The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1907-07-15


the cadets have affectionately called him
for the last thirty years. became com
mandant of cadets at the time Stonewan
Jackson left the institute for the Confed-
crate army. He held that position until
1890, when. upon the retirement OF Gen.
Francis H. Smith. he was made superin-
tendent odd Billy" was commandant
of the corps of cadets on May Is. 1864
when the boys were taken from a school
Of war into real battle and saved the day
for the Confederate forces under Gen.
John c. Breckenridge at the battle Of
Newmarket.
The Federal army. under Gen Sigel
started UP the valley from Martinsburg
Va. At Newmarket they met Breckin-
ridges command Of 5000 The Confeder-
ate chieftian had called on the Virginia
Military Institute for aid. About $50
boys. many Of them but fourteen years
old, and none over twenty, responded to
the call. AS they marched out the veter-
ans Of three years in Virginia campaigns
called to them. Don't you want sugar.
Tag?' why don't you go home to man.
my?' Under this sarcasm the BOYS were
mute, but their determination was as firm
as their lips were silent
Won Kleiser's battery of the Federal
forces went into position on the crest of
HILL from which the ground sloped gen.
tiy for several hundred yards to a ravine
This slope was as green and smooth as
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 they? Regulars?" was the
question, so natty and smart was the ap-
pearanee Of the beardless youths.
Soon the Federals saw the line ad-
vance. Il came On steadily in the face
Of the fire from Won Kleisers six guns.
Here and there one fell out of line, but
the boys measured the distance and
closed up the gaps as if they were on
parade. Common time, double time then
the charge-On they came. Finally their
bayonets were at the breasts Of Won Klei-
ser's men, and they had captured the bat
terry. More than that. they had held the
center; they had frustrated the plans of
the Federal commanders, and had ac-
tually won the day for the Southern
army.
Scott Ship commanded them. but fell
severely wounded before the charge was
Well started. Instructors OF age and ex-
perience commanded at the beginning.
but when they had fallen. boys took
command and carried the cadets on TO
victory Capt. Franklin E Town, an
officer in the Federal army. who was in
the light, said of the charge: II do
not believe that the history Of war con-
tains a record Of deed more chivalrous,
more heroic. more daring. or more hon.
orable 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 babies
cheered them with the widest of rebel
yells from the moment they went under
the ire OF the Federal batteries. and
they won their spurs of knighthood then
and there. Cen Shields of the Federal
army, declared that such a school for
soldiers was the school for him. and. like
capt Town, afterward sent his son there
10 be educated.
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 churchyard at Lexington is a monu-
ment with the sword of cadet upon It.
This stone inspired Mrs Margaret J.
Preston TO write the beautiful and popu-
lar poem, Somebody's Darling" On Nav
10, 1904 more than seventy Of the cadets
who participated in the battle were in
Lexington at the unwilling Of the monu-
ment TO their boyhood schoolmates who
fell at Newmarket. old Billy" Ship 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 coun-
try who have been at the Virginia Mill
tary Institute in the last fortv-five vears
Straight and tall, with gray hair. mus
tache and goatee, he is a typical Vir-
glnla officer. His voice is deep and round.
ana while every Y. NJ. l. boy has loved
nm as father, none has dared TO dis
obey this stern sticEler for discipline and
nope Tor immunity. Former Senator c. J.
faulkner' Of West Virginia. former Con-
gresham John ) Wise of Virginia and
New YORK, and many other men who have
come into prominence were in that cadet
corps which marched out 10 battle at
Newmarket under "Old Billy's9 orders.
Proud they are. and proud they NAV be
OF that page Of their boyhOOd history.
Dur prcuder no man can be than is Scott
Shlpp o. his forty classes of Virginia
Military Institute cadets, every one of
winch ne believes would repeat the glori-
GUS event of Newmarket if the occasion
demanded.
4 devotion to an ideal that brings no
pecuniary profit is so unusual in money
loving America that the devotee Is set
apart as one 10 be marveled over and
admired. Such an object for marveling
and admiration IS Edwin Deakin. the Cal
ifornia artist For nearly thirty vaars
Mr.. Deakin has devoted himself almost
entirely to one great work-that of pre-
serving on canvas the picturesque archi-
lecture and quaint beauty Of the old Cali
1ornia missions There were originally
twenty-one Of these stations. built bv
6ood Father Junipero Sierra and his fol-
lowers, though three have already he
come things OF the past, and others are
falling rapidly TO decay. To preserve
these on canvas, since a negligent people
was not preserving them in reality. be-
came almost religious conviction with
Mr. Deakn. and as early as 1870 he began
making sketches for his work, beginning
with the Dolores Mission in San Fran
cisco.
In 1919 he went 20 Southern California
and studied TIE missions Of san Buena-
ventura and Santa Inez and from then
until 1893 he Travelled from mission 10
mission, working assiduously and untir-
ingly, until the other eighteen missions
We're reproduced on canvas, and so pre-