The National tribune., 1882-05-06
BOYS IN BATTLE.

BOYS IN BATTLE.
The mere fact Of soldiers going into battle
and being killed and one side suffering a
defeat had become so common thing by the
spring of 1854 rs hardly to make a special
reference to such an event Of importance.
The peculiar feature that gave especial in
terest 10 the battle of New Market was the
part taken in it by the boys Of the Virginia
Military Institute at Lexington. "The era
Gle aud the grave had by that time supplied
some recruits to every regiment in the con-
iederate service, but it was reserved for the
battle Of New Market to be fought in part,
and in a great part won, by a battalion num-
bering about two hundred and fifty, COM
posed entirely OF boys with the exception of
a few officers.
When we remember that for many years
"Stonewall' - Jackson was professor in the
Military Institute, it win not be surprising
that the eieves of that institute bore a con-
spicuous part among the confederate forces,
especially those of Virginia. The record is
one of which the institute and the State, as
well as It's excellent founder and superin-
tendent, General T. II. Smith, may well be
proud. o. the eleves of the institute one
hundred and seventy were killed or died in
the service, and these largely from prominent
families Of the State. 1t furnished to the
confederate army several distinguished major
and brigadier- generals. OF these one hun
dred and seventy died in the service. Eight
were boys killed in the battle of New Market.
As l have said, from q slight eminence
the whole progress Of this fight could be
seen like a moving panorama. About mid
day I saw these lads go in. I could see the
shot and shell plowing through their ranks
rs with absolute staanchness they pressed
the foe from "the 60" There was no talter--
ing, they went right ahead, and when their
commanding officer, Maj. Shipp, fell wound
ed they were so well handled by their senior
captain. being the honored name Of Henry
A. Wise, assistant professor, that they went
On their victorious course with the steadiness
ofveterans aud the enthusiasm of volunteers.
The order of battle was in two lines; that of
which the battalion of boys formed part
was the second, held in reserve to spare the
boys: but as the line in front, suffering from
a CALLING fire. showed some signs Of wayer-
ing, the second lino, including the boys, came
up with them under a heavy fire of grape
and canister and musketry. A general ad-
vance Of the whole line was then made which
resulted in the complete Tout of the enemy.
Gen. Breckinridge acknowledged the great
service Of this juvenile corps. He said in his
report: That his small force made ii neces-
sary to use this young battalion, and had he
not used them very freely the result might
have been very different" TO those who
witnessed their splendid bearing and un-
swerving advance when veterans laltered,
this was evidently not merely the language
Of compliment.
But the sad part was to come. There was
no such touching scene during the war as
when eight Of these two hundred and fifty
boys were brought dead or dying from the
field, and forty-eight others more or less
mangled by shot and shell. The writer
recalls l,neeling by one little fellow whose
head ball had pierced. l had known him
before; he was fair, ruddy boy and did not
4ODh oNCi CliAi ICCli Vi lDuIltSn years Oit. lie
opened his large brown eyes and asked him
/ if he recognized the lady who was with me;
he gave some sign Of recognition. Fortu-
nately the ball had not injured the BRAIN as
we thought, and he recovered to become
| afterward an hOnored minister Of the gospel
in the Episcopal Church. There was no chap
lain present to perform the last rites over
these boys, who had been nurtured in Chris
tian homes. Under the circumstances the
writer thought it no presumption to read
over them the burial service Of the prayer
! book. The book then used, battered by four
years of war usage, is now kept among the
mementoes Of the war at the institute Since
| their temporary burial all the bodies have
| been removed, mostly to the burying ground
Of the institute, where they await the reyeille
OF the resurrection morn, in the reasonable
religious, and comfortable hope of joyful
resurrection -FhaGdelphia Times.