^■^^ !«.'». /TP , ^SiS^ '^i IJ ' 7 J b' 'j'M \.:- :^¥-^ '&.):^ (liitneU HtnioeraUy Htbrarg 3tl)aca, JXtm ^oik THE GIFT OF W. T Hewett when this volume was taken. ID renew uus dooIc copy the call No. and give to the hbrorian. HOME USE RULES IN TER LIB iV iwV>iJ "^^ ■ ^A ^* Boolss subject to Recall ,^^^,. ^ ^ ^^H borrowers must regis- ...M..,....~>. .'.". ^^ ill the library to borrow books for home use. must be re- iurned at^ end of college year ^or inspection 'and repairs. Limited books must be re- turned within the four week limit and not renewed. Students must return all boc^s before leaving town. Officers should arrange for the return of books wanted during their absence from , town. Volumes of periodicals and of pamphlets are held in the library as much as possible. For special pur- poses they are given out for a limited time. Borrowers should not use their library privileges for the benefit of other persons. Books of special value and gift books, when the giv^ wishes it, are not allowed to circulate. Readers are aslmd to re- port all cases of books marked or mutilated. ^ ^ooka by marks and vriting. Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924077255515 ilL'- -:/ I'lKraltt irlnMKjII The Battle of New Market MAY 15, 1864 BY Colonel JENNINGS C. WISE Commandant Corps of Cadets VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE Being four chapters from the forthcoming militaiy history of the Institute, with an account of the movement of the Corps of Cadets to Richmond and its return to Lex- ington after the battle, and in- cluding the organization and casualties of the Battalion in the campaign PUBLISHED BY THE AUTHOR FOR THE BENEFIT OF ATHLETICS The manuscript of this account was read and approved by General Sbipp, and read and carefully corrected by Captain Joseph R. Anderson, Official Hietoriosrapber, V. M. I., and has been approved by a Com- mittee of the Board of Visitors ail MCMXIV DULANEY-BOATWRIGHT COMPANY, INC. LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA Btbitutsh to tift mematg of CdabfU. AtmiU. (Urotkstt. ^&gms ^efSevBoa. lonee, McBomeli, ^Utmtb unit Jilfpjlmriglft mifo J»if J> on tlfp Mb nf ifoaat Breckinridge Orders Out the Corps The March Down the Valley. When Grant undertook the execution of his plan to take Richmond, in the spring of 1864, he assigned Major-General Franz Sigel, commanding the Department of West Virginia, the task of overrunning the Valley with the 25,000 men at his dis- posal. This rich section had been regarded as the granary of Lee's Army throughout the war, and many futile efforts had been made to gain complete possession of it. Imboden learned early in the spring of Sigel's orders, which were to press up the Valley with about 8,000 men, with a view to seizing Staunton and Lynchburg, while Crook with a some- what larger force was to make a raid through Southwest Vir- ginia and destroy the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad as he moved eastward towards Lynchburg, where it was expected the two columns would form a junction. Leaving the Kanawha on May 2d, Crook penetrated as far as Union, where he united with Averell, and then fell back, after having defeated Jenkins at Cloyd's Mountain on the 9th, again at New River on the nth, and after cutting the railroad. On May ist, Sigel commenced his march upon Staunton, which was intended to be a diversion in favor of Crook. In the Valley, Imboden, with less than 3,000 men, alone stood across his path, but, on the 2d, broke camp and advanced from Mount Crawford to meet Sigel, after calling upon the Home Guards in Rocking- ham and Augusta Counties to prepare to assist him. He also requested General Smith to place the Corps of Cadets in readi- ness to march to his support. During the late winter, the cadets had been unusually restless. On one occasion they had held a mass meeting and passed reso- lutions tendering their services as a military unit to General Lee, an action, which, late in April, led the Superintendent to make such an offer through proper channels, for the experiences of the fall and winter convinced him that serious and uninter- rupted application to academic work was impossible, with raid- 6 Battle of New Market ing columns galloping around the county and threatening, at all times to reach Lexington. The day Imboden directed the cadets to be held in readiness, the following letter from General Lee to the Adjutant-General was received by the Superintendent: "April 25, 1864. "Major-General Wm. H. Richardson, "Adjutant-General of Virginia, Richmond. "General— Yonr letter of the 22d inst., inclosing that of General Francis H. Smith, in which he proposes to tender the services of the Corps of Cadets of the Virginia Military Institute for the approaching campaign, is received. "I desire to express ray appreciation of the patriotic spirit that actuates General Smith in making this proposal, and my gratification at finding that it meets with your concurrence. I do not think, however, that it would be best, at this time, for the Corps to be called to this Army. It is now in a situation to render valuable aid in defending our western frontier, which may be menaced simultaneously with the general ad- vance of the enemy in the east. It will thus prevent the necessity of detaching troops from this Army. I think it would be advisable for General Smith to hold the command in readiness to co-operate with General Breckinridge and General Imboden, in case of necessity, and to notify those officers of the fact. Should it at any time become necessary, or expedient, to have the service of the cadets with this Army, it is very gratifying to me to know that they are so freely placed at my disposal. "Very respectfully, your obedient servant, "R. E. Lee, General." Upon receiving this letter, the Adjutant-General forwarded it to the Superintendent, directing him to prepare the Corps for the field and to communicate with Breckinridge and Imboden, which he did, as follows : "Headquarters, Virginia Military Institute, May 2, 1864. "Major-General John C. Breckinridge, "Commanding Department of Western Virginia, Dublin Depot. "General — I have the honor to inclose herewith a letter from General R. E. Lee, commanding Army of Northern Virginia, addressed to the Adjutant-General of Virginia, also a copy of instructions from the Gov- ernor of Virginia, communicated by the Adjutant-General, defining my duty as superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute. Under these instructions and suggestions, I now respectfully report to you for such Battle of New Market 7 orders as the emergencies of the approaching campaign may call forth. The Corps of Cadets numbers an aggregate of 280, of whom 250 may be relied upon for active duty, leaving 30 as a necessary guard to the Institute, and as disabled. The command is organized as a battalion of four companies, and is usually accompanied by a section of artillery. It is fully equipped, except in horses, and these are impressed in case of need. We have abundance of ammunition, tents, knapsacks, shovels, and picks, and will be prepared to march at a moment's notice. Brigadier- General Imboden is about constructing telegraphic communication between the Institute and Staunton. This, he hopes to have in operation by the middle of May. In the meantime, he will communicate with us by signals. Any orders, or intelligence from Dublin Depot, had better be forwarded to General Imboden, at Staunton, with instructions to be immediately (transmitted) to me. "I remain. General, very respectfully, your obedient servant, "Francis H. Smith, "Brevet Major-General and Superintendent."* The following prompt reply was received from Breckinridge: "Headquarters, Department of West Virginia, Dublin Depot, May 4, 1864. "General Francis H. Smith, "Superintendent, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Va. "General — I have just received your letter of the 2d inst., concerning one from General Lee to the Adjutant-General of Virginia, also a copy of the instructions to you from the Governor. "I am gratified to learn that a battalion of cadets 250 strong, with a section of artillery, will be ready to move on a moment's notice. This force will be very effective in assisting to repel, or capture, destructive raiding parties. "The limits of my department have not been defined in the east, and I have been unable to adopt many precautions east of Monroe and Green- brier. I have, however, thrown up a work at the railroad bridge over the Cow Pasture, another at the bridge over Jackson River, and a line of rifle pits at Island Ford. Col. Wra. L. Jackson is covering the approaches to these points, and to Rockbridge, from that general direc- tion. It may be necessary for you to move in that quarter, or to protect the Iron Furnace in Botetourt, or in Buchanan. I will try to send the earliest intelligence through General Imboden, as you suggest, or if it should be beyond reach of telegraph, by special couriers. "General Imboden will, of course, apprise you of my movements in direction of Millboro, Staunton, etc. "Fully appreciating your patriotic feelings, and those of the young gentlemen you command, .your obedient servant, "John C. Breckinridge." *BebeIlion Records, Series 1, Vol. XXXVII, Part 1, pp. 707-708. 8 Battle of New Market While the Corps remained in restless ignorance of the prob- ability of the early call which the foregoing communication in- dicated to the authorities, the following letter was forwarded to the Superintendent by the Governor, who directed that the flag mentioned be hoisted, as requested : "March 6, 1864. "His Excellency, William Smith, "Governor of Virginia. "Sir — I have received from Mr. H. Sheddon, of Liverpool, the enclosed letter, and the accompanying flag manufactured by him to be hoisted over the grave of the lamented Jackson. As the remains of the deceased hero repose in the immediate vicinity, if not actually within the pre- cinct, of the Virginia Military Institute, a State institution with which he was connected as an honored professor, I have thought it most appro- priate to commit the flag to the custody of your Excellency, feeling assured that you will take pleasure in carrying out the wishes of the generous donor. "Very respectfully, "Your obedient servant, "James A. Sedden, "Secretary of War." (Inclosure) "10 Waffling, Liverpool, "2Sth January, 1864. "To THE Right Honorable, the Secretary of War, "Confederate States of America, "Richmond, Virginia. "Sir— Having read in some of the English papers that a flag is kept permanently hoisted over the grave of the late lamented General Stone- wall Jackson, may I beg your acceptance of one I send with this letter to replace the one now in use when it shall have become worn out, as some slight expression of my admiration for the character and heroism of General Jackson, and also of my best wishes for the success of the Confederacy. "I remain, sir, with much respect, "Yours obediently, "Hugh Sheddon." Accordingly, on May 9th, the Superintendent directed that the Corps be formed at 9 A. M. the following day, which was done • Battle of New Market 9 and the handsome flag was hoisted over his grave in the Lexing- ton Cemetery by the Corps, on the First Anniversary of the death of Lieutenant-General Thomas Jonathan Jackson, late Professor, Virginia MiHtary Institute, amid the plaudits of a great gathering of citizens. How singular it was that on that very day Breckinridge issued his order calling on the Corps of Cadets to take the field in his support ! On May 4th, Breckinridge, who had succeeded Jones in com- mand of the Department of West Virginia in February, had been informed by President Davis that Sigel was advancing up the Valley against Imboden, and was requested to hasten to the defense of Staunton. May 6th, he set out from Pulaski County with Echols's Brigade, consisting of the 22d Virginia, the 26th Battalion, and the 23d Battalion, the 51st Virginia, Clarke's Bat- talion, 30th Virginia, of Wharton's Brigade ; and Chapman s Battery, aggregating about 4,000 men. Reaching Staunton on the 8th, in advance of his troops, Breckinridge at once took charge of affairs. Sigel's movements since the 2d had been characterized by the utmost slowness. Two flank columns of cavalry which he had sent out from Winchester had been defeated; but, on the 9th he was joined at Cedar Creek by Sullivan's division, and, after a skirmish on the loth, reached Woodstock. It was at this juncture that Breckinridge determined to call upon the Corps of Cadets, and early that day he dispatched his order by courier to General Smith. "It was the loth of May. "Nature bedecked herself that springtime in her loveliest garb. Battalion drill had begun early, and the Corps had never been more proficient at this season of the year. "The parade-ground was firm and green. The trees were clothed in the full livery of fresh foliage. The sun shone on us through pellucid air, and the light breath of May kissed and fluttered our white colors, which were adorned with the face of Washington. "After going through the maneuvers of battalion drill, the Corps was drawn up', near sundown, for dress-parade. It was lo Battle of New Market the time of year when townsfolk drove down and ranged them- selves upon the avenue to witness our brave display; and groups of girls in filmy garments set off with bits of color, came trip- ping across the sod; and children and nurses sat about the benches at the Guard-Tree. "The battalion was put through the manual. The first ser- geants reported. The adjutant read his orders. The fifes and drums played down the line in slow time, and came back with a jolly, ratthng air. The ofiScers advanced to music, and saluted. The sun sank beyond the House Mountain. The evening gun boomed forth. The garrison-flag fell lazily from its peak on the barracks' tower. The four companies went springing homeward to the gayest tune the fifes knew how to play. Never, in all its history, looked Lexington more beautiful. "Never did sense of secluded peacefulness rest more sooth- ingly upon her population. In our leisure-time, after supper, cadets strolled back and forth from Barracks to the 'Limits' gate, and watched the full-orbed moon lift herself from the mountains. Perfume was in the air, silence in the shadows. Well might we quote : — " 'How beautiful this night ! The balmiest sigh that vernal zephyrs breathe in evening's ear, Were discord to the speaking quietude That wraps this moveless scene. Heaven's ebon vault, Bestudded with stars unutterably bright, Through which the moon's unclouded Splendor rolls, seems like a canopy which Love hath spread, to shelter its Sleeping world.' " "And so, tranquil, composed by the delightful scenes around us, three hundred of us closed our eyes, and passed into happy dreams of youth and springtime. "Hark! the drums are beating. Their throbbing bounds through every corner of the barracks, saying to the sleepers, 'Be up and doing'. It is the long roll. "Long roll had been beaten several times of late, sometimes to catch absenteees, and once for a fire in the town. Grumb- Battle of New Market ii lingly the cadets hurried down to their places in the ranks, ex- pecting to be soon dismissed, and to return to their beds. A group of officers, intently scanning by the light of a lantern a paper held by the adjutant, stood near the statue of George Washington, opposite the arch. The companies were marched together. The adjutant commanded, 'Attention!' and proceeded to read the orders in his hands."* Breckinridge's dispatch had been received and was as follows : "Staunton, May 10, 1864. "General F. H. Smith, "Commandant of Cadets, Virginia Military Institute, Lexington, Virginia. "Sigel is moving up the Valley, was at Strasburg last night. I cannot tell yet whether this is his destination. I would be glad to have your assistance at once, with the cadets, and the section of artillery. Bring all the forage and rations you can. "Have the reserves of Rockbridge ready, and let them send here for arms and ammunition, if they cannot be supplied at Lexington. "Very respectfully, "John C. Breckinridge, "Major-General." And then followed the Superintendent's midnight order : "Headquarters, Virginia Military Institute, May 11, 1864. "General Orders "No. 18. "I. Under the orders of Major-General John C. Breckinridge, Com- manding Department of West Virginia, the Corps of Cadets and a Section of Artillery will forthwith take up the line of march for Staunton, Virginia, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Scott Shipp. The cadets will carry with them two days' rations. "II. Captain J. C. Whitwell will accompany the expedition as Assist- ant Quartermaster and Commissary, and will see that the proper trans- portation, etc., is supplied. "III. Surgeon R. L. Madison and Assistant Surgeon George Ross will accompany the expedition, and attend to the care of the sick and wounded. "IV. Colonel Shipp, on arriving at Staunton, will report in person to Major-General Breckinridge, and await his further instructions. "V. Captain T. M. Semmes is assigned to temporary duty on the staff of the Commanding Oflficer. "By command, Major-General F. H. Smith, "J. H. Morrison, "A. A., V. M. I." *End of an Era, John S. Wise. 12 Battle of New Market " 'Parade's dismissed', piped the adjutant. The sergeants side- stepped us to our respective company-parades. "Methinks that, even after thirty-three years, I once more hear the game-cock voices of the sergeants detaihng their artillery and ammunition squads, and ordering us to appear with canteens, haversacks, and blankets at four A. M. Still, silence reigned. Then, as company after company broke ranks, the air was rent with wild cheering at the thought that our hour was come, at last. "Elsewhere in the Confederacy, death, disaster, disappoint- ment may have by this time chilled the ardor of our people; but here, in this little band of fledglings, the hope of battle flamed as brightly as on the morning of Manassas. "We breakfasted by candle-light, and filled our haversacks from the mess-hall tables. In the gray of morning, we wound down the hill to the river, tramped heavily across the bridge, ascended the pike beyond, cheered the fading turrets of the School ; and sunrise found us going at a four-mile gait to Staun- ton, our gallant little battery rumbling behind."