The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-06-21

l this story of some two hundred and twen- ey-five boys. under eighteen, participating in sanguinary and hard-fought battle. where the service they rendered was so timely and effective that 1t materially contributed to the fortunes of the day. Tn the month of May. 1864, three battles were fought on the soil of Virginia. Two were on the eastern side of the Blue Ridge mountains and one in the famous valley of the Shenandoah, where still walked the wrath of stonewaI Jackson, dead at | Charlottesville the May previous. The gigantic conflicts of the Wilderness and Spotsylvania Courthouse, May to ' and May to IS. which fill so large space on the canvas of one of the worlds great est wars, would inevitably throw into the shade the small battle in the valley, but for the romantic circumstances that on the Confederate side it was partly fought | by the cadets of the Virginia Military h. stitute. But the battle of New Market was in Itself no insignificant factor In the defense of Virginia and the protection of the Confederate capital
 The federal general, Sigel, who had es- tabllshed himself at Winchester in April, had q force of about 5000 infantry, 2bOO cavalry and three or four field batteries and was making ready for a forward movement. To meet him, General Imboden | of the Confederate cavalry, who was In camp in Rockingham county, over sev- enty miles from Winchester, advanced | with force of 1492 men and 100 scouts, who operated in Sgel's front and rear. l The reserves of Rockingham and Au- gusta counties, about 1000 men, were mo- tified to be ready at moments warning to join Imboden, and the same order was sent to Lexington, in Rockbridge county, to the commandant of the Virginia Mill tary Institute. Imboden's skllful tactics gained him a respite of several days, which enabled General BrecSlnridge to reach him from Southwest Virginia with 2600 veteran troops. Breckinridge then took command, and the battle of New Market was fought on the 18th of May. The scene of the conflict, little village with a population of one thousand souls, nestled between the mountains and the river in Shenandoah county, It's undulat- ing ground smiling with orchards and gardens and fertile fields of grain.
 The cadets left the institute on May Il. They were up before daybreak making their preparations, and after an early breakfast were on the march. With the ardor of youth they went joyfully to the fray. One of them ten years later, recall ed the sensations of the hour 'as the 1 most Joyous moment of his life" The boys in their gayety and exuberant spir- it's shouted and sang and whistled as they swung along, all of them Joining, now and then. in the chorus of some fav- orite air. Arrived at Staunton, they had yet forty miles to make before reaching New Market. It proved a long and toll some march altogether, of four days dur
 
 fields and muddy roads. But the battle day dawned bright and beautiful, though | a terrific thunder storm came later, ming ling it's terrors and grandeur with the | thunder of the guns. The boy battalion | on their arrival were quickly in line, hay- Ing been assigned to a central position so as to be as little exposed as possible. The gallant Kentuckian in command, gentle and brave, and one of the hand somest men to be found in either army on whom had fallen the mantle and with it the spirit of Stonewall Jackson. looked tenderly upon the youths, called from their studies to face a field of battle, and would fain have spared them the fiery ordeal
 Riding up to the cadet corps just be- fore the engagement, his graceful and commanding figure a conspicuous object on the field. General Breckinridge said: Young gentlemen, I hope will not have l to call upon you today, but I know If l should be obliged to do so that you will do your duty" And nobly did they re- spond to this expectation The battle was progressing successfully for the con federates though stubbornly contested by the Union forces, when a terrible fire met Breckinridge from one of Sigels bat teries, which was on elevated ground, coing much damage to the confederate ! infantry. It was then at about oclock i In the day that the cadets were called Into action, though they had already suf- fered several casualties from random shells. The boys. with the agility and | enthusiasm of their years, outran the veterans who were alongside of them. crossing a deep and rocky gully about 200 yards from the battery, undac the con- | centrated fire of It's six guns plunging | through thorns and briers and over fallen logs and stumps of trees. Then they waited for the Sxty-second Virginia reg iment some two or three minutes. keep Ing their formation with wonderful cool ness while the battery was doing iSs deadly work upon their youthful ranks. When the order was given to charge the encounter was soon over though the run ners stood gallantly to heir guns bntil | overpowered. A cadet moun>ed a calsson and waived from 1t in triumph the Vir- ginIa state flag the colUrs of the tlisti- l tuIe rouS1nB a Wllu yell OL tlluhPH run the confederates.
 There was then a general advancs along the whole line and the battle was won. The cadets, out of 225. lost killed And A wounded. General Shipp had been Struck down at a critical point In the charge, and to Captain Henry A. Wise, one of the assistant professors, q y9unB man not much over twenty, a nephew and namesake of General Wise. had farlen the command of the battalion. Captain Wise tells how amid the noise and ex- citement. a tap on the shoulder arrested his attention. and the news came from comrade that their colonel had fallen and he, as senior officer, must take his place. The litt1e confusion that had arisen whom Colonel Shipp was carried 10 the rear was soon checked, and Captain Wise had his command well in hand showing con spicuous gallantry, coolness and decision. When the battle was over Captain Wise had eight bullet holes in his clothes, | though he could not remember how any of them came there. And he relates that both the tails of his long military coat were cut away. In the two large pockets were his pipe and tobacco rouch, and the pipe was broken, but Iiece of 1t re- maining. One of his fingers was tempor- | arily injured, yet he could not recall how or when. And to his memory afterwards