Evening star., 1909-05-16
Story of Newmarket Battle
Told at Reunion.
NOT ALL CREDIT THEIRS
Capt. Colonna Corrects an Erroneous
Impression of Famous Conflict.
BOYS INSPIRED THE VETERANS
Could Not Have Done Much Alone,
But Their Presence Turned
the Tide to Victory.

The Association OF Washington Alumni
of the Virginia Military Institute cele-
brated Newmarket day. at Freund's last
night with a smoker at which many in
teresting "reminiscences Of the famous bat
tie in which the cadet corps OF the v. NJ
/. participated with great credit to them
selves and the famous institution at Lex
ington were told by men who were in the
meeting was held at which various mat
ters were transacted. Capt. B. A. CO.
lonna presided.
The election of officers resulted In the
choice of the same men who held office
during the past year. They are Judge
J.. w. Wood, president. and D. NJ. Lea,
secretary and treasurer.
The principal question before the meet.
ing was the adoption of an effective meth
od of answering certain recent criti-
cisms OF claims on the part Of Virginia
Military Institute men concerning the
part the cadets played In the Newmarket
battle OF May 10, 1864. These criticisms,
IT is thought. came as the result OF q
namely. that the V. NJ. I. men claim that
upon that occasion all the victorious fight
ing was done by the cadet corps alone
Capt. Colonna's Account.
This Impression, according to Capt. Co
lonna. who commanded D Company of the
corps at New Market, is erroneous. Capt.
Colonna last night told just what part the
cadets played.
1--WE lay in reserve in the second line
from 10 o'clock In the morning until 2
o'clock In the afternoon" said Capt. Co
lonna, when we Were ordered to the
first line. We went to the front. out OF
nJ1 ~ dyro n0aIv no
Federal troops through plowed field. We
were In the center, while on either side
of US were veteran Confederate soldiers,
men who had been In the front line ever
since the fighting began.
I'VE were fresh, and when the order to
charge was given we went forward with
a dash. The Oldest and strongest of us
naturally forged ahead through the heavy
plowed ground. and, while every man.
cadet or regular. did his duty, the Oldest
and strongest of us cadets, being fresh,
naturally forged ahead. From the per-
feet alignment we started with we broke
into an irregular line. That the spirit
shown by the cadets buoyed up the vete-
rams who had been fighting for hours is
undoubtedly true. and to the cadets be-
longs much OF the credit for the victory.
Picked Up Enemy's Rifles.
THE truth is we turned the tide. al
though there is equally no doubt that we
Many Of the cadets had old Austrian
rifles when they started in, rifles that
were utterly useless. but as we passed
over the wounded and dead of the ene-
my we grabbed up Enfield rifles, and
when the battle was over we were pretty
we'll armed.
1.-The Federal troops put up stubborn
defense, and that they finally broke Is
no disgrace to them. We went on and
captured their guns. and the fight was
over.
After Capt. Colonna had finished his
description of the events of that day
and several weeks after it resolution
was passed appointing a committee OF
three to communicate with veterans OF
the New Market fight to get their recol-
lections Of the affair. These recollec-
tons will be written down. One copy
will be sent to Capt Henry A. Wise.
assistant superintendent of public schools
In Baltimore. d graduate of the v. N. l.,
who Is engaged in preparing record OF
the cadet corps at New Market, and an
other will be forwarded to the Virginia
Military Institute, to be made q part OF
the records Of that institution.
Asked to Write History.
The committee was also instructed to
write to Col. Scott Shipp. former prin-
cipal of the institution, and request him
to write the history OF the institute dur