* It rained intermittently throughout the day, but the Corps reached Midway, about i8 miles from Lexington, that afternoon, where it bivouacked for the night. Meantime the Superintendent had forwarded the following communication to Breckinridge: "Headquarters, Virginia Military Institute, "May 11, 1864, 6 A. M. "Major-General J. C. Breckinridge, "Commanding Department of Western Virginia. "General — Your dispatch of yesterday by courier was received by me at 9 P. M. Immediately gave orders to Lieutenant-Colonel Shipp, com- manding cadets, to have his battalion in readiness to move this morning at 7 o'clock. They are now forming and will reach Bell's, sixteen miles, to-day and be in Staunton to-morrow. I have issued to them rations for two days, and will send with them 500 pounds of bacon and as much beef as I can find transportation for. I have sixty-four barrels of flour near Staunton. I send 100 bushels of corn for forage. The cadets are armed with Austrian rifles and take 40 rounds of ammunition. The section of artillery will consist of 3-inch iron rifles, and the ammunition chests of the limbers will be filled. I have ten or twelve 6-pounder brass ♦End of an Era, J. S. Wise. Battle of New Market 13 pieces here mounted and one 12-pounder howitzer, if any should be needed. Horses have been impressed for the artillery and transportation, but horses are slow in coming in. The artillery have orders to reach the infantry battalion to-night. "I have ordered four companies of reserves to rendezvous here. I will arm and equip them, and hold them in readiness to move at a moment's notice. No commanding officers have been appointed to this battalion. I will direct the commander of the post of Lexington to supply rations, should they be called out. Your dispatch finds me very unwell, but I shall hope to be with you to-morrow. Lieutenant-Colonel Scott Shipp has orders to report to you on reaching Staunton. If the reserve companies are required to move to Staunton, I will have them in readiness to move to-morrow, and shall get transportation for 6,000 pounds of bacon from the Commissary, Confederate States, here. "Francis H. Smith, "Brevet Major-General."* "May nth. We surely 'dwell in the midst of alarms'. We were roused from our beds this morning at five o'clock by an order for the impressment of our horses to haul the institute cannon: then came Frank (Captain Preston, tactical officer, V. M. I.), Preston Cocke, and William Lewis (cadets), for a hurried breakfast, and provisions for their haversacks; ordered towards Winchester, where is Sigel with a large Yankee force. They left at 7 o'clock; all the Home Guard is ordered out too; so Lexington is left without men. Last night, firing was heard by a great many persons, more distinctly, they say, than ever before. They suppose it to be at Richmond. I'm thankful my husband is away on the errand of God's Church, and so escapes going to Winchester. He will regret it no little !"f May i2th the Corps reached Staunton. "We were in every way fitted for this kind of work by our hard drilling, and marched into Staunton in the afternoon of the second day, showing little effects of travel. We found a pleasant camping- ground on the outskirts of the town, and thither the whole population flocked for inspection of the Corps, and to witness dress-parade, for our fame was widespread. The attention bestowed upon the cadets was enough to turn the heads of much humbler persons than ourselves.''^ 'Rebellion Records, Series 1, Vol. XXXVII, Part 1, p. 730. ■i-Diary of Mrs. Preston, v. 179. tEnd of an Era, .T. S. Wise. The camp was just north of the town. 14 Battle of New Market Evening found the Confederate forces in Staunton in the shadow of impending battle, for couriers hourly arrived re- porting Sigel's approach. Breckinridge, however, bold to the point of rashness, but no doubt counting much on the dullness of his adversary, determined to move out the next morning to meet the enemy, and published the following order, which was read to the cadets at dress-parade : "Headquarters, Valley District, "Staunton, Va., May 12, 1864. "General Orders, No. 1. "I. The command will march to-morrow morning promptly at 6 o'clock, on turnpike to Harrisonburg. "The following Order of March will be observed: "Wharton's Brigade, "Echols's Brigade, "Corps of Cadets, "Reserve Forces, "Ambulances and Medical Wagons, "Artillery, "Trains. "II. The artillery will, for the present, be united and form a battalion, under the command of Major McLaughlin. "The trains will move behind the artillery in the order of their respec- tive commands. "III. Brigadier-General Echols will detail two companies under the command of a field-officer as guard for the trains. "By command of Major-General Breckinridge, "J. Stoddard Johnston, "A. A. G." To the various commanding officers the following circular was issued: "Circular, May 12, 1864. "I. The troops of this command will be ready to move at daylight to-morrow morning, with two (2) days cooked rations. At least five (S) days' rations will be taken in the wagons, and more if possible. "II. Commanding officers are directed to take sufficient steps to pre- vent the wagons from being overloaded with superfluous articles. No Battle of New Market 15 knapsacks, blankets, etc., etc., will be carried in the wagons, or on the pieces or caissons. "By command, "Major-General Breckinridge, "W. B. Myers, "A. A. G."* That night, like Brussels on the eve of Waterloo, the town was hilarious. The cadets were in great demand at the dances which had been arranged for their entertainment. "The adora- tion bestowed upon us by the young girls disgusted the regular officers. Before our coming, they had things all their own way. Now, they found that fierce mustaches and heavy cavalry boots must give place to the downy cheeks and merry, twink- ling feet we brought from Lexington. A big blond captain, who was wearing a stunning bunch of gilt aiguillettes, looked as if he would snap off my head when I trotted up and whisked his partner away from him. They could not, and would not, under- stand why girls preferred these little untitled whippersnappers to officers of distinction. Veterans forgot that youth loves youth. "All this on the eve of a battle? Yes, of course. Why not? To be sure, everybody knew there was going to be a fight. That was what we came for. But nobody among us knew, or cared, just when or where it was coming off. Life is too full of trouble for petty officers, or privates, or young girls, to bother themselves hunting up such disagreeable details in ad- vance. That was the business of generals. They were to have all the glory; and so we were willing they should have all the solicitude, anxiety, and preoccupation."! On the 13th, the command went into camp at Mount Crawford, near Harrisonburg, while Sigel sent forward from Woodstock three regiments of infantry, 900 cavalry, and six guns, under Colonel Moor to feel for Imboden. Numerous couriers re- ported the advance of the enemy. *From the original in General Shipp's poBsession. tEnd of an Era, J. S. Wise. i6 Battle of New Market "Headquarters, Valley District, "Mount Crawford, May 13, 1864. "General Orders, "No. 2. "I. The command will move on the main road to Harrisonburg and New Market at daylight, to-morrow, in the following order: "Echols's Brigade, "Wharton's Brigade, "Corps of Cadets, "Artillery, "Train, "II. Col. Harman will keep his wagons and move in rear, but march ing as fast as possible. "Ambulances and medical wagons will move immediately in rear of their respective commands. "Ammunition wagons will move in rear of the artillery. It will be regarded as a standing order that the wagons move in the order of their commands. "in. Brigadier-General Wharton will detail two companies, with a field-officer as guard for the train. "IV. The order of march must be closer than it was to-day, and the trains must be kept well closed up. Straggling and wandering into houses and grounds on the roadside by officers and men will be stopped at once. Commanding officers will require the medical officers to march with their commands in their proper positions, and allow no one to fall behind but upon surgeon's certificate. "V. Commanding officers will throw out small pickets on the roads leading to their encampments. "By command of "Major-General Breckinridge, "J. Stoddard Johnston, A. A. G."* "Pressing on through Harrisonburg, which we reached early in the morning, we camped the second night (14th) at Mount Tabor, in Shenandoah; rain had set in, but the boys stood up well to their work, and but few lame ducks succumbed."t During the day Moor's force gained contact with Imboden's brigade near Mount Jackson, and, forcing it across the Shenan- doah, seized the bridge, then followed the retreating Confeder- ates seven miles up the Valley to New Market. "Evidences of the approach of the enemy multiplied through- out the day. We passed a great many vehicles coming up the *Prom the original in General Shipp's possession tBnd of an Era, .T. S. Wise. Battle of New Market 17 Valley with people and farm products and household effects, and a number of herds of cattle and other livestock, all escaping from the Union troops ; now and then a weary or wounded cavalryman came by. Their reports were that Sigel's steady advance was only delayed by a thin line of cavalry skirmishers, who had been ordered to retard him as best they could, until Breckin- ridge could march his Army down to meet him. "Towards evening, we came to a stone Church and spring, where a cavalry detail with a squad of Union prisoners were resting. The prisoners were a gross, surly-looking lot of Ger- mans, who could not speak English. They evidently could not make us out. They watched us with manifest curiosity, and talked in unintelligible, gutteral sounds among themselves. "When we reached camp, the rain had stopped and the clouds had lifted, but everything was wet and gummy. Look- ing down the Valley, as evening closed in, we could see a line of bivouac fires, and were uncertain whether they were lit by our own pickets, or by the enemy. At any rate, we were getting sufficiently near to the gentlemen whom we were seeking to feel reasonably certain we should meet them. "Night closed in upon us; for a little while the woodland re- sounded with the axe-stroke, or the cheery halloos of the men from camp-fire to camp-fire; for a while the fire lights danced, the air laden with the odor of cooking food ; for a while the boys stood around the camp fires for warmth, and to dry their wet clothing; but soon all had wrapped their blankets around them and lain down in silence, unbroken save by the champing of the Colonel's horse upon his provender, or the fall of a passing shower."* Thus bivouacked the command from which the next day so many were called to their final sleep. Boys they may have been who dozed off to Nature's lullaby that night, on the damp pallet of the soft fields — a couch, as we have seen, by no means unfamiliar to them — but ere another sunset they had grown to the stature of men — heroic men — to whom the veterans no *End ot an Bra, J. S. Wise. Most of the cadets slept in the stone church at Mount Tabor. , i8 Battle of New Market longer sang "Rock-a-bye, Baby," as they had done upon the arrival of the Corps in Staunton. Moor's success in driving Imboden back upon New Market was Sigel's undoing, for having first determined to make the stand at Mount Jackson, on the night of the 14th, he found his Army divided by a distance of nineteen miles, one part at Woodstock and the other at New Market. Early the next morn- ing he ordered his remaining troops to advance, and by 10 A. M. they reached Mount Jackson. At this point he received dis- patches from Moor advising him of the excellent position at New Market, 7 miles up the Valley. He now wavered, and then decided to strike out for New Market, reaching that point him- self about noon, but soon perceived that he would not be able to consolidate his command in time to use its full strength dur- ing the day. He, therefore, faltered again, and, instead of fight- ing a delaying action in the position Moor held, ordered his advance-guard commander to fall back slowly, in the hope of effecting a speedier junction between the two parts of his army. It seems clear now that he should either have allowed Moor to show a firm front, or have ordered him to retire rapidly to Mount Jackson, thereby reaping the advantage of disorder among the pursuers. "In 1864, the town of New Market consisted of two or three rows of houses built along the turnpike which runs northeast through the Shenandoah Valley. It possessed a certain strategic importance, in that it lay at the intersection of the Valley Turn- pike and the road which runs to Luray. To the west of the pike is the north fork of the Shenandoah. At the river there are high blufifs from which the land slopes gradually down towards the pike; while from New Market the country, rising slowly to the north and abruptly to the southwest, culminates in two hills, on which, at one time or another, the opposing Armies made their stand. To the south the Confederates were posted on Shirley's Hill, to the north the Federal forces occupied Bushong's Hill, and, at the close of the battle, Rude's Hill, some distance to the rear. In 1864, these hills were pastures and wheat fields, inter- sected now and then by fences and stone walls. Between Shir- ley's Hill and Bushong's Hill, in one place there was a shallow Battle of New Market 19 ravine. The scene which was closed by the river bluffs on the west, was shut in on the east by the Massanutton Mountain, a mile or more to the east of the pike, approach to which was rendered difficult by intervening marshes and woodlands. Between the pike and the mountain. Smith's Creek, a small stream, flows northward to empty into the Shenandoah. On the west, then, was the river, on the east the mountain; to the north and to the south the hills seized by the hostile forces; down the middle ran the turnpike, and in the center lay the town of New Market. "During the day preceding, May 14th, the Confederates under Imboden had been resisting the advance of the Federal troops; but, after sharp skirmishes, they had been forced to fall back before what they reported as overwhelming numbers, and the van of the Federal Army had crossed the river. This was while Imboden, going to meet General Breckinridge, had left Colonel George H. Smith of the 62d Virginia in command.* Imboden says that the advance of the Federals had been so cautious that he did not believe that Sigel would cross the Shenandoah on the 14th. When this occurred, however, he galloped back with orders to hold the town at all hazards. He found that Colonel Smith had admirably disposed his troops. New Market was held during the day, and an artillery duel maintained with the enemy. On the evening of the 14th, Breckinridge ordered Im- boden to continue falling back, hoping thus to lure Sigel on to attack the Confederate Army in some strong position south of New Market. In this he failed, for, by morning of the 15th, the Federal forces had occupied the town, and from thence ad- vanced no farther, except that the skirmish line was sent a little to the south. That Breckinridge still desired to be attacked is shown by the fact that he ordered Imboden forward to charge the enemy and then retreat, hoping thus to lure them into a pursuit. Imboden tried it a number of times, but in vain. That being so, Breckinridge, true to the plan which he had so far followed, took the initiative once more, and made ready for attack on the enemy in their own position."t *Colonel Smith was graduated from the Institute in the class of '53. tThe New Market Campaign, Edward Eaymond Turner. 20 Battle of New Market "An hour past midnight the sound of hoofs upon the pike caught my ear, and in a few moments the challenge of the sentry summoned me. The newcomer was an aide-de-camp bearing orders for Colonel Shipp from the commanding Gen- eral. When I aroused the Commandant he struggled up, rubbed his eyes, muttered something about moving at once, and ordered me to arouse the camp without having the drums beaten. Orders to fall in were promptly given, rolls were rattled off, the Bat- talion formed, and we debouched upon the pike, heading in the darkness and mud for New Market. Before taking up the march the Commandant requested Colonel Gilham, who had accompanied the Corps as a repre- sentative of the Superintendent, to deliver a prayer, but Colonel Gilham suggested that Captain Preston be called upon to do this. A cadet who was present describes the incident as follows : "Before the command to march was given, a thing occurred which made a deep impression upon us all — a thing which even now may be a solace to those whose boys died so gloriously that day. In the gloom of the night. Captain Frank Preston, neither afraid nor ashamed to pray, sent up an appeal to God for His protection of our little band : it was an humble, earnest petition that sunk into the heart of every hearer. Few were the dry eyes, little the frivolity, when he had ceased to speak of home, of father, of mother, of country, of victory and defeat, of life, of death, of eternity. Captain Preston had been an offiQer in Stone- wall Jackson's command ; had lost an arm at Winchester ; was on the retired list; and was sub-professor of Latin, and tactical officer of "B" Company; those who, a few hours later, saw him commanding his company in the thickest of the fight, his already empty sleeve attesting that he was no stranger to the perilous edge of battle, realized fully the beauty of the lines which tell that 'the bravest are the tenderest, the loving are the daring.' "Day broke gray and gloomy upon us toiling onward in the mud. The sober course of our reflections was relieved by the light-heartedness of the veterans. We overtook Wharton's Brigade, with smiling "Old Gabe," like Echols, a Virginia Mili- tary Institute 'boy,' at their head. They were squatting by the roadside cooking breakfast as we came up. With many good- Battle of New Market 21 natured gibes they restored our confidence ; they seemed as merry, nonchalant, and indififerent to the coming fight as if it were their daily occupation. A tall, round-shouldered fellow, whose legs seemed almost split up to his shoulder-blades, came among us with a pair of shears and a pack of playing cards, offering to take our names and cut love-locks to be sent home after we were dead; another inquired if we wanted rosewood coffins, satin- lined, with name and age on the plate. In a word, they made us ashamed of the depressing solemnity of our last six miles of marching, and renewed within our breasts the true dare-devil spirit of soldiery. "Resuming the march, the mile posts numbered four, three, two, one mile to New Market; then, the mounted skirmishers hurried past us to their position at the front. We heard loud cheering at the rear, which was caught up by the troops along the line of march. We learned its import as General John C. Breck- inridge and staff approached; and we joined heartily in the cheering as the soldierly man, mounted magnificently, galloped past, uncovered, bowing, and riding like a Cid. It is impossible to exaggerate the gallant appearance of General Breckinridge. In stature he was considerably over six feet high. He sat his blood-bay thoroughbred as if he had been born on horse- back ; his head was of a noble mould, and a piercing eye and long, dark, drooping mustache, completed a faultless military pres- ence. "Deployed along the crest of an elevation in our front, we could see our line of mounted pickets and the smouldering fires of their last night's bivouac. We halted at a point where passing a slight turn in the road would bring us in full view of the position of the enemy. Echols's and Wharton's brigades hurried past us. 