author
Edward C. (Edward Carlisle) Boynton
1824–1893
A West Point graduate, soldier, teacher, and historian, he wrote vivid books that helped preserve the story of West Point and the American Revolution. His life moved from the battlefields of the Mexican War to the classroom and finally to historical research and writing.
1 Audiobook
Guide to West Point, and the U.S. Military Academy
by Edward C. (Edward Carlisle) Boynton
About the author
After graduating from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 1846, he served in the U.S. Army and saw action in the Mexican War, where he was wounded at Churubusco. Later, he taught at the University of Mississippi as professor of chemistry, mineralogy, and geology, showing the unusually wide range of interests that would mark his career.
Boynton is best remembered as a writer of military and historical works, especially History of West Point, and Its Military Importance During the American Revolution and Guide to West Point, and the U.S. Military Academy. His books combined a soldier's firsthand understanding with a historian's desire to document places, people, and events carefully.
He also left behind an unexpected visual record: early photographs connected with his time at the University of Mississippi, including self-portraits and images from campus life. That mix of military service, teaching, photography, and historical writing makes him a particularly interesting nineteenth-century figure.