The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-07-15
LITTLE STORIES OF
 NOTABLE PEOPLE Famous Charge Made By the
 V, M,I. Boys SAVING SPANISH MISSIONS Only Negro Who Ever Commanded a Confederate Regiment Was
 Fred Clock, of Pulaski,
 Tenn.
SAVING SPANISH MISSIONS
BY FREDERIC j. HAsKlN.

vice. Gen. Scott Shopp, superintendent of the Virginia Military institute, re- tired from his position at the close of the school year last month. "Old Billy" Shipp, as the cadets have affec- tionately called him for the last thirty years, became commandant of cadets at the time Stonewall Jackson left the institute for the Confederate army. He held that position until 1890 when, upon the retirement of Gen. Francis II. Smith, he was made superintendent old Billy" was commandant of the corps of cadets on May 15, 1864, when the boys were taken from a school of war into real battle, md saved the day for the Confederate forces under Gen. John c. Breckenridge at the battle of Newmarket.
 The Federal army under General Sigel started up the valley from Mar tlnsburg, Va. At Newmarket they met Breckinridge's command of 5000 men. The Confederate chieftain had called on the Virginia Military institute for aid. About 250 boys many of them but II years old and none over 20, responded to the call. As they marched out the veterans of three years in Vir- ginia campaigns called to them, Don't you want a sugarrag?" Why don't you go home to mammy?" Under this sarcasm the boys were mute, but their determination was as firm as their lips were silent.
 Von Kleiser's battery of the Federal forces went into position on the crest of a hill, from wh.ch the ground sloped gently for several hundred yards to a ravine. This slope was as green and smooth as a well-kept lawn and offered no protection whatever for an attacking party. The Federal soldiers saw the cadets forming at the foot of the hill in the raVine. What are theyP was the question, so natty and smart was the appearance of the beardless youths.
 Soon the Federals saw the line ad- vance. It came on steadily in the face of the fire from Won Kleiser's six guns. Here and there one fell out of line, but the boys measured the dis tance and closed up the gaps as If they were on parade. Common time, double time then the charge-on they came. Finally their baynoets were at the breasts of Von Kleiser's men and they had captured the battery. hiore thah that, they had held the center, they had frustrated the plans of the Fed eral commanders hnd had actually wop the day for the southe ern army.
 Scott Shipp commanded them, but he fell severely wounded before the charge was well started. Instructors of age and experience commanded at the be- ginning; but when they had fallen, boys took command and carried the cadets on to victory. Captain Franklin E. Town, an officer in the Federal army, who was in the fight, said of the charge: "I do not believe that the his tory of war contains a record of a deed more chivalrous, more heroic, more daring or more honorable than the charge of those boys to a victory which would have been an honor to seasoned veterans
 The grizzled veterans in gray who had that morning derided them as ba- bies, ch eerd them with the widest of rebel yells from the moment they went under the fire of uue Federal batteries, and they won their spurs of knight hood then and there. General Shields, of the Federal army, declared that such a school for soldiers was the school for him and, like Captain Town, after ward sent his son there to be edu- cated
 More than fifty of the brave lads fell on the field, and eight of them were killed. At the grave of one of them in the church yard at Lexington is a monument with the sword of a cadet upon it. This stone inspired Mrs. Margaret ]. Preston to write the beautiful and popular poem, some body's Darling" On May 15, 1904, more than seventy of the cadets who participated in the battle were In. Lexington at the unveiling of the monument to their boyhood schoolmates who fell at Newmarket. "Old Billy" Shipp was the hero that day.
 When he announced his retirement a few weeks ago he was the recipient of many gifts from men all over the country who have been at V. M. l. in the last forty-flve years. Straight and tall, with gray hair, mustache and goatee, he is typical Virginia of fcer. His voice is deep and round. and while every V. M. l. boy has loved him as a father, none has dared to disobey this stern stickler for dis ciplne and hope for immunity. For mer Senator c. J. Faulkner of West Virginia, former Congressman John $. Wise of Virginia and New York, and many other men who have come into prominence were in that cadet corps which marched out to battle at New market under "Old Billy's orders. Proud they are, and proud they may be, of that page of their boyhood history but prouder no man can be than is Scott Shipp of his forty odd classes of Virginia Military institute cadets, every one of which he believes would repeat the glorious event of Newmarket if the occasion demanded.
 A devotion to an ideal that brings no pecuniary profit is so unusual in money loving America that the devotee is set apart as one to be marvelled over and ad- mired. Such an object for marvelling and admiration is Edwin Dealxin the Cali fornia artist. For nearly hlirty years Mr. Deakin has devoted himself almost en- trely to one great work-that of preserv- ing on canvass the picturesque archi- lecture and quaint beauty of the old Cal ifornia missions. There were originally twenty-one of these stations built by good Father Junipero Serra and his follow CTS, though three have already become things of the past and others are falling rapidly to decay. To preserve these on canvass, since a negligent people was not preserving them In reality, became all most religious conviction with Mir Deakin, and as early as 1870 he began making sketches for his work, beginning with the Dolores mission In San Fran cisco.
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