'Forward!' was the word once more, and, turning the point in the road. New Market was in full view, and the whole position was displayed."* Thus did the Corps of Cadets actually arrive on its third field of battle; but this time it was not to be denied a glorious reward for the hardships it had borne, though dear was the price it paid. *End of an Bra, J. S. Wise. 22 Battle of New Market The Battle of New Market. May 1 5, 1 864 "The battle of New Market may be divided into three parts: first, the struggle between the Confederates and the first, or advanced, position of the Federal Army, for the most part an artillery duel, lasting for an hour or more, just before midday; second, the struggle between the advancing Confederates and the larger part of the Federal Army posted in the chosen posi- tion of Bushong's Hill, to the north of the town; and third, the pursuit of the Federal forces to Rude's Hill, and afterwards until they had crossed the Shenandoah River. "In the arrangement and handling of his troops, Breckinridge displayed dexterity and judgment. While yet upon Shirley's Hill, he marched and countermarched his men in sight of the enemy, with the purpose, it would seem, of magnifying his numbers. Having made his Army seem more numerous than it really was, he completed the deception by arranging his troops in three lines. The first line consisted of the 51st Virginia Regi- ment (Lieutenant-Colonel Wolfe), and the 30th Virginia Bat- talion and 62d Virginia Regiment (Colonel George H. Smith), these regiments being under the command of Brigadier-General Gabriel C. Wharton; the second line was made up of the 22d Virginia Regiment (Colonel George S. Patton), and the 23d Virginia Battalion (Lieutenant-Colonel Clarence Derrick) ; the third and last line comprised the 26th Virginia Battalion (Lieu- tenant-Colonel George M. Edgar), and the Cadets of the Vir- ginia Military Institute (Lieutenant-Colonel Scott Shipp)."* "The battle began with the firing of artillery and the advance of the Confederate skirmishers, the 30th Virginia Battalion of Colonel Lyle Clarke, and sharp-shooters, who gradually drove in the Federal skirmishers from their advanced position to the south of New Market. Meanwhile some of the Confederates were engaged in throwing up a hasty breastwork of rails, brush, and earth, at right angles to the pike, so that there might be a line back of which to rally in case of need."t *Smith, V. M. I., '53; Wharton, V. M. I.. '47; Patton, V. M. I., '52- Bdear V. M. I., '56; Shipp, V. M. I., '59; Echols, V. M. I., '43. J^^gar, •fTurner. Battle of New Market 23 As the Corps of Cadets came upon the field, a thrilHng pano- rama spread out before it. "It was Sunday morning at eleven o'clock. In a picturesque little Lutheran churchyard, under the very shadow of the village spire and among the white tombstones, a six-gun battery was posted in rear of the infantry lines of the enemy. Firing over^ the heads of their own troops, that battery opened upon us the moment we came in sight. "Away oflf to the right, in Luray Gap, we could see our Signal Corps telegraphing the position and numbers of the enemy. Our cavalry was galloping to the cover of the creek to attempt to turn the enemy's left flank. Echols's Brigade, moving from the pike at a double-quick by the right flank, went into line of battle across the meadow, its left resting, on the pike. Simultaneously, its skirmishers were thrown forward at a run, and engaged the enemy. Out of the orchard and on the meadows, puff after puff of blue smoke rose as the sharpshooters advanced, the pop, pop, pop of their rifles ringing forth excitingly. Thundering down the pike came McLaughlin with his artillery. Wheeling out upon the meadows, he swung into battery, action left, and let fly with all his guns. "The cadet section of artillery pressed down the pike a little farther, turned to the left, toiled up the slope in front of us, and going into position, delivered a plunging fire in reply to the Federal battery (Von Kleiser's) in the graveyard. We counted it a good omen when, at the first discharge of our little guns, a beautiful blue-white wreath of smoke shot upward and hovered over them. The town, which a moment before had seemed to sleep peaceably upon that Sabbath morning, was now wrapped in battle-smoke and was swarming with troops hurrying to their positions. We had their range beautifully. Every shell hit some obstruction, and exploded in the streets, or on the hillsides. Every man in our Army was in sight. Every position of the enemy was plainly visible. His numbers were uncomfortably large; for, notwithstanding his line of battle already formed seemed equal to our own, the pike beyond the town was still filled with his infantry."* *Bnd of an Bra, .7, S. Wise. 24 Battle of New Market The Federal forces in their first, or advanced, position, in and about New Market, were commanded by Colonel Augustus Moor, and consisted of the ist New York Cavalry; the cavalry of Colonel John E. Wynkoop, numbering about 300, and made up of detachments of the 15th New York, 20th Pennsylvania, and 22d Pennsylvania; the 34th Regiment of Massachusetts Infantry, Colonel George D. Wells; the ist West Virginia, Lieutenant- Colonel Jacob Weddle; and the 123d Ohio Regiment, Major Horace Kellogg. There were also two sections of Battery "B," Snow's Maryland Artillery, comprising four guns."t The Cadet Battalion was deployed under cover of the rear crest of Shirley's Hill, by the left flank from the pike, and, moving out at double-quick, was soon in line of battle, with its right resting near the road, and concealed from the enemy by the crest of the hill in front. It was while in this position that General Breckinridge with his staff rode by and gave the Com- mandant of Cadets his orders to the effect that his command would form the reserve, and suggested that he dismount, as that was what all the field officers would do. The Commandant then took occasion to express his hope that the cadets, after so much marching and so many previous disappointments, would not be denied a chance to take part in the action. Whereupon, the commanding general said he did not wish to expose them unneces- sarily, but would use them very freely, were developments such as to justify it. "The command was given to strip for action ; knapsacks, blank- ets — everything but guns, canteens and cartridge boxes was thrown upon the ground. Every lip was tightly drawn, every cheek pale, but none with fear. With a peculiar, nervous jerk, we pulled our cartridge boxes round to the front, laid back the flaps, and tightened belts. Whistling rifled shells screamed over us, as tipping the hill crest in our front, they bounded past.* Under the accurate and effective fire of the Confederate guns. Von Kleiser's Battery was soon compelled to withdraw from the graveyard up the pike. "The i8th Connecticut Regiment had now come up to Moor's assistance, and, shortly after, Major- tTurner. ♦End of an Era, J. S. Wise. Battle of New Market 25 jeneral Stahel with the remainder of the cavalry. There was lome fighting in the streets of New Market and about the own, but shortly after noon, General Sigel arrived upon the ;cene and decided to form his lines upon the hill (Bushong's) lorth of the town. Accordingly, the Federal troops abandoned heir first position. This part of the engagement was followed )y heavy artillery firing on both sides, which lasted for some ime, but did comparatively little damage."t The Confederate Artillery consisted of Chapman's Battery, :wo 6-pounder guns and four 12-pounder howitzers; two sec- :ions of Jackson's Battery, four 6-pounder guns ; McClannahan's iix 3-inch rifles ; and the Cadet 3-inch rifled section under Cadet Zaptain Collier H. Minge of "A" Company, all under the com- nand of Major William McLaughlin. This was the first time 1 cadet had commanded the artillery of the Corps in the field. Captain Semmes, or Captain T. H. Smith, having been detailed in charge of the section by the Commandant on previous Qccasions. The second stage of the battle was marked by the advance of the Confederates, between i and 2 P. M., to the attack of the new Federal position on Bushong's Hill. As the original Confederate left and center which had been formed on the face of Shirley's Hill pressed forward, the 26th Battalion moved from the third into the second line, forming on the left of the 62d Regiment, leaving the cadets alone in the third line as reserve. As the attack developed, the 26th Battalion, due to the widening of the front and the contraction of the line of battle towards the center, worked its way into the first line on the left of the 51st Regiment. "Up to this time, although the Cadet Artillery had done good service in helping to silence the Federal battery in New Market, the Cadet Corps had taken no part, but had been held in the rear. * * * Now, however, when the Confederate com- mander marshalled his scanty numbers, it was impossible for him to spare any of his forces, and the cadets were ordered to the immediate rear of the main lines, so that as the Army went for- ward they also came under fire. This order they had awaited tTurner. 26 Battle of New Market eagerly, as there were few of them who did not burn to take part in the fight."* " 'At-ten-tion-n-n ! Battalion forward ! Guide Center-r-r,' shouted Shipp, and up the slope we started. From the left of the line, Sergeant-Major Woodbridge ran out and posted him- self forty paces in advance of the colors, as directing guide, as if we had been upon the drill-ground. That boy would have remained there, had not Shipp ordered him back to his post ; for this was no dress-parade. Brave Evans, standing six feet two, shook out the colors that for days had hung limp and bedrag- gled about the staff, and every cadet leaped forward, dressing to the ensign, elate and thrilling with the consciousness that this was war. "Moving up to the hill crest in our front, we were abreast of our smoking battery, and uncovered to the range of the enemy's guns. We were pressing towards him at 'arms port', moving with the light, tripping gate of the French infantry. The enemy's veteran artillery soon obtained our range, and began to drop shells under our very noses along the slope. Echols's Brigade rose up, and was charging on our right front with the well- known rebel yell. "Down the green slope we went, answering the wild cry of our comrades as their muskets rattled in opening volleys. 'Double time !' shouted Shipp, and we broke into a long trot. In another moment, a pelting rain of lead would fall upon us from the blue line in our front."t In a few minutes a shell burst just in front of the line, and Captain A. Govan Hill, Tactical Officer of "C" Company, and four cadets were struck to the ground. Breckinridge's left and center were now in echelon, with its left against the river bluff, slightly overlapping, and several hundred yards in advance of the left of the center echelon, the right of which extended toward the pike. As the Corps of Cadets moved forward from under the cover of Shirley's Hill and down its forward face, it found itself well behind the left of the rear echelon, but rapidly closed up the distance as it swung forward down Shirley's Hill. Across the turnpike, beyond the center, or the seco nd echelon, were the 23d and i8th Virginia Regi- *Turner. tBnd of an Era, J. S. Wise. Battle of New Market 27 ments, McNeill's Rangers, two sections of McClannahan's Bat- tery, and various small detachments of Imboden's Cavalry, while McLaughlin moved forward along the pike abreast of the battle line, with the fourteen guns under his immediate command, firing from successive positions. In the first stage of the battle, then, Breckinridge formed his line as follows : 51st Va., 30th Va., 62d Va. Artillery, 22d Va., 23d Va. 26th Va., Cadets. Upon moving to the attack of Bushong's Hill, the following formation was taken up: Slst Va., 30th Va., 62d Va. NEW MARKET 26th Va., 22d \'a., Artillery, (4 guns), 23d Va., 18th Va. Cavalry, Cadets. The Federals had occupied a position of great natural strength along the brow of Bushong's Hill, with the right resting on the precipitous wooded river bluff, and the left resting near the pike and partly protected by thick cedar thickets and woods occupying the space between the pike and Smith's Creek, and extending on beyond to the base of the steep mountain side. The field of fire to the front was almost unobstructed from right to left, and stone fences afforded partial cover for the infantry. The approach to the Federal center was across a large wheat field, deep with mud. In front of the left center were numerous scattered scrub cedars. Four hundred yards to the front of his main position, Sigel placed the 123d Ohio and i8th Connecticut, of Moor's Brigade, the left of the former resting on the pike and the latter prolong- ing the line to its right ; Von Kleiser's 30th New York Battery, with six i2-poi,mder Napoleons, took position across the pike, and abreast of Moor's right. 28 Battle of New Market In the second, or main line, "D" Battery, ist West Virginia, Captain John Carlin, and "B" Battery, Maryland, Captain Alonzo Snow, each with six 3-inch rifled guns, occupied the high ground near the river bluff; and, then, in order, to the left were posted the 34th Massachusetts, the ist West Virginia, the 54th Pennsyl- vania, "G" Battery, ist West Virginia, Captain C. T. Ewing, with four 3-inch rifles. A company of the 34th Massachusetts was assigned as a support for Carlin's and Snow's Batteries ; the 12th West Virginia was held in reserve, some distance behind the artillery group, and Stahel's cavalry guarded the left rear, beyond the pike and over by Smith's Creek. The 28th and ii6th Ohio Regiments were near Mount Jackson, and "B" Battery, 5th U. S. Artillery, Captain H. A. Du Pont, remained in position at the crossing of the river. No sooner did the Confederate infantry come into the open than the well-served Federal batteries opened upon it with vigor and accuracy. But the echelons moved forward rapidly, while Imboden reconnoitered a route by which to move his cavalry across Smith's Creek, under cover of the thicket intervening be- tween Stahel's Cavalry and the extreme Confederate right. Find- ing such a path, Imboden led the 18th Virginia Cavalry and McClannahan's four guns down the Luray road over the creek; and, from the crossing under cover of a low hill, he gained a position immediately upon Stahel's left flank. At this point, the guns were unlimbered and opened a rapid fire at short range upon the opposing horsemen beyond the creek; whereupon, the Federal cavalry retired in haste. McClannahan now opened a long range enfilading fire upon Von Kleiser's Battery and Moor's left near the pike, which was most disconcerting, as such a fire is well calculated to be. In the meantime, the Confederate infantry west of. the pike had resolutely pressed forward, and now drove Sigel's advanced line, under Moor, from its position. The regiments composing this line fled precipitately upon the approach of the Confeder- ates, carrying confusion to those posted at the main position, and Von Kleiser was compelled to limber up with his battery, which had inflicted severe loss upon the assailants, especially among the cadets. The 23d Virginia Battalion now occupied Battle of New Market 29 the space between the pike and the creek, beyond which Imboden's Cavalry and McClannahan's two sections remained. The Con- federate right and center had reached a point just beyond Moor's abandoned position, and almost abreast of the Bushong House, in rear of which stood an orchard. West and north of the orchard was the large wheat field extending from the house to the main artillery group. Before progressing to the third stage of the action, Breckin- ridge, perceiving the enemy's artillery position to be the key of Sigel's whole line, reinforced the first echelon with the 26th Virginia Battalion, which he moved from the left of the rear echelon to the left of the 51st Virginia. In the subsequent ad- vance, the 51st and 26th Virginia moved to the left of a wooded tongue of highland which jutted forward from the bend of the river abreast of the Bushong House, parallel to, and at a distance of half a mile from, the pike. With the 23d Battalion extended in line of skirmishers, sup- ported by McLaughlin's guns holding the cavalry of the Fed- eral left at bay, Breckinridge now ordered the final assault. As the line advanced, the 26th Battalion moved forward on the left of the 51st Regiment beyond the wooded hill; but the ground narrowed so rapidly it was soon compelled to follow the 51st. Protected by the wood and the high ground at first, the 51st Regiment finally reached open ground, where it met a galling fire from the sharpshooters on the river blufiF, from Carlin's and Snow's guns, and the company of the 34th Massachusetts supporting them. Here, farther advance was checked. Mean- time, Colonel Patton with the 22d Virginia and the 62d Virginia, like the regiments on the left, had been checked. The shells which had burst among the cadets had not destroyed their formation, and for more than half a mile they had ad- vanced under the fire of the enemy's guns. After some time they reached the cover of a hill, immediately south of the Bushong House, and there halted while the preparations were being made for the final assault. It has been shown how the Confederate center and left had been brought to a standstill. We shall now take the words of Dr. Turner as to what happened, and the reader, if he be a 30 Battle of New Market soldier, will reach his own conclusion as to the importance of the part played by the Corps of Cadets. "It appeared as though Breckinridge had been overbold and had run upon disaster. The enemy was unshaken; there was a break in the Confederate line, and some of the men were begin- ning to rush away to the rear. It was at this critical juncture that the cadets, who had been appointed to act as a reserve, moved forward into the forefront of the contest and filled up the gap. They took position between the 51st Virginia Regiment and part of the 30th Battalion, which was fighting with (and on the left of) the 62 Virginia. They had now become part of the first line of battle. "The movements of the cadets at this time are known some- what in detail. They had preserved their order splendidly during the heavy cannon fire, and had pressed forward in such beauti- ful alignment as to excite the admiration of all who saw them. It was remarked by a Southern officer who watched them from a point of vantage that they kept their course as if marching on dress-parade After ascending the hill at the base of which they had halted, they came to an open field, muddy from the rains and exceedingly difficult to cross. A slight confusion was caused by the ends (wings) of the battalion advancing faster than the center and so beyond it, thus causing the line hitherto straight to become curved; but here was displayed admirable coolness and discipline, for, in the midst of a terrible artillery fire, the line soon rectified, after which they proceeded in as perfect order as before. "At the edge of the field was a frame house with other build- ings, known by the name of the owner, Bushong. Beyond was an orchard, and then a plateau, which formed the top of the hill, and which was also an open field. When the house was reached, the cadets divided, Companies 'A' and 'B' passing to the right, Companies 'C and 'D' to the left. After the line was re- formed on the other side, they found the grimmest part of their task before them; and it was here that their most terrible losses occurred. From the Federal position beyond, the artillery had perfect range, and poured in a fire of canister and shrapnel, incessant and terrific. Moreover, the distance was now short. Battle of New Market 31 and masses of Federal infantry played upon them with incessant volleys. Accordingly, for a time the advance was halted." It was at this point of the advance, after he had corrected the alignment of the Battalion by marking time, just beyond the Bushong House, that the Commandant, always in front, was struck on the left shoulder by a heavy but spent fragment of shell, and literally swept from his feet. For a time he was apparently stunned, though he was not wounded except very slightly in the face, probably by a tiny piece of shell. "The position of Sigel's Army was so well chosen, and so well defended, that for a while it seemed impossible to force it. During some time the Confederate advance was checked, and certain regiments were rolled back and thrown into confusion. The front lines melted away under the terrific fire. Echols's men were still occupied on the right; some of Wharton's command fell into disorder. From the Federal lines, the tide of battle seemed to be running strongly against the Confederates. Sigel afterwards described this part of the action as a very sharp conflict, in which the enemy charged repeatedly and with de- termination, but were as often repulsed by the bravery and coolness of his infantry on the right. It is the opinion of an officer who watched the struggle that had Sigel hurled his cavalry into the opening in the advancing line, that is, between the 51st and 62d regiments, at this critical moment, the Con- federates would have been put to total route."