List of members of the Aztec Club of 1847

This is a list of members of the Aztec Club of 1847. The Aztec Club of 1847 was founded as a military society of officers who served with the United States Army in the Mexican–American War.Aztec Club of 1847. Sesquicentenial History, 1847–1997. Richard Hoag Breithaupt, Jr. 1998. pp. 950–956.

The first rank indicated is the rank held at the forming of the club during the Mexican War; the later rank is the highest full rank the officer held in Regular, Volunteer or Confederate service.

Original members There were a total of 160 original members of the Aztec Club, all of whom were serving in the occupation of Mexico City at the time of the Club's founding in 1847. Over time, the club's membership requirements were changed to extend membership to male descendants of officers who served in the Mexican War. Of the 160 original members, 72 became generals in either the United States Army or the Confederate States Army and a majority served in either the Union or Confederate armies during the American Civil War.

Among the Aztec Club's original members were future presidents Franklin Pierce and Ulysses S. Grant as well as Robert E. Lee.

Note - The rank before the member's name is the rank held at the time of their admission to the Aztec Club. The rank after the name is this highest obtained in either the Union or Confederate army.

Maj. John J. Abercrombie – Brigadier General Cpt. Thomas L. Alexander – Lt. Colonel Cpt. Robert Allen – Brigadier General 1st Lt. Samuel S. Anderson – Colonel, CSA 1st Lt. Benjamin H. Arthur – Captain Cpt. Electus Backus – Colonel Maj. Henry Bainbridge – Lt. Colonel Cpt. John G. Barnard – Brigadier General Cpt. Moses J. Barnard – Major 1st Lt. Jenks Beaman 1st Lt. P.G.T. Beauregard – General, CSA 2nd Lt. Barnard E. Bee – Brigadier General, CSA Lt. Col. Francis S. Belton – Colonel Cpt. Charles John Biddle – Colonel 1st Lt. William B. Blair – Major, CSA Cpt. George A.H. Blake – Brevet Major General Cpt. James D. Blanding – Colonel, CSA Cpt. William Blanding Col. Milledge L. Bonham – Brigadier General, CSA 1st Lt. Andrew W. Bowman – Lt. Colonel 1st Lt. John M. Brannan – Brigadier General Cpt. Horace Brooks – Brigadier General 1st Lt. William T.H. Brooks – Major General Cpt. Robert C. Buchanan – Colonel Brig. Gen. George Cadwalader – Major General Cpt. Albemarle Cady – Colonel Maj. George Caldwell - Brevet Lieutenant Colonel 1st Lt. Robert C. Caldwell, USMC 1st Lt. George W. Carr – Colonel, CSA 1st Lt. Daniel T. Chandler – Lt. Colonel, CSA Maj. Philip St. George Cooke – Brigadier General Lt. Henry Coppee Cpt. Lewis S. Craig Sur. Presley H. Craig Lt. Alexander H. Cross Cpt. Joseph Daniels Maj. Jeremiah V. Dashiell - Colonel Cpt. George Deas Asst. Sur. David C. De Leon Lt. Frederick J. Denman Cpt. James Duncan - Colonel 1st Lt. Richard S. Ewell - Lieutenant General, CSA Lt. Col. Thomas T. Fauntleroy - Brigadier General, Army of Virginia Cpt. Edward H. Fitzgerald - Brevet Major 2nd Lt. Robert C. Forsyth - Lieutenant Colonel 1st Lt. William H. French – Major