Putnam patriot., 1908-05-15
X Famous Civil War Episode.

Nc American but knows the history of the Civil War as great and thrill ing escla mol only In the history of tho United states but of the world; some have studied certain features of that war very carefully, while few have mastered it's most important eyentss but the details of the incidents that bss- fe the soldiers In that fierce and bloody contest can never be known--the nests of brave men that gave up their lives on the battle field or in the more dread- ed hospital, silently passed away with. out an opportunity of relating their experiences that may have been as thrilling or pathetic as the thousands that have been recorded.
 It k particularly interesting to hear recounled some incidents Of n battle In which tie spefate bravery was shown, in which friends and neiehhars nartieipa- ted. which even at this late date arc coming h lighl and are eorrohoraled bs those who still live among us. lnaA shrine of Southern Memories,n by Liticll McCinng, recalls what oc- cured al Lexington. Virginia, paftici- pated in hy Southern soldiers, to show their heroisn and devotion to the Stars and Bars. In describing monument in Lexington, of "Nirginin Mourning Her Dead which shows bronze fig ure of Virginia seated on lofty pedes- ial, her head,lresting In sorrow on her right hand, the writer thus describes the ba;tle in which the cadets of the virginia Military Institute fell In their charge of the Federal guns.
 This charge of the N. NJ. |. cadets at New Market, on May 10, 1884, was one of the most heroic incidents Of the Civil War. These boys--many of them only F and ls years old--were organ ized as battalion of infantry of four companies, and as a platoon of artille- ry serving two three-ineh guns. They were ordered to charge up a long she'll swept slope, in order to silence SiRelfs and von kIelsefio batteries at the top of the hill.
 s.rhe cadets had never been under fire before, but they were perfectly driil- ed. As they advanced up thel slope with unbfosen front, the Federal artil- lery opened on them, and In moment terrihc fire was playing havoc with their ranks. Bg. as the killed and wounded fell on every side, the lines closed in perfect order, the brave boys coming on unfaltcringly. Finally they rushed upon the guns that were mow- ing down the Confederate battalions, drove off the gunncrs, and turned the batteries on the Union army. The ca- dcts loss was larger in proportion to the number engaged, than that of the Light Brigade at BalakIava.
 s.One of those on the Union side whO witnessed the charge was Capt. Frank lin E. Town, an artillery officer under General sigcl. Some years ago Csps. Town wrote letter to an old V. M. I. cadet, giving minute description of the episode. The letter closed with tho following statements:
 sss When one stops to think that thts charge was made ny . battalion of young lads, mere boys, who earned their spurs of knighthood before their lips were tinted with the down of coming beard, the action looms up more grand ly. As military spectacle it was most beautiful; as a deed of war it was mot grand. don't believe that the history of war contains record Of deed moro chivalrous, more daring, or more hon. agaiie than the charge Of these boys to victory of which veterans might well boast.
 Al the request Of samuel K. SpaId- ing, of this city, who was in that bat- tie, on the Union side, we print the above remarkable incident. MT. -paid- ing furnishes us q list of the other sol diers from this section, as lar as he can eall them 10 mind, who were ln that battle with hIGn:
 Frank H. Converse, Thonlpsen~ Henry Nithey, i<llisngIsl
 Capt. spaldillg, of Fasllefd. Slilsss-
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