* It is well here to note what had happened to the Federal cavalry. Not only had Stahel been compelled to retire his com- mand out of range of McClannahan's guns, but it had been severely punished by McLaughlin's artillery earlier in the day, and was in no condition to be massed in the open. Cavalry simply cannot withstand the fire of artillery, nor is it expected to do so. It was created for other work, and must leave the infantry to face the guns. When the Confederate right reached the town, the men became somewhat disordered in the streets, and, seeing their confusion, Stahel formed some of his men in columns of platoons, on the pike north of the town, and ordered them for- ward at the gallop to clear it of the Confederates. He had failed *Turner. 32 Battle of New Market to observe McLaughlin's advance with the infantry, and as the troops pressed up the pike, the men of Derrick's command scrambled to the sides of the road and gave the guns a clear field of fire. "Heavens! what a blizzard McLaughlin gave them! They staggered, wheeled and fled. The road was filled with fallen men and horses. A few riderless steeds came galloping towards our lines, neighed, circled and rejoined their comrades. One daring fellow whose horse became unmanageable, rode straight at our battery at full speed, passed beyond, behind, and around our line, and safely rejoined his comrades — cheered for his courage by his enemies. This was the end of the cavalry in the fight."* After this incident, Stahel held his cavalry immediately in rear of the Federal left, until Imboden's enfilade fire compelled it to be again retired, as has been shown. *End of an Era, J. S. Wise. Battle of New Market 33 The Charge of the Cadets Returning to the stage of the main conflict in which the Confederate line of battle was shown to have reached a point from which it seemed unable to advance, let us again quote Turner. "It is known now that the Southern soldiers stood their ground stoutly. Where the wavering was at its worst, most of them seem to have held their own under the cannonade; and from what has come down concerning this stage of the battle, the conduct of the several divisions (commands) seems to have been replete with heroic incidents. Nevertheless, here was a moment of greatest danger. "When the cadets reformed their line on the north side of Bushong's house, they filled in the gap between the 51st Virginia Regiment on their left and the 62d Virginia Regiment, with the attached companies of the 30th Virginia Battalion, on their right. They were in the van of the battle, and at one time seem to have been in advance of the other commands. To each side their comrades were suffering heavily, especially the 62d Vir- ginia, to the right. While the veterans around them were waver- ing, they also suffered fearfully from the combined artillery and musketry fire. The young soldiers were falling right and left, and for a while it seemed that they could go no farther. "This was one of the most critical moments in the battle of New Market. Breckinridge was in danger of defeat. He had boldly taken the aggressive, and, so far, success had attended his efforts, for he had pushed a portion of the Federal Army out of New Market, and his right wing had driven back the Federal left, while Imboden had gained a position on the Fed- eral flank. But Imboden's men were practically useless where they were, and the town was untenable so long as the Federal forces remained on the heights beyond. To drive them out, Breckinridge had launched all his remaining strength in a frontal attack, and this attack seemed to be meeting with failure. On the right, Echols's commands (22d Regiment, Col. Patton, and 23d Battalion, Major Derrick), had made little progress; on 34 Battle of New Market the left, Wharton's men had advanced farther to within strik- ing distance of the enemy, but, with the exception of the 26th BattaUon, had suffered so heavily as to be compelled to fall back. "It was at this deadly moment that the cadets of the Virginia Military Institute pushed out into the orchard beyond Bushong's House."* Here, let us interpolate that Colonel Edgar (whose 26th Vir- ginia Battalion had been crowded out of the front line on the left of the 51st before the latter came out into the open on the crest of the wooded tongue of highland, beyond which it had progressed to a point several hundred yards short of the Bushong House) was now leading his men up to Wharton's line, to the left and rear of the cadets.f The 62d Virginia had been compelled to fall back slightly, and seeing its movement to the rear, Sigel had ordered Von Kleiser's Battery (which Imboden, Derrick and McLaughlin had driven from the town) into action on the summit of Bushong's Hill, at the very northern end of the wheat field and opposite the cadets, for that was the very key-point of the Federal position. While the Corps of Cadets was yet moving into position behind the fence forming the northern boundary of the orchard and the southern boundary of the wheat field, Woodson's company of Missourians moved forward again from the left of the 62d Virginia, and heroically assailed Von Kleiser's Battery. But while their accurate musketry fire temporarily drove the cannoneers from their places, their numbers were inadequate to the task they had essayed, and their heroism only led to the annihilation of the gallant company which lost six killed and 54 wounded, out of a total of 76 men, in a few minutes. By this time, the cadets had reached the cover of the fence, and Von Kleiser's guns resumed their fire. Woodson's effort, of course, had had no effect upon the fire of Carlin's and Snow's Batteries, which had fired continuously upon the cadets while moving past the Bushong House and through the orchard. "Close to them (cadets) now was Sigel's Army shooting from the fences and cedar groves, while nearer still were the Federal * Turner, p. 81. tSee Tumor, pp. 50, 51. Battle of New Market 35 batteries which had already wrought such havoc in the ad- vancing lines. The cadets seemed to have rushed into certain destruction. The artillery concentrated upon them its fire, con- tinuous and terrific, hurling shells into the orchard and tearing the trees to pieces. Their Commandant, Lieutenant-Colonel Shipp, was wounded by a piece of shell ; whereupon, there began a wavering and confusion among them. Some one gave the order to lie down. They obeyed, and began firing from the ground, crouching behind a worm fence along the northern edge of the orchard. But the firing of the cannon in front of them continued with fearful effect, until at last the cry arose that they should fall back and rally on the veterans to the rear. Fortunately, this was not done, hut the cadets continued to fire from their exposed position, though all the while they were being riddled."* "The men were falling right and left. The veterans on the right of the cadets seemed to waver. Colonel Shipp went down. For the first time, the cadets appeared irresolute. Some one cried out, 'Lie down !' and all obeyed, firing from the knee — all but Evans, the ensign, who was standing bolt upright, shouting and waving the flag. Some one exclaimed, 'Fall back, and rally on Edgar's Battalion !' Several boys moved as if to obey. Pizzini, the first sergeant, of 'B' Company, with his Corsican blood at the boiling point, cocked his rifle and proclaimed that he would shoot the first man who ran. Preston, brave and inspiring, in command of 'B' Company, smilingly lay down upon his re- maining arm, with the remark that he would at least save that. Colonna, cadet captain of 'D', was speaking low to the men of his company words of encouragement, and bidding them shoot close. The Corps was being decimated." t The obvious effect of the resolution of the Corps of Cadets in clinging to their advanced position was to cause the Federal artillery which had up to this time been dividing its attention between the cadets and the sist Regiment, on their left, to con- centrate on the cadets, which relieved the pressure on the 51st Regiment and 26th Battalion, to their left rear, thus enabling *Turner, pp. 81, 82, Parentheses are the writer's. tBnd of an Era, J. S. Wise. Observe how this account corresponds almost exactly with Turner's. It was written years before the latter. 26 Battle of New Market them to reform and engage at an advantage with the infantry company of the 34th Massachusetts supporting the Federal artillery group. The men of this company had been thrown out as sharpshooters along the wooded bluff overhanging the river, on the extreme Confederate left and on the right of the Federal batteries. "At this opportune moment (the crisis of the combat), when victory seemed within his reach, Sigel launched the counter- attack upon the enemy before him. The 34th Massachusetts with the adjoining regiments (forming the line to the left of the batteries at the north end of the wheat field and beyond the scrub cedars between the wheat field and the turnpike) sprang forward at the 51st, the cadets, and the 62d. Had the charge been well directed and firmly pressed, it might have decided the day. The 54th Pennsylvania fought well, but was forced to retreat (by the 22d Virginia on the right of the 62d Virginia), while the ist West Virginia suffered heavily (at the hands of the 62d Virginia and the right wing of the Cadet Battalion), and halted almost at once. The 34th Massachusetts, however, charged down nearly to the fence, behind which the cadets had their position. Could they have done this somewhat earlier, before the cadets occupied the Gap, they would have found the place unoccupied, and it may be would have broken the Con- federate line. This was where the cadets did their best service. With the men to the right and left of them, they held the place with stubborn resolution (the troops on their flanks were in rear of their position), and after a sharp struggle the 34th was driven back to the position which it had left just before."* Again describing the crisis of the combat and Sigel's counter- stroke. Turner says : "As a matter of fact, however, the Federal success was only temporary. The Confederates were not demoralized; except for the heavy artillery fire from both sides, there was for a short time a lull in the battle in this part of the field. The Con- federate line was being strengthened and rectified once more. (Edgar was moving the 26th Battalion up to the line of the 51st ana^n"o™of' fcner ^""^ ''*''°° ^'^^ parenthetical remarka are those of the writer Battle of New Market 37 Virginia, the cadets were moving up into the gap, and the 62d on their right, having fallen back to slight cover, v/as being re- formed.) "The men of the 62d were undaunted by the disaster which had just occurred. Indeed they had retired partly for the purpose of waiting until the other commands should come up with them. (The truth is, they were unable to remain in the open in ad- vance, and were compelled to seek cover in a hollow in their rear, until their flanks were prolonged by the cadets on the left and the 22d Virginia on their right.) The gap between the 62d and 51st was being filled by the cadets in the course of a brilliant movement. To the left, the 51st had recovered its order (due to shifting of the fire of the Federal batteries upon the cadets), and was ready to go forward again. To the right of the 62d, the 22d Regiment, under Colonel Patton, was hastening up to complete the line. (His position was between the hollow in which the 62d lay under cover of the ground, and the turn- pike, abreast of Imboden's position beyond the bend in the creek, which at this point was about 500 yards east of the turnpike. The interval on his right was occupied by Derrick's 23d Bat- talion, while McLaughlin's artillery occupied positions on the high ground along the pike some 400 yards in rear of the 22d and 23d, and engaged Ewing's Battery, east of the pike on the Federal left, at a range of 800 yards, and Snow's, Carlin's, and Von Kleiser's Batteries, obliquely to the left, at a range of about 1000 yards. "This was the time chosen by Sigel for the Federal counter- charge. Perhaps it had no chance to succeed, although the result might have been different had this charge been made immediately after the repulse of the Confederates, and had the Federal left been holding its own. (By repulse is meant the confusion of the 51st, on the extreme left, when it emerged into the open, after ascending and crossing the wooded hill, and the falling back of the 62d to the hollow.) "Now, there was little hope. As the Federal soldiers moved down the slope (of Bushong's Hill against the 51st, cadets, 62d, and 22d) they were met by a terrible fire. Curiously enough, what happened to the Confederates a little before, now 38 Battle of New Market befell their opponents. The 54th Pennsylvania, and probably the 1st West Virginia, halted in confusion, and turned back, leaving the 34th Massachusetts (opposite the cadets) to advance alone. The men of this command charged gallantly toward the fence of Bushong's yard (behind which the cadets alone lay), but were repulsed in disorder, partly (wholly?) because of the splendid fighting of the cadets. Accordingly, they retreated with heavy loss. In some respects, the repulse of Sigel's counter- charge was the critical point in this part of the engagement, for the tide of battle now changed. (If the tide changed, this was certainly the very crisis of the combat, and, inasmuch as Sigel would have broken the Confederate line, had the 34th Massa- chusetts pressed home, the troops which repelled its advance saved the day.) The 22d Virginia Regiment, which formed the left of the hinder echelon, had now come up upon the right of the 62d Virginia. Together they formed a solid line of eight hundred veteran troops. (Here it is to be observed some of the veteran troops were in the "hinder echelon" when the crisis of the combat was passed, the cadets being in the most advanced position.) A forward movement was begun immediately, leav- ing the shaken Federal troops no time to recover." "The cadets also, under Captain Henry A. Wise, and the other Professor-Captains (Colonel Shipp, the Commandant, hav- ing been disabled), sprang forward with heroic enthusiasm, their boyish cheers arousing the veterans on both sides of them. The 51st Virginia, to the left of the cadets, had recovered from its earlier confusion, and had been fighting vigorously. It also took part in the general forward movement ; so that, substantially, the entire Confederate Army swept up toward the Federal posi- tion. By this time, Edgar had completed his work of turning the Federal right; the troops posted along the river had been driven back, and the artillery (Snow's and Carlin's Batteries) were hastening to move off. Over on the left, the Federal attack had been repulsed, and there the Confederate right was driving the enemy back. In fact, the Federal line was breaking up now, and Breckinridge encountered no serious resistance. The 54th Pennsylvania, and the ist West Virginia, hotly pressed and in danger of being flanked, gave way. The 34th Massa- Battle of New Market 39 chusetts was thus left in a perilous position. The 62d and the 22d were driving away its supports, on the left; the 26th, the 51st, and the cadets were driving off the artillery, on the right; while it was being assailed in front by part of the Cadet Bat- talion, the 30th Virginia, and part of the 62d. It fought stub- bornly and well, and sustained heavy losses, but could not re- trieve the day. As it was, it lacked little of being cut off. Thus, both the right and the center of the Federal Army were broken."