General 2nd Lt. Daniel M. Frost - Colonel Cpt. Richard C. Gatlin – Brigadier General, CSA 2nd Lt. Alfred Gibbs – Brevet Major General 1st Lt. Ulysses S. Grant – General and President of the United States 2nd Lt. Schuyler Hamilton – Brigadier General Cpt. William J. Hardee - Lieutenant General, CSA Col. William S. Harney – Brevet Major General 2nd Lt. John P. Hatch - Brevet Major General Cpt. William Hoffman - Brevet Major General Cpt. Joseph Hooker – Major General Cpt. Benjamin Huger - Major General, CSA Cpt. Joseph E. Johnston – General, CSA Cpt. Philip Kearny – Major General Maj. Edmund Kirby - Brevet Colonel Cpt. Robert E. Lee – General, CSA Lt. Mansfield Lovell - Major General, CSA Cpt. John B. Magruder – Major General, CSA 2nd Lt. George B. McClellan – Major General Cpt. Samuel McGowan - Brigadier General, CSA Cpt. William W. Mackall - Brigadier General, CSA Cpt. Justus McKinstry – Brigadier General Maj. John Munroe – Brevet Colonel, Governor of New Mexico Cpt. Abraham C. Myers - Brigadier General, CSA Lt. Anderson D. Nelson Lt. Washington I. Newton Cpt. William A. Nichols - Brevet Major General Cpt. Francis N. Page 2nd Lt. Innis N. Palmer - Brevet Major General Maj. Gen. Robert Patterson - Major General 1st Lt. John C. Pemberton – Lieutenant General, CSA Brig. Gen. Franklin Pierce - President of the United States Maj. William H. Polk – U.S. Representative and brother of President James K. Polk Cpt. Andrew Porter - Brigadier General 1st Lt. Fitz John Porter – Major General Lt. Col. William Preston - Brigadier General, CSA Maj. Gen. John A. Quitman - Governor of Mississippi and U.S. Representative Lt. George W. Rains - Colonel, CSA and Brigadier General, Georgia Militia 2nd Lt. Jesse L. Reno – Major General Lt. Roswell S. Ripley - Brigadier General, CSA Lt. Oliver L. Shepherd - Brevet Brigadier General Cpt. Henry H. Sibley - Brevet Major General and Governor of Minnesota Cpt. Charles F. Smith – Major General 2nd Lt. Gustavus W. Smith – Major General, CSA 2nd Lt. Martin L. Smith - Major General, CSA Col. Persifor F. Smith – Brevet Major General Lt. William Steele - Brigadier General, CSA Cpt. Edward Steptoe - Lieutenant Colonel Maj. Adam D. Steuart - Lieutenant Colonel 2nd Lt. Charles Pomeroy Stone – Brigadier General 1st Lt. George Sykes – Major General 2nd Lt. James Stuart - Brevet Captain Lt. George Sykes - Major General Lt. Francis J. Thomas Cpt. Philip R. Thompson Lt. Hermann Thorn Lt. James Tilton 2nd Lt. Zealous B. Tower – Brigadier General Surgeon Charles S. Tripler Maj. William Turnbull Brig. Gen. David E. Twiggs – Major General, CSA Maj. Abraham Van Buren – Brevet Lieutenant Colonel and son of President Martin Van Buren Lt. Earl Van Dorn Maj. Richard D.A. Wade 2nd Lt. John D. Wilkins - Colonel Col. John S. Williams - Brigadier General Lt. Thomas Williams - Brigadier General Col. Jones M. Withers - Major General, CSA 2nd Lt. Thomas J. Wood – Major General 2nd Lt. Lafayette B. Wood - Captain Lt. Francis Woodbridge - Brevet Major Cpt. Samuel Woods - Colonel Bvt. Brig. Gen. William J. Worth - Brevet Major General

