick scan of all the names beginning with "Mo" shows no one with the first name Benoni or anything even close.

 

Same drill with Wilkinson, 22 entries, only two pre-Civil War grads, Frederick (1831, died 22 Mar 1841) and Theophilus (1832, died 4 Aug 1840). There are also several non-grad Wilkinson's from the years before the war: Robert A. (1831, from Louisiana, no other information); Ross (1842, from Pennsylvania, 1LT 5th Minn Inf 1862, mustered out 1865 MAJ AdC Vols, no other information); Charles (1863, from Tennesseee, no other information); and Henry (also 1863, from Minnesota, no other information). Quick scan of all the names beginning with "Wilk" shows no one with the first name Benoni or anything even close.

 

Let me know if you come up with more info and I'll be happy to check it for you.

 

Regards,

 

Rich

[Bob Hudson]

I am researching an 1851 Federal Sword Buckle with belt attributed to a Union soldier from Pennsylvania. His descendants say he graduated from West Point prior to the Civil War. His first name was Benoni and his last name was either Wilkinson or Moorehead. How could I find out if he was at West Point prior to 1861?

 

Could not find a Benoni Moorehead on ancestry.com but did find

 

"Name: Benoni Wilkinson

Death Date: May 1874

County: Beaver

State: PA "

 

However he does not show up in the military records.

 

Family oral histories are very unreliable - I'll bet 90% or more of living Americans who had a father or grandfather in WWII could not tell you their rank, where they served or what they did.