* The movements of the cadets in this charge have been graphic- ally described. Turner has shown in the foregoing account that they assaulted the position of the battery, notwithstanding his doubts, later expressed, as to whether they could have done it. The sole question is really as to the number of guns they took. A witness writes: "Manifestly, they, the cadets, must charge or fall back. And charge it was ; for, at that moment, Henry Wise ('Old Chinook', beloved of every boy in the command), sprang to his feet, shouted out the command to rise up and charge, and, moving in advance of the line, led the Cadet Corps forward to the guns. The battery was being served superbly. The musketry fairly rolled, but the cadets never faltered. They reached the firm greensward of the farmyard in which the guns were planted. The Federal infantry began to break and run behind the build- ings. Before the order to limber up could be obeyed by the artillerymen, the cadets disabled the teams, and were close upon the guns. The gunners dropped their sponges, and sought safety in flight. I^ieutenant Hanna hammered a gunner over the head with his cadet sword. Winder Garret outran another and lunged his bayonet in him. The boys leaped upon the guns, and the battery was theirs. Evans, the color-sergeant, stood wildly waving the cadet colors from the top of a caisson. "A straggling fire of infantry was still kept up from the gully, now on our right flank (left of 34th Massachusetts), not- withstanding the masses of blue retiring in confusion down the hill. The Battalion was ordered to reform, mark time, and half-wheel to the right; then, it advanced, firing into the cedars as it went, and did not pause again until it reached the pike. ♦Turner, pp. 56-60. 40 Battle of New Market having driven the last enemy from the thicket. The broken columns of the enemy could be seen hurrying over the hills, and down the pike towards Mount Jackson, hotly pressed by our infantry (22d and 23d) and cavalry."* This account seems to be accurate. Turner has already stated that in the final charge the cadets assaulted Von Kleiser's Bat- tery. Yet, on page 71 of his book we read: "It has usually been asserted that the cadets took Von Kleiser's Battery, but they could scarcely have done this, since Von Kleiser's Battery was not captured. No Federal battery was captured at New Market. Sigel lost five or six cannon. Two of these were captured by the Confederates from the batteries near the river, while another they found afterwards abandoned in a pond. Von Kleiser lost two guns, one of which, there is no doubt, was taken by the cadets when the Federal line gave way, and they may have captured the other. But they did not capture a battery."f Now, this whole tangle is easy to straighten out. Upon the near approach of the cadets. Von Kleiser, seeing that he was unsupported on his right, from which quarter Snow and Carlin had withdrawn their batteries, and that the infantry beyond the 34th Massachusetts, still supporting him on the left, but obvi- ously unable to withstand the assault of the cadet right wing and the 62d Virginia, ordered his battery to limber up. Four of his guns got away, but the other two were taken by the cadets who swarmed in among his confused teams and cannoneers, as de- scribed. When the various writers described the capture of the battery, they referred more to the seizure of its position, than to the actual number of guns taken. The fact that the two con- temporaneous accounts, the official report of the Commandant and a letter of Captain Preston, do not enumerate the number of guns actually seized by the cadets does not mean they captured no guns. Both writers specifically stated the position of the hostile battery was charged and overrun. The seizure of the guns was in their accounts included in the taking of the position occupied by the battery. *End of an Era, J. S. Wise. tTurner, p. 71. Battle of New Market 41 Turner's lack of perception of these points is clearly expressed in the statement which he makes, following closely upon his account of the action of the cadets in filling the gap, holding their position in advance of the Confederate line, when confu- sion reigned, according to his own account, on both sides of them, and repulsing the counter-charge of the 34th Massachusetts, which, he says, was the turning point of the battle. "Not less exaggerated have been the assertions about the result of the action of the cadets. There has been a tendency to maintain that they saved the day and won the battle, and that Breckinridge acknowledged that they had done so. As a matter of fact, there is no ground for such an assertion, and it is grossly unjust to the veteran soldiers who bore the brunt of the fight- ing. The cadets made up about one-sixteenth of the Confederate Army, so that it would have been physically impossible for them to have turned the tide of battle."* This is really pitiful. He has said that if the 34th Massachu- setts had penetrated the gap, the day would have been won for Sigel, and it no doubt would have been. Would Turner, in such event, have contradicted himself, and said that the 34th Massa- chusetts could not have won the battle, because it was but one- sixteenth of Sigel's army? Since when have the importance of tactical maneuvers been measured by the number of men engaged in a particular movement? A brigade of cavalry in the rear of a line of battle will decide the issue, when an army corps is at a standstill in its front. Can any one deny that the Stonewall Brigade won the battle of First Manassas? Yet its action there was relatively very similar to that of the cadets at New Market. Dr. Turner is hopelessly lost in the fog which he has done more to create than any previous historian of the battle. Fortunately, he again contradicts himself, after having declared Mr. Wise's account inaccurate, for on page 83 he confirms that account absolutely, and writes : "After the fall of Lieutenant-Colonel Shipp, the command of the cadets had devolved upon Professor-Captain Henry A. Wise. He says that he believed that the longer the cadets lay inactive behind the scanty shelter under the enemy's fire, the less would ♦Turner, p. 72. 42 Battle of New Market be their courage, and the more impossible would it be for them to do anything. At the moment, it seemed, there were two possi- ble courses : either to fall back, as had been suggested, or to rise and continue the advance. He felt instinctively that this was the decisive moment of the battle ; and that if the cadets fell back and opened a gap in the center of the line it might mean the loss of the day. Moreover, he thought that to fall back under an artillery fire like that to which they had been subjected, would entail nearly as much hazard as a charge right at the enemy's guns. The chance was a terrible one, but he made his decision instantly. His comrades still recall how he sprang to his feet and shouted the charge. At once, the magnificent training of the cadets asserted itself: they rose as a man, got over the fence, and moved forward across the field, straight for the enemy's guns. (This is what Turner seems to think they could not have done, yet he describes how they did it!) There is no doubt that at this moment the 62d and the 22d had begun their charge (on the right of the cadets), but the influence of the cadets stirred to enthusiasm the adjacent commands (51st, 30th and 26th) on their left rear, and the whole Confederate line rushed forward. The Federal troops from their position saw the movement, and prepared to hold their ground. "Unfortunately, it is not possible for the historian to feel that he can narrate exactly the details of what followed, such vivid, contradictory, and exaggerated accounts have been given. It is probable that some shells were bursting over the field as the Corps advanced ; but they kept their ranks and pressed forward. The incessant rains of the morning and the day preceding, had drenched the whole country. The ground over which they were toiling was a wheat field not long since ploughed, now sodden, and ankle-deep in mud. At times, the cadets found it an heroic task even to drag their feet out of the slough into which they sunk, and in many cases shoes and even socks were pulled off as they struggled along. Furthermore, the rain, which had ceased, had ceased only for a while. A black thunder-cloud which had gathered hung low, and now, when the charge began, burst over the field in torrents. The air was dim with the driving rain and the darkness, and murky with the volumes of smoke which drifted Battle of New Market 43 along the ground; so that it was difficult to see twenty paces ahead, save for the lightning flashes and the fire where the rifle- men were shooting. The elements themselves seemed at war."* After reading this vivid account, which is undoubtedly correct, it is a simple matter to explain how the Cadet Corps was able to traverse the wheat field in the face of Von Kleiser's guns. A plunging fire is of all others the most inaccurate, especially when the target is moving towards the guns. Coupled with this element of inaccuracy, were the facts that the gunners could see the ad- vancing line but imperfectly; that some of the guns must have been limbering up to escape; that it took not over two minutes for the Corps to traverse the wheat field ; that in that time no gun could have possibly fired over five rounds; that fuses were wet and inaccurately cut; that firing that rapidly the pieces could not possibly have been accurately laid upon a rapidly-moving target, even had the gunners been at target practice, instead of laboring under the intense excitement of repelling an infantry charge — and we have before us facts constituting a full explanation of the success of the charge. Nothing more is needed. Physically, the deed was by no means impossible. On the contrary, it seems physically impossible for the battery to have repelled the charge. Moral factors might have offset the physical advantages of the assailants, but that is just what did not happen; and so the position of the battery was reached and overrun. This, Turner himself tells us. "But there was no faltering. The distance to be traversed grew less, and soon the audacity of their courage told. The Federal soldiers were too much shaken, and too hard pressed, to make a stout resistance. There was some attempt; but on the cadets came, and then at last in the midst of a wavering in the enemy's ranks, they dashed up to the Federal lines with wild enthusiasm, and shot down the horses of one of the guns. There was a brief hand-to-hand struggle, but the Federal Army was already giving way. The cadets ran here and there capturing prisoners. The color-bearer sprang upon the gun carriage and waved his flag. The position had been stormed." Von Kleiser's Battery went into action immediately on the left ♦Turner, pp. 83-86. 44 Battle of New Market of Sigel's original artillery group. Just before the general charge commenced, the pressure of the 26th, 51st and Cadet Corps compelled Snow and Carlin to limber up and pull out with their batteries, Carlin abandoning three of his guns to which he could not get his teams without losing them. While the center of the Cadet Battalion was overrunning Von Kleiser's position, the ex- treme left swept over the ground formerly occupied by Carlin's Battery, and there found his abandoned pieces. It is possible, of course, that either the 51st or 26th had already passed Carlin's position (as claims by both for the capture of the three pieces have been advanced). But what probably happened was the mingled men of these two commands, and the left wing of the Cadet Battalion, reached the guns nearly at the same time, and hence each has conscientiously asserted its claim of priority. There is nothing strange about that. It had happened many times before. But one thing is certain. The cadets secured the pieces which they found, as well as from 80 to 100 prisoners, a pre- caution which, it seems, the veteran troops (contrary to their custom) failed to take. That fact certainly gives the cadets a tremendous advantage, in the eye of the military critic. Of the charge of the cadets upon Von Kleiser's Battery, Major Theodore S. Lang, of Sigel's staff, wrote: "I must say that I never witnessed a more gallant advance and final charge than was given by those brave boys on that field. They fought like veterans; nor did the dropping of their comrades by the ruthless bullets deter them from their mission, but on they came, ravines or fences, or shot or shell, were all the same to those brave boys, who faltered not until they waved their battle-flag over the captured battery of Captain Von Kleiser." Captain Franklin E. Town, Chief Signal Officer of Sigel's Army, wrote : "Standing on the crest of this slope, after a short time I ob- served a line forming in the ravine at the foot of the hill, which seemed about like a regiment in extent, but so 'smart' and 'natty' in appearance as instantly to suggest our own pet 'Seventh Regi- ment' of New York City. They appeared more like militia on parade than troops in campaign. We were soon able to identify Battle of New Market 45 the command as the Battalion of the Virginia Military Institute, and certainly a more soldierly-appearing Corps never faced an enemy. "After perfecting their alignment, this young regiment ad- vanced toward our battery. It approached only a short distance when it halted and turned back toward the ravine. There was no apparent disorder, nor did it seem that they were falling back in panic, but rather as if by some change of plan, and in pur- suance of orders.* "The Battalion remained but a short time in the ravine, and again advanced. They came on steadily up the slope, swept as it was by the fire of these guns. Their line was as perfectly preserved as if on dress-parade, or in the evolutions of a review. As they advanced, our guns played with utmost vigor upon their line; at first with shrapnel, then, as they came nearer, with canister, and finally, with double loads of canister. As the Bat- talion continued to advance, our gunners loaded at the last, with- out stopping to sponge ; and I think it would have been impossible to eject from six guns more missiles than these boys faced in their wild charge up that hill. But still they advanced steadily, without any sign of faltering. I saw, here and there, a soldier drop from their line and lie where he fell, as his comrades closed up the gaps and passed on. Their pace was increased from a quick step to a double time, and, at the last, to a charge, as through the fire they came on, and up to the guns which they surrounded and captured ; our artillerymen giving way when the bayonets, having passed the guns, were at their breasts. "t This account was written thirty-four years after the event. The fact that the cadets did not seize all the guns of the battery does not vitiate the evidence in the mind of a soldier. With the smoke and confusion about him, watching the charge intently, it was impossible for Captain Town to observe everything that happened. Four of Von Kleiser's guns may have pulled out at the last moment, when an observer was most apt to be seeking cover *This was -when, after passing the Bushong House, the Commandant gave the command, as shown, to mark time," and then halted the battalion behind the fence. t*'An eye witness from the other side," Richmond Times-Dispatch, April 24, 1898. 46 Battle of New Market "This charge of the cadets upon the Federal position at New Market is one of the most remarkable episodes of the Civil War, or, indeed, of any war. That a body of youths, ranging in age from fourteen to twenty, should conduct themselves well in battle would in itself have been sufficiently creditable. But that in the first battle in which they had ever served, they should do what they did is almost beyond belief. That, called from the quiet seclusion of a Military School, they should have endured long, fatiguing marches for three days (five days?) over muddy roads and miry fields; that, wearied with their journey and yet roused from their sleep on the night before the battle and sent onward, they should have chafed at being held in a sheltered position, and insisted on pressing forward into the front and central part of the battle ; that they should have borne their part steadily ; that they should have stood their ground under a wither- ing fire when veteran regiments were hard pressed;* and that, finally, in the crisis of the struggle, they should have met the shock of the enemy, unmoved ; all of these facts are as astounding as they are true. The battle of New Market was a small battle, and, relatively speaking, the Cadet Battalion was a mere hand- ful ; but what these boys did is comparable with what older troops have done in some of the most famous battles in the world. It may be that the words of incautious admirers have served to cast doubt upon their exploits. They did not rally the Con- federate Army, or stem a rout, or capture unaided a powerful battery under impossible circumstances. But, at a critical moment, they did conduct themselves in a manner beyond all praise, and what they did had much to do with determining the issue of the battle."t The foregoing summary displays as amazing a lack of famili- arity with his subject on the part of the writer, as one purporting to contribute a critical narrative to history has ever been guilty of. In the first place, the average age of the cadets engaged in the battle of New Market was as great as that of the younger Con- federate conscripts of 1864. The matriculation books would have shown Dr. Turner that the average age of the cadets in the battle *Turner has previously declared the veterans were in disorder, but he must nt his facts to his conclusions. tTurner, pp. 86-88. Battle of New Market 47 of New Market was very close to seventeen and a half years. There were some over twenty-one, numbers over twenty, and more over nineteen than under sixteen. The quiet seclusion from which the Corps was called has been fully set forth in previous chapters. It will be recalled that the Corps had not only engaged in the severe McDowell campaign in 1862, and hunted deserters in the mountains the following summer, but had taken part in three separate expeditions to repel Averell's raiding columns in August, November and Decem- ber, 1863, respectively. In December, the Corps had spent an en- tire week in the field in bitterly cold weather and rain storms which made the spring showers of May nth, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th, 1864, seem mild indeed. In its previous field service marches were made which far exceeded those of the New Mar- ket campaign, both with respect to the hardships encountered and miles covered. There was no more comparison between the spring marches from Lexington to New Market with those of the November and December expeditions, from the standpoint of exposure and fatigue, than there ordinarily is between a fifteen mile march over a turnpike, on a mild May day, and an equally long one over unimproved mountain dirt roads, in the rain and sleet of November and December, poorly shod, lightly clothed, and bivouacking in the open, with the thermometer at the freezing point.