The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-08-04
Ne WMARKET AGAIN
SCOTT Ships FIGHT.
Resignation Of General Ship
Reminds a Writer of the
Stirring Days.

lsins, in the Atlanta Journal, will be
Interesting to Vrgini readers OF
Our Confederate Column.
After nearly hnlf a century OF SER.
vice, General SCOTT Shipp supcrin-
tcndent of the Virginia Military In
.stitute. retired from his position ut
the close OF the school year last
month. odd Billy Ship, as tho
cadets have affectlonately called him
for the last thirty years. became com
mandnnt of cadets at the time Stone
wall Jackson left the Institute for
the Confederate army. Ile held that
position until 1890, when upon the re-
tirement or Gen. Francis IT. Smith,
he was made superintendent. "Old
Billy was commandant Of, tho corps
OF cadets on May 15, 1864, when the |
boys were taken from n school of
war into real bnttle. and saved tho
day for the Confederate forces under
| General John G. Beckinridye at tho
battle OF Newmarket.
The Federal army under General
SEel started up the Valley from Mar
tinsburg, Va. At Newmarket they mot
Beckinridges command of 5000 men.
The Confederate chieftain had called
on the Virginia Military Institute for
lid. About $50 boys, many OF them but
| fourteen years old and none over
twenty, responded to the call. AS they
marched out the veterans OF three
years In Virginia campaigns called to
them. Don't you want sugar-rag Z"
why don't you go home to malnmyg
Under the sarcasm the boys we're
mute but their determination was as
| firm as their lips We're silent.
Looked Like Regulars.
/. Won kleiser's battery Of the Federal
forces went into position on tho crest
| of q hill, from which the ground
sloped gently for several hundred
| yards to a ravine. This slope was as
4 green and smooth as we'll kept
lawn. and offered no protection what
ever for IN attacking party. The Fed
eral 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
4 appearance OF the beardless youths.
Soon the Federals saw the line ad-a
vance. It came on steadily in the face,
Of the fire from Won I<leisers six
guns Here and there one fell out OF
line. but the boys measured the dis
lance and closed up the gaps as II they
d were on parade. Common time, double
q time; then the charge-on they came.
q FINALLY g,tnelF 4DayOueLS Wcie a. IiiI
Z breasts Of Won Kleiser's men, and
they had captured the battery. More
Z than that, they had held the centre
Il they had frustrated the plans of the
sEFederal commanders and had actually
1won the day for the Southern army.
General Shields Took Notice.
Scott shipp commanded them, but
! he fell severely wounded before the
charge was well started. Instructors
!! OF age and experience commanded. mt
the beginning: but when they had
3 fallen, boys took command and car
4 lsried the cadets on to victory. Captain
!, Franklin E.. Town, an officer IN the
"a Federal army, WIG was In the fight
!, said of7the charge:F'I do not believe
.s that the history of war contains
record Of deed more chivhlrous more
It heroic, more daring or more honor
able than the charge of those boys e
q a victory which would have been ar
honor to seasoned veterans.
81 The grizzled veterans In gray who
y had that morning derided them a:
y babies. chered them with the wildes
OF rebel yells from The moment the!
vent under the fire Of the Fedora
"A batteries, and they won their spur
Of knighthood then and there Genera
Shields, OF the Federal army, declare'
that such school OF soldiers wa
n the school for him, and. like Cap
tain Towns, afterward sent his So
there to be educated.
X "gomcbody's Dnrling.'
More than fifty Of the brave lad