Veteran members In 1871 Club members agreed to accept other officers who had served in Mexico during the Mexican War as Veteran Members; including officers of the United States Navy. Veteran Members were veterans of the Mexican War but were not among the 160 original members who formed the society in 1847.Breithaupt, pp. 759–854. As of 1895, 127 individuals had been admitted as Veteran Members – 49 of which were generals or admirals in United States or Confederate States service.

Cpt. Benjamin Alvord - Brigadier General 1st Lt. Christopher C. Augur – Major General Midn. Oscar C. Badger – Commodore, USN 2nd Lt. Simon B. Buckner – Lieutenant General, CSA 2nd Lt. John L. Broome – Lt. Colonel, USMC 2nd Lt. Henry B. Clitz – Lt. Colonel Cpt. Silas Casey – Major General 2nd Lt. Darius N. Couch – Major General Lt. Col. Thomas L. Crittenden – Major General 2nd Lt. Frederick T. Dent – Brigadier General 2nd Lt. Gustavus De Russy – Brigadier General 2nd Lt. Richard C. Drum – Brigadier General 1st Lt. William H. Emory – Major General 2nd Lt. William B. Franklin – Major General 1st Lt. Samuel G. French – Major General, CSA 2nd Lt. James Barnet Fry – Brigadier General 2nd Lt. George W. Getty – Brigadier General Midn. Bancroft Gherardi – Rear Admiral, USN 2nd Lt. Winfield Scott Hancock – Major General 2nd Lt. Henry Heth – Major General, CSA 1st Lt. Henry J. Hunt – Brigadier General 2nd Lt. Rufus Ingalls - Brevet Major General Lt. Thornton A. Jenkins – Rear Admiral, USN Maj. William W. Loring – Major General, CSA 1st Lt. James Longstreet – Lieutenant General, CSA Midn. Stephen Luce - Rear Admiral, USN 2nd Lt. Charles G. McCawley – Colonel, USMC 2nd Lt. Joseph H. Potter – Brigadier General Cpt. Henry Prince – Brigadier General Midn. Alexander C. Rhind – Rear Admiral, USN Cpt. Daniel H. Rucker - Brigadier General Cpt. Charles F. Ruff - Brevet Brigadier General 2nd Lt. Delos B. Sackett - Brevet Major General 1st Lt. William T. Sherman – General 2nd Lt. Egbert L. Viele – Brigadier General

Honorary members Only two individuals were chosen as an honorary members of the Aztec Club. Chaplain John D. McCarty Maj. Gen. Winfield Scott – Bvt. Lieutenant General

Hereditary members In 1883 provisions were also made to allow male relatives of officers who had died during the Mexican War, prior to the Club's founding, to become members. In 1887, membership was extended to the eldest son or nearest male relative of original and veteran members as hereditary members in order to keep the club alive after the deaths of the veterans. Later, this rule was extended to include direct and collateral male descendants of eligible officers.

Rear Adm. Conway Hillyer Arnold Brig. Gen. Joshua H. Bates Henry L. P. Beckwith Maj. Charles J. Biddle R. Adm. Norman J. Blackwood Justice Milledge Lipscomb Bonham Lt. Gen. James Carson Breckinridge (USMC) R. Adm. Silas Casey, III 2nd Lt. Loyall Farragut - Son of Admiral David Farragut Alfred W. Gibbs Maj. Gen. Frederick D. Grant - son of General Ulysses S. Grant Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, III - grandson of General Ulysses S. Grant Maj. Gen. Guy V. Henry Mayor George B. McClellan, Jr. - Son of Major General George B. McClellan Maj. Gen. David D. Porter (USMC) John Stone Stone R. Adm. Montgomery M. Taylor R. Adm. Aaron Ward Maj. Gen. William W. Wotherspoon

Trivia As the Mexican War was fought only 14 years prior to the American Civil War, many senior officers in both the Union and Confederate armies had been members of the Aztec Club. Of 287 members who joined the society by 1895, 121 were generals in the Union or Confederate armies.

Two presidents of the United States were members of the Aztec Club – Franklin Pierce and Ulysses S. Grant.

Another president who was a veteran of the Mexican War was President and Major General Zachary Taylor, who, although having served with great distinction during the war and despite some sources to the contrary, was not a member of the Aztec Club. He does not appear on the roll of the 160 original members of the society in The Constitution of the Aztec Club of 1847 and the List of Members, 1893.The Constitution of the Aztec Club of 1847 and the List of Members, 1893. Judd & Detweiler Printers. Washington, D.C. pp. 18–23. This is because the Club was formed by officers serving in Mexico City in 1847 and Taylor served in northeastern Mexico. The Aztec Club did not expand its membership beyond the original 160 members until 1871 – 21 years after Taylor's death.The Constitution of the Aztec Club of 1847 and the List of Members. 1893. Judd and DeWeiler, Printers. pg. 12.

John C. Breckinridge, who was Vice President of the United States from 1857 to 1861 and a candidate for president in 1860, who served with the Army of Occupation of Mexico City as the major of the 3rd Kentucky Infantry, did not join the Aztec Club before his death in 1875. He served as a Major General in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War.

In 1964, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery was presented an Aztec Club medal. "While the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier was created long after the Mexican War, the presentation of the Aztec Club medal connects the Tomb with this conflict and serves as a reminder that the Tomb honors missing and unidentified service members from all periods of American history." -

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