* From the writer's knowledge of the present-day cadet, as com- pared with the character of men similar to those who comprised the rank and file of Breckinridge's Army, he feels secure in the assertion that the well-disciplined and physically fit cadets under Colonel Shipp were able to stand for a short period the experi- ences of the New Market campaign better than the regular soldiers, and that fewer of them suffered from fatigue. Youths of their age and training are not given to weariness in a space of four days. Then, there was the novelty of the experience to buoy them up and carry them on, entirely lacking in the case of the regular soldier. From the standpoint of morale, there was, perhaps, not a com- *I venture that Turner never heard of these expeditions. In the McDowell campaign of 1862 the cadets marched 44 miles one day. 48 Battle of New Market mand engaged in either Army in any battle of the Civil War that compared, man for man, with the Corps of Cadets. The over- whelming majority of the cadets were born gentlemen, possessing all the instincts of courage and daring of their race, cherishing the noblest military traditions of the South, and burning with all the ardor of youth, after no fewer than four previous disappoint- ments, to engage the enemy in battle. The Cadet Battalion was a corps of incipient officers, most of whom might have com- manded regular troops, had they chosen, or had they been allowed, to join the Army. If there were a battalion on earth that would have stood the Federal fire and charged Von Kleiser's guns on May 15th, it was that one which inspires the wonderment of Dr. Turner, for in the Corps of Cadets there was not a youth but whose career would have been blighted forever, had he aban- doned his colors, and the officers who led them were veterans of many other fields.* Their deeds were heroic, but when we come to study them with all the facts, physical and moral, which must be taken together to explain military exploits, the latter no less important than the former, there was absolutely nothing marvelous or verging upon the impossible, in them. Had this body of highly trained and socially elite youth failed to do what they did, when hundreds of country boys no older than themselves, and with none of the many social and educational advantages of the cadets, were fighting by their sides and on a hundred other fields, there would have been something indeed to marvel at. *The Commandant had served in the distressing West Virginia campaign of 1861, in the battle of Winchester, led Jackson's skirmish line in the Romney campaign, and then engaged in the most dangerous of all fighting, or the cavalry affairs after the Gettysburg campaign. Captain Wise had displayed great heroism at Koanoke Island, where he was captured and paroled. Captain Preston had lost an arm at Winchester. Captains Robinson and Hill had seen hard active service in the Army. Battle of New Market 49 Victory and Laurels Richmond Again and Back to Lexington After the 34th Massachusetts abandoned its position, retiring in good order, the pursuit was checked by the belated arrival of the 28th and i i6th Ohio Regiments, and Du Font's Regular Bat- tery, which took up a position on Rude's Hill near the river crossing. Although a section of McClannahan's Battery, under Lieuten- ant Carter Berkeley, dashed down the pike and shelled the fleeing masses, while McLaughlin caused the other guns to fire from successive positions, there were no reserves or organized cavalry with which to turn the withdrawal into a rout. Before the infantry could be reformed and cartridge boxes replenished, with a view to the assault of Rude's Hill, Sigel had commenced to withdraw his rear guard across the river, burning the bridge behind him, after crossing over his last troops, and so the fighting came to an end about 6 P. M. "As evening fell, the clouds passed away, the sun came forth; and when night closed in, no sound disturbed the Sabbath calm, save that of a solitary Napoleon gun pounding away at the smouldering ruins of the bridge." The Corps of Cadets had taken part in the general pursuit, at the beginning of which it had been rejoined by Colonel Shipp, his face streaming with blood from a slight wound on the cheek, but sufficiently recovered from the stunning blow he had received in the orchard to resume command. Just before the Corps of Cadets left its position at the base of Rude's Hill, where it had been reformed for the assault, an officer rode up, some say accompanied by his staff, and was saluted by the battalion, whereupon the officer, who was thought to be General Breckinridge, is said to have politely raised his hat and given expression to the following words : "Young gentle- men, I have to thank you for the result of to-day's operations." General Shipp remembers no such incident, and General Charles J. Anderson of Richmond, a cadet in the battle, positively 50 Battle of New Market asserts that the officer who made the remarks was Major J. Stod- dard Johnston, Breckinridge's chief-of-staff, and that he said: "Young Gentlemen, General Breckinridge has you to thank for the result of to-day's operations." Now the truth is the battalion was extended over a considerable distance when in the position at the bottom of Rude's Hill. It is, therefore, possible that both the General and his Chief -of-Staff passed by the cadets and made acknowledgements to them and that all the cadets did not see or hear both officers in the general excitement. Again, General Anderson's explanation seems a good one, that is, Johnston was mistaken for Breckinridge. Whoever the officer referred to actu- ally was, General Breckinridge subsequently on numerous occa- sions expressed his belief that the action of the cadets exercised a decisive influence on the issue of the day. He personally told the Superintendent that had he not used the cadets very freely the result would have been different.* When the pursuit was given up the cadet section of artillery went into bivouac with the rest of McLaughlin's command at beautiful Mount Airy, while the main body of the Confederate troops bivouacked along the pike about a mile below New Market. The cadets were allowed to break ranks and seek shelter in the town wherever it could be had in order to avoid further exposure. An inventory of losses now showed Sigel that he had lost over 800 of the 6,000 Federals engaged ; while Breckinridge's loss was about 600 out of an army of 4,500. In the Corps of Cadets the loss was tremendous. There were positively not over 279 cadets engaged, including the artillery de- tachment. There were probably fewer, but it can be absolutely demonstrated that there were not more. Of this number, 5 were killed outright, 4 mortally wounded, 48 others wounded, only one slight casualty occurring in the Artillery detachment. The loss was, therefore, over twenty per cent of the command. But, in spite of their losses, the camp fires twinkled no more brightly that night than the spirits of the dauntless cadets, for, at last, they had been in battle and borne themselves with such credit as to have elicited the acknowledgments of the Command- ing General himself. *Soe also Turner, pp. 88, 89, for letters of Oolonna, Kirk and Ross. Battle of New Market 51 "Shortly before sundown, after having my head sewed up and bandaged, and having rendered such service as I could to wounded comrades, I sallied forth to procure a blanket and see what was to be seen. When we stripped for action, we left our traps un- guarded ; nobody would consent to be detailed. As a result, the camp followers had made away with nearly all of our blankets. J "I entered the town, and found it filled with soldiers, laughing and carousing as light heartedly as if it was a feast, or a holiday. In a side street, a great throng of Federal prisoners was corralled ; they were nearly all Germans. Every type of prisoner was there, some cheerful, some defiant, some careless, some calm and de- jected. One fellow in particular afforded great merriment by his quaint recital of the manner of his capture. Said he, 'Dem leetle tevils mit der vite vlag vas doo mutch fur us; dey shoost smash mine head ven I was cry zurrender all de time'. A loud peal of laughter went up from the bystanders, among whom I recognized several cadets. His allusion to the white flag was to our colors. We had a handsome Corps flag with a white and gold ground and a picture of Washington; it disconcerted our adversaries not a little. Several whom I have met since then tell me that they could not make us out at all, as our strange colors, diminutive size, and unusual precision of movement, made them think we must be some foreign mercenary regulars.* "The jeers and banterings of the veterans had now ceased; we had fairly won our spurs. We could mingle with them fra- ternally, and discuss the battle on equal terms; glorious fellows, those veterans were. To them was due ninety-nine one-hun- dredths of the glory of the victory, yet they seemed to delight in giving all praise to 'dem leetle tevils mit der vite vlag'. The ladies of the place also overwhelmed us with tenderness, and as for ourselves, we drank in greedily the praise which made us the lions of the hour. "Leaving the village, we sought the plateau where most of our losses had occurred. A little above the town, in the fatal wheat field, we came upon the dead bodies of three cadets ; one wearing the JThiB in a mistake. Cadet Goodykoontz had been detailed by tlie Commandant to remain with the equipment, etc., and stayed with it until the morning ot the 16th, until which time the fact that he had not been relieved was forgotten. "The cadets were not small as a whole, but their tight-fighting jackets made them appear so then, as they do now, in comparison with orther troops. 52 Battle of New Market chevrons of a first sergeant lay upon his face, stiff and stark with outstretched arms. His hands had clutched and torn up great tufts of soil and grass. His lips were retracted; his teeth tightly locked ; his face as hard as flint, with staring glassy eyes. It was difficult indeed to recognize that this was all that remained of Cabell, who a few hours before had stood first in his class, sec- ond as a soldier, and the peer of any boy in the command in every trait of physical and moral manliness. A short distance removed from the spot where Cabell fell, and nearer to the position of the enemy, lay McDowell. It was a sight to rend one's heart! That little fellow was lying there asleep, more fit indeed for a cradle than a grave; he was about my own age (17), not large, and by no means robust. He was a North Carolinian ; he had torn open his jacket and shirt, and, even in death, lay clutch- ing them back, exposing a fair white breast with its red wound. We had come too late. Stanard had breathed his last but a few moments before we reached the old farmhouse where the battery had stood, now used as a hospital. His body was still warm, and his last message had been words of love to his roommates. "A few of us brought up a limber-chest, threw our dead across it, and bore their remains to a deserted storehouse in the village. The next day we buried them with the honors of war, bowed down with grief at a victory so dearly bought."* It should here again be mentioned that of the nine cadets who lost their lives in this battle, Cabell, Atwill, Crockett, Haynes, Jef- ferson, Jones, McDowell, Stanard and Wheelwright, but five were killed outright, Cabell, Crockett, Jones, McDowell, and Stanard. Atwill died of lockjaw, the following week, in Staunton ; Wheel- wright, in Harrisonburg, June 2d; Jefferson, in New Market on May i8th, and Haynes, in the Powhatan Hotel Hospital, in Richmond, June 15th. Until recent years, the fatality of Haynes's wound had not been known. In May, 1866, the remains of Atwill, Crockett, Jones, Mc- Dowell, and Stanard, were removed to Lexington where they were reinterred in the Cadet Cemetery. In 19 13, they were placed in copper caskets and deposited beneath Ezekiel's monument, *End of an Era, J. S. Wise. Battle of New Market S3 "Virginia Mourning Her Dead," dedicated June 23, 1903, as a memorial to the New Market Corps.* It is here proper to mention the heroism of a little woman of New Market, Eliza Catherine Clinedinst, afterwards Mrs. Crim. She was a fair young woman, who, amidst the stirring scenes of the Valley, in the oft-trodden path of the two Armies, worked away faithfully in her mother's home at her trade as the village milliner ; while her sturdy brother, a lieutenant in the "Stonewall" Brigade, fought for his country, t Many conflicting accounts have been published of Eliza Cline- dinst's heroism during the battle of New Market. The writer prefers to let her tell her own story. *The bodies of Cadets Atwill, Jones, Jeflfereon, McDowell, and Wheelwright were removed to Lexington in May, 1866, and interred on the second anniversary of the battle, May 15tli, in the Cadet Cemetery created for the purpose of receiv- ing them. At this time a traditional custom originated which has been carefully pre- served and continued to the present time. On the 15th of May, the names of the nine cadets who lost their lives at the battle of New Market are called by the sergeants in the roll of their respecbive companies at every formation during the day, and a cadet, designated in advance for the purpose, steps two paces to the front, salutes, and answers: "Died on the field of honor 1" This inspiring custom had its origin in Prance. LATOUR D'AUVERGNE entered the military service of France in 1767 and fotight with distinction throughout the early years of the Revolution in the armies of the Alps and the Pyrennes. Time and again he distinguished himself in battle, and was offered promotdon, but each time he refused it. As a simple captain, he led 8,000 grenadiers, known on account of their murderous bayonet charges as the Infernal Column. He left the army in 1795. but re-enlisted as a substitute for the only son of an old friend in 1799, and fought with Massena in Switzer- land. Again he declined promotion, but Napoleon, in 1800, caused him to be officially borne on the rolls as the "First Grenadier of France." He was killed on the 22d of June of that year in Bavaria, whereupon the whole French army mourned for him three days. His heart was embalmed, placed in a silver vase carried by his company, and his saber was placed in the Church of the Invalides. Every morning until the close of the Empire, at the roll call of his regiment, his name was CMled and the eldest sergeant replied: "Mort sur le champ de I'honneur." The writer regards this ceremony at the Institute on the 15th of May as by far the most impressive and inspiring one he has ever witnessed. It is impossible to estimate the influence it exerts upon the emotions and the character of the youthful cadet. Having been first sergeant of "D" Company in his Second Class Year, the writer recalls the rivalry which existed among the cadets of his company for the honor of answering for "D" Company's fallen heroes. As captain of that same company, a year later, he recalls how he was appealed to by those on the sick list, begging that they might slip into ranks to be with the colors when the anniversary salute was fired by the battalion over the graves in the Cadet Cemetery. Who that has been a cadet at the Virginia Military Institute but can recall the hot tear that welled unbidden to the eye in response to the fervent prayer of the chaplain on this annual occasion? Is not the memory of Cabell, Atwill, McDowell, Stanard, Jefferson, Jones, Crocketti, Wheelwright, and Haynes, indelibly burned into the souls of all old cadets? Who of us but can see, standing there beside those boyish graves, in the soft evening light of springtime, with head uncovered and dampened cheek, the veteran figure of Pendleton, Poague, Cutshaw, or Lee himself, when a resident of Lexington? How distressed many old cadets will be when they learn that the Cadet Ceme- tery has been abandoned, and that those simple little graves are no longer to be seen in the shady grove where for forty-seven years they remained undisturbed. No monument can be half so imposing as were those little clumps of sod; and one of the most touching features of "New Market Day" is gone with the graves. tJohn Clinedinst is to-day one of the most respected citizens of New Market, and was recently mayor of the town. Clinedinst, the artist, who painted the picture of the battle of New Market, is his kinsman. 54 Battle of New Market "My name was Eliza Catherine Clinedinst in May, 1864, and I was about twenty-five years old. I was on the door steps of my mother's house when the artillery came thundering past. The cannonading was terrible. I was always an ardent Confederate and cheered the men when they dashed past into battle. General Breckinridge came in with the advance guard; the Yanks were at the lower end of town, and the bullets whistled past. I did not realize the danger till Breckinridge and his men went over and got in behind the buildings out of the range of the bullets. I stood my ground till they carried in a wounded soldier whose red blood dripped over the pavement. I then ran down to the battlefield to help with the wounded they were carrying into the home of old Dr. Price, just below the old church. I did not know the cadets at this time. All were suffering men to me, and I did what I could to relieve them. I remember more what others did, than what I did, but I was the only woman down there, and the pitiful sight even now brings tears to my eyes. We had such a cold rain, and the men lying on the floor were shivering with chills and crying 'water, water.' I had a fire made in the fireplace and remained there till late in the evening. When I started home I met the cadets coming into town ; the first I ever saw of them. They went home with me to get something to eat and dry their clothes. Our old home was open for them and we made beds for them and did all we could for their comfort. I wonder if any one alive now recalls that day? So many tales are written about the battle, and some of them are not correct. It has been much overrated what I did. I did not carry a wounded cadet from the field, as the papers said I did, but I surely would if I had been down where they fell. I often go down to the old Bushong and Hupp homes, where they fell. It is a sacred spot to me, and dear old Betsy Ann Bushong has long since passed away, and there are now left none with whom I may talk over the events of that eventful day when the boy soldiers came from the Virginia Military Institute to give up their young lives for us. Alas, we will never see their like again. "I do not remember many of the names of the cadets that came to us, but it seems that nearly all the old battalion were there. Moses Ezekiel carried his wounded comrade, Thomas Battle of New Market 55 Garland Jefferson of Amelia County, Va., from the field. He fell near the old Hupp House and was wounded in the stomach. The bullet that was cut out of Jefferson's back I have now. Dr. Russell Meem cut it out. When they carried young Jeffer- son in to my dear, good old mother's home she gave him her bed. We were much crowded by the other soldiers. Some of the 62d were there. When we laid Jefferson down, he looked at me and said : 'Sister, what a good soft bed.' He lingered in much pain till he died, Wednesday morning. May i8th, and he was conscious of his condition, for he called Ezekiel to read to him the beautiful chapter: 'In My Father's House are many man- sions. Let not your heart be troubled. I go to prepare a place for you.' "A while before he died he called : 'Duncan, come and light a candle, it is growing dark.' " It might be proper to add here that Cadet Thomas Garland Jefferson was born January i, 1847, and was therefore seventeen years, four months and two weeks old at the time of his death. When he was wounded two of his comrades fell out of ranks to run to his aid. In words which should be made immortal the stricken youth said to them: "You can do nothing for me; go to the front ; there is the place for you !" From the field he was conveyed by his comrades to the field hospital near the Hupp House, and from thence the next day to the residence of Mrs. Clinedinst, where he expired in the arms of his fair young nurse. At the commencement following the occasion of the unveiling and dedication of the "New Market Monument" at the Insti- tute, the survivors of the Battle Corps were presented by the V. M. I. Alumni Association with handsome bronze medals of honor; and one was presented by the survivors of the Battle Corps to Mrs. Crim, which she now wears with the utmost pride. Breckinridge won a splendid victory at New Market, and the news which Lee, locked in the death-grapple with Grant in the Wilderness, received the morning after the battle was most com- forting to him, for the success which had been attained in the Valley rendered his flank safe, and saved his granary for the time being. 56 Battle of New Market The i6th and 17th of May were devoted to caring for the wounded, the Corps of Cadets going into camp in some woods just below the town and north of the pike. On the i6th, the Commandant received an order from General Breckinridge to report to General Imboden, with the request on the part of General Breckinridge that the Corps be relieved from further duty at that time, and be ordered back to the Institute.* The circumstances of General Imboden's situation were such, however, as to render its detention for a time necessary. "Headquarters, Valley District, "New Market, Va., May 16, 1864. "Colonel — I am directed by Major-General Breckinridge to convey, in parting with the Corps of Cadets, to you and to them, his thanks for the important services you have rendered. He desires also to express his admiration for their meritorious conduct, as exhibited in their soldierly bearing on the march, and their distinguished gallantry on the field. "With sentiments of high personal regard, I am, Colonel, "Very respectfully, "Your obedient servant, "J. Stoddard Johnston, "Major, and Acting Adjutant-General. "Lieutenant-Colonel Scott Shipp, "Commanding Corps of Cadets. "Headquarters, Valley District, "New Market, Va., May 16, 1864. "(Circular). "An approximate return of Killed and Wounded and a summary field return, showing total effective and aggregate present, will be made out and forwarded to these headquarters immediately. "By command of Major-General Breckinridge, "J. Stoddard Johnston, "Acting Adjutant-General. "Lieutenant-Colonel Scott Shipp, "Commandant." "Headquarters First Brigade, "Rude's Hill, May 16, 1864. 'Dear Colonel— I have directed Captain Catlett to call upon you for a report of the operations of your command on yesterday in the battle of possMaiin ^°' ^' '^®''*«''»'''«"- "^""sy District. Original in General Shipp 's Battle of New Market 57 New Market. I cannot refrain, Colonel, in this unofficial manner, from expressing my high admiration of the conduct of your noble boys in the fierce conflict of yesterday, and my deep sympathy with you all on account of the many casualties which, I understand, you will have to record. I shall always be proud to have had you and your Corps under my com- mand; no man ever led a more gallant band. Nobly have you illustrated the history of your State, and the great institution which you have repre- sented. "I am, Colonel, most truly, "John Echols, "Brigadier-General. "Lieutenant-Colonel Scott Shipp, "Commanding Corps of Cadets.'' On the i8th, the Superintendent telegraphed Brigadier-Gen- eral Imboden as follows : "Cadets are ordered to Richmond. Move them on to Staunton tomor- row."* That same day, the following orders were published : "Headquarters Valley District, Staunton, Va., May 16, 1864. "General Orders No. 4. "The Major-General Commanding takes pleasure in communicating to the troops of his command the following dispatch from General Lee in which he tenders thanks due only to them. 'Spotsylvania C. H., May 16, 1864. 'General J. C. Breckinridge, 'I offer you the thanks of this Army for your victory over General Sigel. 'R. E. Lee.' "To receive such a testimonial from such a source will be grateful to the hearts of every true soldier. "By command of Major General Breckinridge. "J. Stoddard Johnston, "A. A. General."t The morning of the 19th, the Commandant received the follow- ing communication : ^Original in General Shipp'B poBseBsion. tSame. 58 Battle of New Market "Headquarters Valley District, "May 19, 1864. "Col. Shipp, Commanding, "Corps Cadets, Col. — I enclose you a dispatch received at a late hour last night. It explains itself. You will proceed to Staunton, without delay, and report to Gen. F. H. Smith. "With sincerest good wishes for the future success and safety of the Corps of gallant youths under your command, and of yourself, personally, I am, Col., very truly, "Yours, "J. D. Imboden, "Brig. Gen'l."* "That day, we started on our return march up the Valley, crest- fallen and dejected. The joy of victory was forgotten in distress for the friends and comrades dead and maimed. We were still young in the ghastly game, but we proved apt scholars. On our march up the Valley, we were not hailed as sorrwing friends, but greeted as heroes and victors. At Harrisonburg, Staunton, Charlottesville — everywhere, an ovation awaited us, such as we did not dream of, and such as has seldom greeted any troops. The dead, and poor fellows tossing on cots of fever and delirium, were almost forgotten by the selfish comrades whose fame their blood had bought."t The Corps marched into Harrisonburg on the 2oth, where some of the more seriously wounded Cadets were placed in the hospi- tal, and arrived at Staunton on the 2ist. The night before its arrival the Commandant received the following communication: "Hqrs., Va. Mil. Inst., "Staunton, Va., May 20, 1864. "Lt.-Col. Scott Shipp, "Com'd of Cadets. "Col. — Your dispatch of this date is just received. I regret to learn that the shoes are worthless. If the Scotch shoes can be had here, I will buy as many as may be required. Anticipating the need of socks, I have with me 10 dozen pairs, and have ordered 20 dozen more to meet the cadets in Richmond. I had also telegraphed the Adj .-General to have 100 pr. pants ready in Richmond to meet the wants of the most destitute. I first tried to get them here, but the order of the Q. M. General was required. *Froin the original in General Shipp 's possession. tBnd of on Bra, J. S. Wise. Battle of New Market 59 "The cadets will move on by train on Sunday morning (22d). The battery and horses will go with the cadets. I am expecting our subsistence stores to-morrow. I made requisition for the Enfield Rifles, but not to he had. I will renew the requisition in Richmond. "The cadets will be engaged in guarding one of the main approaches to the city. I shall endeavor to get the Brook Turnpike, or Meadow Bridge, or Mechanicsville Road. "I have ordered Col. Gilham to proceed at once to Lexington, and have the clothes of the cadets carefully collected and placed in charge of Capt. Semmes whom I have ordered to take them by packet to Richmond Sunday evening, so as to meet us there. "The ladies have provided most sumptuous repasts for the cadets. I should desire you to arrange your entrance into town not earlier than 9 A. M. I have selected for camp ground the hill immediately above the Depot, the same ground occupied by Echols's Brigade. "I send you the battle flag, which I had ordered three weeks ago, and which only arrived at Lexington Friday. "I will attend to your trunk. "I remain, Col., very resp., "Francis H. Smith, "Major-General."t According to a report of the Superintendent, fully one-third of the Corps was practically barefooted upon reaching Staunton. On the 19th, he dispatched Captain T. M. Semmes to Lexington to pack up the effects of the officers and cadets and to convey them with a supply of Quartermaster and Subsistence stores to Richmond.* Upon the arrival of the Corps, the following order was pub- lished : "Headquarters, Virginia Military Institute, "Staunton, May 21, 1864. "General Orders, "No. 19. "L The Superintendent communicates the following dispatch received from the Adjutant-General : 'Richmond, Va., May 16, 1864. 'Major-Gen'al F. H. Smith. 'March the cadets to Richmond and report to Secretary of War.' '(Copy of his letter of to-day to the Governor.) 'The signal victory just achieved by General Breckinridge in the Valley culminated in the retreat of the enemy's forces that lately threatened tFrom ori^nal. *S. O. No. 121, V. M. I., Staunton, Va., May 19, 1864. 6o Battle of New Market along the line of the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad, and relieved forces acting as reserves in that quarter, while, on the other hand, all reserve forces at command would be entirely serviceable in strengthening our defense and enabling us to send veteran troops to the battlefield. Under these circumstances I have thought the gallant Corps of Cadets at the Institute might be most advantageously summoned here. Where else could they more appropriately signalize their valor and patriotism than in the defense of the Capital of their native State. I, therefore, venture on the suggestion and make the request, that they may be called here to aid in defense of the Capital, and within the entrenchments, or in guard- ing some of our most important lines of communication, as circumstances may require. 'J. A. Seddon, 'Secretary of War, 'By command of W. H. Richardson, 'Adjutant-General.' "11. As soon as the command can reach Staunton, and transportation can be furnished, the Infantry Battalion and Section of Artillery of the Corps of Cadets will be moved to Richmond. "III. Two days' cooked rations will be taken. "IV. Subsistence stores have been brought from the Institute to accom- pany the command. "V. The wagons, ambulance and unnecessary servants will be relieved, and ordered back to Lexington. "VI. Surgeon Madison will remain with the wounded and sick cadets and see that they are properly cared for. Supplies are left in Staunton to meet their wants. "VII. The Superintendent has no words to express his sense of the gallant conduct of the Corps of Cadets in the decisive but sanguine battle of New Market on the 15th inst. "The patriotic heart of the Commonwealth and Confederacy respond with proud and grateful emotion at the fortitude, courage and gallant bearing of these brave sons of the South. "We have to mourn the loss of the dead — but the names of Cabell, Stanard, Jones, Crockett, McDowell and Jefferson (Atwill, Wheelwright and Haynes had not yet died), will be honored among the most valued heroes of this eventful struggle, and the scarred bodies of the wounded will be trophies of valor and patriotism of which the Virginia Military Institute will ever be proud. The Superintendent would return his thanks to Lt.-Col. Shipp, and all the Officers and Cadets, for their conduct in this trying service. "By command, Major-Gen'l F. H. Smith, "J. H. Morrison, "A. A., V. M. Inst." Battle of New Market 6i Sunday the 226., after a triumphant entry into Staunton, and the most tremendous ovation the Corps had ever received, the BattaHon and Section of Artillery with the impressed Rockbridge horses, entrained for Richmond, under the orders of the Secre- tary of War. In the meantime, Breckinridge's command had been transferred to the North Anna, where Lee found it upon arriving there on the 22d. The battle of Yellow Tavern had been fought between Sheridan and Stuart on the loth, and, while the former did not succeed in reaching Richmond, it was only by the merest chance that the Confederate cavalry, with the loss of the heroic Stuart, drove him back after he had carried the outer works. At this time, there were few troops to guard the extended lines about Richmond, and the constant threats of Sheri- dan's cavalry upon the works north of the city made it impera- tive to order the cadets to Richmond to assist at this critical juncture in manning the works. They were not merely ordered there to be decorated with laurels as seems to be believed by some. "We were ordered to Richmond. All our sadness disappeared. What mattered it to us that we were packed into freight cars; it was great sport riding on the tops of the cars. We were side- tracked at Ashland, and there, lying on the ground by the side of us, was Stonewall Jackson's division. We had heard of them and looked upon them as the greatest soldiers that ever went into battle. What flattered us most was that they had heard of us. While waiting at Ashland a very distinguished-looking surgeon entered the car, enquiring for some cadet. He was just returning from the battlefield of Spotsylvania. I heard with absorbed interest his account of the terrible carnage there, and when he said he had seen a small tree within the 'bloody angle' cut down by the bullets, I turned to Louis and said, 'I think that old fellow is drawing a long bow.' The person speaking was Dr. Charles Macgill. I afterwards learned that what he said was literally true. At the moment, when we were lying there at Ashland, the Armies of Grant and Lee, moving by the flank, were passing, the one about us, the other within a few miles of us, from the battlefields of Spotsylvania Court House and Milford Station to their ghastly field at Second Cold Harbor. We could distinctly hear the firing 62 Battle of New Market in our front. We reached Richmond that afternoon, and were quartered in one of the buildings of the Fair Grounds, known as 'Camp Lee.' It is impossible to describe the enthusiasm with which we were received. "A week after the battle of New Market, the Cadet Corps, garlanded, cheered by ten thousand throats, intoxicated with praise unstinted, wheeled proudly around the Washington Monu- ment at Richmond, to pass in review before the President of the Confederate States, to hear a speech of commendation from his lips, and to receive a stand of colors from the Governor of Virginia. "No wonder that our band, as we marched back to our quarters, played lustily : 'There's not a trade that's going Worth showing or knowing Like that from glory growing, For the bowld soldier boy. For to right or left you go, Sure you know, friend or foe, He is a bound to be a beau, Your bowld soldier boy.'" Crowds of people assembled all along the route to cheer the cadets, of whose prowess marvelous tales had spread over the State. On reaching Richmond late on the 23d, the Corps was ■met at the Virginia Central Depot by a great concourse of citizens. Orders were there received directing the Commandant to march his command to Camp Lee. The day of its arrival, the Second Congress of the Confederate States of America passed a unani- mous resolution of thanks to the Corps of Cadets for its heroic services at New Market. The next morning the following order was published: "Hqrs., Va. Mil. Institute, "Richmond, May 24, 1864. "Special Orders, "No. 122. "The Corps of Cadets will be reviewed this afternoon on the Capitol Square by His Excellency, the President of- the Confederate States, in the presence of the Governor of the State, and the Secretary of War. Battle of New Market 63 "The Battalion of Infantry and Section of Artillery will be formed, accordingly, and marched to the Capitol, subject to the orders of the Governor." Upon reaching the Capitol, the President delivered a stirring address to the Corps, referring to its conduct at New Market as one of the most heroic deeds in the annals of war. Using the incident as one of special appeal to the people of the South at large, in the dark hour which had come upon them, when every encouraging example was of value in bestirring them to make even greater sacrifices than they had already made, he concluded by thanking the cadets in the name of the Confederate States of America. Governor Smith then presented the Corps with a handsome stand of colors, and, after expressing the hope that they would be borne as worthily as had the old ones, he thanked the Corps in the name of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The next day, the Commandant received the following letter : "House of Representatives, "Confederate States Congress, "May 25, 1864. "Colonel Scott Shipp, "Commandant of Cadets. "Sir — The House of Representatives has passed a Resolution in re- lation to the participation of the Corps of Cadets in the victory over Sigel, gained by our forces near New Market, on the fifteenth instant, and I have been requested to communicate this Resolution to you. "Had I known that you would have been in the city yesterday I would have availed myself of the opportunity to perform that duty. Please let me know when the Corps will be again in the City. "Very truly and respectfully, "Thomas S. Bocock, "Speaker, House of Representatives." Accordingly, arrangements were at once made for the reappearance of the Corps at the Capitol on the 28th, when Mr. Speaker Bocock of the Confederate House of Representatives, publicly communicated to the Corps the Resolution of Congress in the presence of the Senate and the House assembled. 5". 0. No. 121, A. and I. G. O., Richmond, Va., May 25, 1864, directed the Commandant to report to Major-General Ransom, 64 Battle of New Market Commanding the Department of Richmond, for assignment to duty with Brigadier-General G. W. C. Lee, commanding the Local Defense Troops of Richmond. On the 26th, General Ransom requested General Lee (no doubt upon the solicitation of the Superintendent) to have the Corps ordered into Camp on the Brooke Turnpike, until further orders.* It was not, however, until the 28th, in order that the ceremony narrated might be held, that the Corps left Camp Lee, moving into its new Camp on Carter's farm on the intermediate line midway between the Brooke and Meadow Bridge Roads.f On the 26th, it had been announced by 5". 0. No. 123, V. M. I., that all Assistant Professors assigned to duty as Tactical Officers would thereafter hold the rank of Captain. The annual examina- tions were postponed indefinitely, all charges against the cadets for the period of their absence from the Institute in the field were remitted, and July 4th was fixed as the date for the gradu- ation of the First Class. The Corps was now acting under the immediate orders of the Confederate States of America, and the position of the Com- mandant as a tactical commander was an anomalous one. On the 31st, however, the Superintendent secured from the Secre- tary of War the promise of an order turning the Corps over to the State Authorities, and on the 4th, 5. O. No. 130, A. and I. G. 0., directed that the 23 horses which had been impressed in Lexington for gun and caisson teams be returned to their owners forthwith. J To carry this order into execution, the Superin- tendent directed that Captain T. M. Semmes should proceed at once to Lexington with the Section of Artillery, the horses, and all surplus baggage, via the Danville and Southside Railroads as far as Lynchburg. While the Corps was in camp on Carter's farm, the President took occasion to appoint three cadets from Mississippi, Watson, * "Hd. Qrs. Dept. Richmond, "May 26, 1864. "General — ^The Major-General Comd'g desires you to have the Corps of Cadets camped on the Brooke Turnpike until further orders. "^'Tours very resp'y, "T. O. Ohestney, "A. A. G."** tEehellion Records, Series 1, Vol. XXXVII, part I, p. 752. JReport of Lieutenant-Colonel Scott Shipp, July 4, 1864, including report of battle. Rebel lion Records, Series 1, Vol. XXXVII, part I, p. 91. **From original in posseBSion of General Shipp. Battle of New Market 65 McConnico, and Greer, under the authority conferred upon him by Congress. On June 2d, the Corps, upon the request of his father, and under the authority of the Department Commander, furnished a funeral escort for the remains of Lieutenant Peyton Johnston, Jr., of the Richmond Fayette Artillery, a graduate of the Institute, who was killed at Cold Harbor. But while posted in the works, and performing regular field service as a part of the line of defense, no active duty was required of the cadets, for Lee had successfully interposed between Grant and Richmond, and Sheri- dan had been driven off to the flanks of the Federal Army. Nevertheless, the service they performed at this time was most important, and comprised their seventh tour of duty in the field. "Hqrs., Va. Mil. Inst., "Richmond, June 6, 1864. "Lt.-Col. S. Shipp, Comd't of Cadets. "Colonel — General Bragg informed me last night that our forces had been badly whipped below Staunton (Piedmont), General W. E. Jones being killed. The command now devolves upon General A. J. Vaughan (V. M. I., 'SI) who commands a Tennessee brigade of infantry. He has fallen back upon Staunton, and, it was apprehended, would not be able to hold it. "General Bragg informed me that troops would be immediately for- warded to drive them. It is possible the order may embrace the Corps of Cadets, but do not know this, and I feel it to be my duty to give you this information that you may be in readiness for a move. "Governor Smith is of opinion that the cadets should be immediately sent back, that the public property at Lexington may be protected. The order will be of no avail unless suitable reinforcements are sent. "I send by Cadet Clarkson 6 gross of Cadet buttons, which the Q'r. M'r. can issue to those needing them, etc. "I remain, Col., very resp't. "F. H. Smith, "Supt." "CONFIDENTIAL" "Head Quarters, "Va. Mil. Institute, "Lt.-Col. S. Shipp, "Richmond, June 6, 1864. Com'd of Cadets. "Colonel — I enclose you an order from General Bragg, which is made after arrangements had been made for reinforcements to be sent to the Valley. 66 Battle of New Market "These reinforcements will consist of Breckinridge's division, which will move to South Anna Bridge, then march to Beaver Dam and there take cars. "If command can be moved in by S to take the train to Lynchburg this evening, it will be important to do so, and I will endeavor to send trans- portation for you. "I remain. Colonel, very resp't, "F. H. Smith, "Supt. "You will have to notify the Q'r. M'r. here immediately, that he may make arrangements for the cars. "F. H. S."* "Adjutant-GenVs Office, Richmond, June 6, 1864. "Major-General F. H. Smith, "Supt. Va. Mil. Institute, "General — The Corps of Cadets having been by order of the President turned over to the State Authority and the movements of the enemy appearing to involve the safety of the Institute, and other public prop- erty, at Lexington, the Governor directs that you cause the Corps to be returned to the Institute by railroad, via Lynchburg, or other route if found more practicable. "The Governor approves the order of Ex-Governor Letcher of 4th September, 1863, and adopts it, so far as at present applicable. "Should the public property at the Institute be found unmolested, and practicable to be reached and defended, you will adopt proper measures for that purpose. "In the event of difficulty, or peril, in making that defence except by co-operation with the troops of the Confederate Government, it will be needful to afford the co-operation, at least to such an extent as the security of the Military Institute may require, of which you must of necessity be the judge. Bearing in mind, however, always, that the Corps be not further exposed in battle than absolute necessity may require. "By command, "Wm. H. Richardson, "Adj't-Gen'l." The Commandant lost no time in making his preparations for the move, and leaving Richmond the morning of the 7th, arrived in Lynchburg at 1 1 P. M. on the 8th. Proceeding immediately from that point by canal boat to Lexington, the Corps reached the Insti- tute at 3 P. M. on the 9th, after an absence of one month, lacking *Originals o'f foregoing letters in possession of General Shipp. Battle of New Market 67 two days. During the 28 days of its absence, the Corps had marched from Lexington to New Market, 85 miles, in 5 days; fought a battle in which it lost nearly a quarter of its members; marched from New Market to Staunton, 47 miles in 3 days, almost without shoes; moved to Richmond by rail; received the public thanks of the Confederate Congress, the President, and the Governor of Virginia, and a stand of colors; spent two weeks in the works of the intermediate line of defense; and returned to Lexington to save the Institute, if possible ; and actually com- ing under the enemy's fire within 48 hours after its arrival. 68 Battle of New Market Roster of the New Market Battalion of Cadets For a generation after the battle of New Market, it was im- possible to ascertain the names of all the cadets who were pres- ent on the battlefield, owing to the destruction of the official records upon which a list should have been based. Accordingly, the various rosters which were printed from time to time, were confessedly inaccurate and incomplete. About 1903, when plans were being made to erect at the Insti- tute a monument to the "New Market Corps of Cadets," the question arose as to what names should be inscribed upon the pedestal. Searching investigations were then undertaken by a committee of the alumni of the Virginia Military Institute act- ing jointly with the Superintendent. After some consideration, it was decided that the list to be drawn up should contain the names of all the cadets who were on the rolls of the Institute on May nth, the day upon which the march to New Market began. This would, to be sure, include the names of a few who were left behind on guard duty at the Institute, but it was felt that they had been subjected to an unavoidable hardship by the orders of their superiors, and that, under the circumstances, stand- ing guard at the Institute entitled them to share the honors which had been won by their comrades on the battlefield. After arduous toil the list was completed, and may now be regarded as the final and official Roster of the New Market Battalion of Cadets. The total number thus ascertained is 295, including field and staff and artillery detachment, and musicians. Deducting the three musicians, two of the staff on guard duty in the rear, nine cadets at the Institute, one away on furlough, and one absent on surgeon's certificate, there remains 279, which number may be taken as approximately the fighting strength of the Battalion.* Of these, 30 with the artillery, were separated from the main body, so that 249, at the highest, was probably the force which fought under Lieutenant-Colonel Shipp. *Por tWs information, as well as for the following lists, we are indebted to Mr. Jos. R. Anderson, Historiographer of the Virginia Military Institute. It has usually been said that the total number of cadets at New Market was about 250. Some writers have put it as low as 220. Battle of New Market 69 ROSTER OF THE CADET BATTALION, MAY 11, 1864 FIELD AND STAFF Lieutenant-Colonel Scott Shipp, Commanding. ♦Colonel R. L. Madison, Surgeon. Captain George Ross, Assistant Surgeon. ♦Captain J. C. Whitwell, Commissary and Quartermaster. *Cadet First Lieutenant Cary Weston, Adjutant. ♦Cadet Second Lieutenant J. W. Wyatt, Quartermaster. NON-COMMISSIONED STAFF Cadet Sergeant J. E. Woodbridge, Sergeant-Major. ♦Cadet Sergeant O. P. Evans, Color-Bearer. Cadet Sergeant G. A. Davenport, Quartermaster Sergeant. MUSICIANS ♦J. H. Crocken, Fife. ♦Richard Staples, Kettle Drum. ♦Jacob Marks, Bass Drum. COMPANY "A" Henry A. Wise, Senior Tactical Officer and Captain Commanding. C. H. Minge, Cadet Captain. ♦W. C. Hardy, Cadet First Lieutenant. ♦W. A. Morson, Cadet Second Lieutenant. E. M. Ross, Cadet First Sergeant. ♦W. B. Shaw, Cadet Second Sergeant. ♦W. T. Duncan, Cadet Third Sergeant. ♦J. T. Douglas, Cadet Fourth Sergeant. Hunter Wood, Cadet Fifth Sergeant. ♦Lawrence Royster, Cadet First Corporal. ♦G. K. Macon, Cadet Second Corporal. ♦R. L. Brockenbrough, Cadet Third Corporal. ♦S. F. Atwill, Cadet Fourtji Corporal. PRIVATES ♦Adams, R. A. *Butler, W. H. ♦Allen, Donald ♦Carmichael, John Anderson, C. J. ♦Cocke, P. St. G. ♦Ashley, C. G. ♦Corling, C. T. Bagnall, J. S. Cousins, R. H. ♦Binford, R. J. ♦Davis, J. A. Bowen, H. C. ♦Garrett, H. W. ♦Buster, W. D. ♦Goodykoontz, A. E. •Dead. 70 Battle of New Market Harrison, C. H. ♦Hayes, W. C. Hiden, P. B. Hill, J. M. Howard, J. C. Hubard, W. J. James, F. W. ♦Larrick, J. S. *Lewis, W. L. ♦McVeigh, Newton *Mallory, E. S. *Mead, H. J. Mohler, D. G. Morgan, P. H. ♦Page, F. W. *Payne, A. S. ♦Pendleton, R. A. Raum, G. E. ♦Seaborn, G. A. ♦Skaggs, S. B. ♦Smith, E. H. Smith, Jr., F. L. Spiller, George Spiller, W. H. ♦Temple, P. C. Thomson, A. P. ♦Watson, W. P. ♦White, T. W. White, W. H. Wimbish, L. W. ♦Wingfield, S. G. ♦Wood, H. T. ♦Wood, P. S. Wood, W. M. ♦Woodruff, Z. T. ♦Yarbrough, W. T. COMPANY "B" ♦Frank Preston, Tactical Officer and Captain Commanding. ♦Carlton Shafer, Cadet Captain. G. W. Gretter, Cadet First Lieutenant. ♦Levi Welch, Cadet Second Lieutenant. ♦A. Pizzini, Jr.. Cadet First Sergeant. H. W. Garrow, Cadet Thirdf Sergeant. ♦W. M. Patton, Cadet Fourth Sergeant. T. G. Hayes, Cadet First Corporal. ♦J. B. Jarratt, Cadet Second Corporal. ♦Patrick Henry, Cadet Third Corporal. B. W. Barton, Cadet Fourth Corporal. PRIVATES ♦Bayard, N. J. Bennett, W. G. ♦Bowen, W. B. ♦Bransford, J. F. Cabell, R. G. Carmichael, W. S. ♦Christian, E. D. Clarkson, J. H. ♦Cocke, J. L. ♦Cocke, W. R. C. Crank, J. T. ♦CuUen, Simon ♦Darden, J. D. ♦DiUard, J. L. Faulkner, C. J. Garrett, V. F. ♦Gibson, F. G. ♦Grasty, W. C. Hankins, M. O. ♦Happer, R. W. B. ♦Harris, W. O. ♦Hartsfield, A. C. Hawks, A. W. ♦Haynes, L. C. ♦Hundley, C. B. Hupp, R. C. ♦Jefferson, T. G. Johnson, Porter ♦Jones, T. W. ♦Kemp, Wyndham Lee, G. T. ♦Leftwich, A. H. *T)ead. tThe 2d Sergeant of this Company was 0. P. Evans, -who was the Oolor-Bearer at New Market in place of Oolor-Sergeant W. B. Shaw, absent on Surgeon's certificate. Battle of New Market 71 ♦Lewis, N. C. McCorkle, J. W. ♦McDowell, W. H. Mason, S. B. ♦Patton, J. R. ♦Penn, J. G. ♦Perry, W. E. S. ♦Phillips, S. T. Powell, J. J. A. Preston, J. B. Preston, T. W. Redwood, W. F. ♦Richeson, J. D. ♦Roane, John ♦Stacker, Clay ♦Stanard, J. B. Tabb, John ♦Tackett, J. F. Tardy, A. H. Taylor, J. E. Tunstall, R. B. ♦Turner, E. L. Veitch, Wilberforce ♦Walker, C. P. Washington, Lloyd Wesson, C. M. Wharton, J. E. ♦White, J. S. Whitehead, H. C. ♦Wilson, R. G. ♦Woodlief, P. W. COMPANY "C" A. Govan Hill, Tactical Officer and Captain Commanding. ♦S. S. Shriver, Cadet Captain. T. D. Davis, Cadet First Lieutenant. ♦A. Boggess, Cadet Second Lieutenant. ♦J. A. Stuart, Cadet First Sergeant. ♦L. C. Wise, Cadet Second Sergeant. ♦A. F. Redd, Cadet Third Sergeant. W. B. Martin, Cadet Fourth Sergeant. ♦H. H. Dinwiddie, Cadet First Corporal. ♦J. E. Wood, Cadet Second Corporal. J. G. James, Cadet Third Corporal. ♦R. Ridley, Cadet Fourth Corporal. Adams, S. B. ♦Blankman, J. S. ♦Blundon, R. M. Booth, S. W. Buffington, E. S. ♦Chalmers, W. M. ♦Crawford, W. B. ♦Crichton, J. A. Davis, A. J. ♦Davis, L. S. ♦Dunn, J. R. ♦Early, J. C. Ezekiel, M. J. Fry, H. W. ♦Fulton, C. M. Goode, H. L. ♦Goodwin, J. H. Harrison, W. L. Jones, W. S. PRIVATES ♦Lamb, W. K. ♦Langhorne, M. D. ♦Lee, R. F. McGavock, J. W. Martin, T. S. Maury, Reuben ♦Merritt, J. L. Minor, J. H. ♦Mitchell, S. T. Morson, A. A. Morson, J. B. ♦Noland, N. B. Overton, A. W. ♦Page, P. N. ♦Pendleton, W. W. Price, F. B. Randolph, C. C. ♦Read, C. H. ♦Ricketts, L. C. •Dead. 72 Battle of New Market Roller, P. W. *Taylor, W. C. Rose, G. M. *Thompson, K. Rutherford, T. M. *Tomes, F. J. ♦Shields, J. H. *Toms, A. C. Shriver, T. H. *Turner, C. W. ♦Slaughter, W. L. Upshur, J. N. Smith, C. H. *Walker, C. D. Smith, W. T. Waller, R. E. Tate, C. B. Walton, N. T. Taylor, B. D. *Wheelwright, J. C. ♦Taylor, Carrington *Wilson, D. C. B. (Afterwards D. 0. Barroud) "COMPANY "D" ♦Thomas B. Robinson, Tactical Officer and Captain Commanding. B. A. Colonna, Cadet Captain. *J. F. Hanna, Cadet First Lieutenant. F. W. Claybrook, Cadet Second Lieutenant. ♦W. H. Cabell, Cadet First Sergeant. ♦William Nelson, Cadet Second Sergeant. ♦J. R. Echols, Cadet Third Sergeant. C. M. Etheredge, Cadet Fourth Sergeant. O. A. Glazebrook, Cadet First Corporal. ♦Alfred Marshall, Cadet Second Corporal. ♦John S. Wise, Cadet Third Corporal. ♦J. R. Triplett, Cadet Fourth Corporal. PRIVATES ♦Akers, R. C. ♦Hannah, J. S. Alexander, W. K. Harvie, J. B. Arbuckle, A. A. Harvie, J. S. ♦Barney, W. H. Horsley, John Baylor, J. B. *Imboden, J. P. ♦Beattie, W. F. ♦Johnson, F. S. ♦Berkeley, Edmund ♦Jones, H. J. ♦Brown, J. A. ♦Kennedy, W. H. ♦Clark, G. B. ♦King, D. P. ♦Clendinen, T. R. Kirk, W. M. Cocke, Preston ♦Knight, E. C. Coleman, J. J. Lee, F. T. ♦Corbin, J. P. Letcher, S. H. ♦Crenshaw, S. D. ♦Locke, R. N. ♦Crews, B. S. ♦Lowry, T. S. ♦Crockett, C. G. Lumsden, W. J. ♦Crockett, H. S. McClung, T. W. Dickinson, J. L ♦Marks, C. H. ♦Dillard, William ♦Marshall, Martin Eubank, W. M. ♦Moorman, E. S. ♦Garnett, G. T. Nalle, G. B. W. Gray, J. B. Phelps, T. K. ♦Ham lin, E. L. ♦Peirce, D. S. •Dead. Battle of New Market 'jz ♦Radford, W. N. Venable, W. L. *Reid, J. J. *Ward, G. W. *ReveIey, G. F. Webb, J. S. Sowers, J. F. * Well ford, C. E. *Stuart, Jr., A. H. H. *White, R. J. *Tunstall, J. L. Witt, J. E. Tutwiler, E. M. Wood, M. B. CASUALTIES KILLED Cadet W. H. Cabell, Va., 2d Class, 1st Sergeant, D Company. Cadet C. G. Crockett, Va., 4th Class, Private, D Company. Cadet H. J. Jones, Va., 4th Class, Private, D Company. Cadet W. H. McDowell, N. C, 4th Class, Private, B Company. Cadet J. B. Stanard, Va., 4th Class, Private, B Company. MORTALLY WOUNDED Cadet S. F. Atwill, Va., 3d Class, Corporal, A Company. Cadet T. G. Jefferson, Va., 4th Class, Private, B Company. Cadet L. C. Haynes, Va., 4th Class, Private, B Company, t Cadet J. C. Wheelwright, Va., 4th Class, Private, C Company. WOUNDED Lieutenant-Colonel Scott Shipp, Commanding Battalion of Cadets. Captain A. G. Hill, Tactical Officer, Commanding C Company. Cadet S. S. Shriver, Va., 1st Class, Cadet Captain, C Company. Cadet Andrew Pizzini, Jr., Va., 2d Class, 1st Sergeant, B Company. Cadet J. A. Stuart, Va., 2d Class, 1st Sergeant, C Company. Cadet L. C. Wise, Va., 2d Class, Sergeant, C Company. Cadet H. W. Garrow, Ala., 2d Class, Sergeant, B Company. Cadet G. K. Macon, Va., 3d Class, Corporal, A Company. Cadet J. R. Triplett, Va., 3d Class, Corporal, D Company. Cadet J. S. Wise, Va., 3d Class, Corporal, D Company. Cadet Edmund Berkley, Va., 4th Class, Private, D Company. Cadet J. F. Bransford, Va., 4th Class, Private, B Company. Cadet W. D. Buster, Va., 3d Class, Private, A Company. Cadet E. D. Christian, Va., 4th Class, Private, B Company. Cadet Preston Cocke, Va., 4th Class, Private, D Company. Cadet C. T. Corling, Va., 4th Class, Private, A Company. Cadet J. D. Darden, Va., 4th Class, Private, B Company. Cadet J. I. Dickinson, Va., 4th Class, Private, D Company. Cadet William Dillard, Va., 4th Class, Private, D Company. Cadet G. T. Garnett, Va., 4th Class, Private, D Company. *Dead. tDied of wounde one month alter the battle. 74 Battle of New Market Cadet F. G. Gibson, W. Va., 4th Class, Private, B Company. Cadet J. H. Goodwin, Va., 4th Class, Private, C Company. Cadet W. O. Harris, Va., 4th Class, Private, B Company. Cadet C. H. Harrison, Va., 4th Class, Private, A Company. Cadet A. C. Hartsfield, N. C, 3d Class, Private, B Company. Cadet J. C. Howard, Va., 4th Class, Private, A Company. Cadet J. P. Imboden, Va., 4th Class, Private, D Company. Cadet Porter Johnson, W. Va., 4th Class, Private, B Company. Cadet W. S. Jones, Va., 4th Class, Private, C Company. Cadet Martin Marshall, Miss., 4th Class, Private, D Company. Cadet H. J. Mead, Va., 3d Class, Private, A Company. Cadet J. L. Merritt, Va., 4th Class, Private, C Company. Cadet E. S. Moorman, Va., 4th Class, Private, D Company. Cadet R. A. Pendleton, Va., 4th Class, Private, A Company. Cadet S. T. Phillips, Va., 4th Class, Private, B Company. Cadet D. S. Peirce, Va., 3d Class, Private, D Company. Cadet C. C. Randolph, Va., 4th Class, Private, C Company. Cadet C. H. Read, Jr., Va., 4th Class, Private, C Company. Cadet C. H. Smith, Va., 4th Class, Private, C Company. Cadet E. H. Smith, Va., 4th Class, Private, A Company. Cadet F. L. Smith, Jr., Va., 4th Class, Private, A Company. Cadet George Spiller, Va., 3d Class, Private, A Company. Cadet J. N. Upshur, Va., 4th Class, Private, C Company. Cadet C. D. Walker, Va., 4th Class, Private, C Company. Cadet W. P. Watson, N. C, 4th Class, Private, A Company. Cadet T. W. White, Va., 4th Class, Private, D Company. Cadet H. C. Whitehead, Va., 3d Class, Private, B Company. Cadet P. W. Woodlief, Jr., La., 4th Class, Private, B Company. RECAPITULATION Killed S Mortally wounded 4 Wounded 48* 57 Estimated strength of Battalion at New Market.. 279 Loss in battle 57 Percentage of loss 20 P. C. *Some of these were crippled for life, tiotably Martin Marshall, T. W. White. F. G. Gibson, 0. C. Randolph, and 0. D. Walker. -