The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-04-14

me Sixty-second Virginia WAS on
the V. VI. 1. left and slightly in its
rear. From whom that command cana
mas never been ascertainei the cadets
we're In the act OF obeying when FIRST
Sergeant y. p!zzini, o. Company.
stepped quickly to The rear OF the line.
yelling; III XIII tho nrst nam whD
obeys that ord sr.'
captain Frank Preston, tactical Of
hcer commanding y Company. a grad
uate OF the " NJ. l.. who had lost an
arm at Winchester, and who had been
detailed as professor at the !ns,i
tutt, Instantly come to the relief of
the situation h. commanding: "itiirht
fac! Dress right!'
II was then. as that order was be-
Ing obeyed, those V. NJ !. boys SHOW
cd tho stun or which they We're made
When the gan made by the death of
First Sergeant w H. Caball and those
next him was closed. one end of the
formation was In advance OF the 9th
err. In silence, with guns empty,
those boys executed that I'D by
captain Preston. al the time with
Yankee bullets singing about them.
Mark time on the le!t'n GO nmund.
ed Captain Preston. forward on ,he
right!' ne continued
With that precision and exactness a
trained soldier only can bring into
play, thosa lads on The left marked
time while the right moved M. There
was not 4 hobhle IN the execution OF
that order. despite the fact that steady
cloud OF smoke Was necessarily rising
from that fence bthlnd which those
veterans In blue were pagslng away
at those Virginia Kids And that that
Yankee command WAS made UP Of
brave men and fearless lnen---men who
admire bravery in others though a
foe-wns demonstrated by their ac-
lions. Seeing that their hoyish-look
Ing adversaries had no Idea OF retreat
inS down that hill. that with their
guns silent they were executing or
ders as thousn on dress parade, that
Yankee regiment actually ceased Aring
for second, and AS the cadet line
reached perfect order lniSAty cheer
came from the throats OF their enc
mics.
/ A Federal Omccr Describe. the scene.
II was sitting on my horse on n hill
| lust to the left OF the Confederate
r!ght--the cadets writes Captain
i Franklin w. Town. OF Seigle's signal
corps. but now y resident OF Taliahas-
see, Fla. and saw that cntirs move
ment. i never saw military move
! msnt more perfectly executed | re-
| member yet that involuntarily lifted
;he hat from my head, as did my COM
pnn.ons about me. Ii looked 10 us like
suicide. and for second or so we
could not understand what that com
{ mandcr's object was. Iiut of that We
were not long left In doubt, The sec
ond the line vas perfect, the comma nd
Ing onlcer ordered: Advance Charge,
i Take that battcry.'
+ INSTANTLY our veterans behind that
! fence opened fire on thosA boys again
/ They had airendy learned the worth
| and valor OF those cadets. and either
had 10 fire, retreat or be captured
! On- OF the officers IN that line behind
| that fence afterwards told ME that
| II was with the greatest reluctance
| that he ordered his men To open Gre
again. aud n, assured me thar his
| men were equally reluctant TO IRE IN
( on those babies. as they called them
| why. said that officer to me after
| the battle. I fcls like ! was shooting
| at children: that was guilty OF
| child n'urd,r every t'r,c "n"' ono ~
those beardless, fearless lads go down"
| II watched that advance" continued
! CAPTAIN Town ~ saw those boys
break into run al the command for
that fence, and even when at double
quick, that same perfect alignment was
kept UP. Our troops received the
/ charge at the point OF the bavonet but
/ those boys from the South. then get
| ting their captism Of actual war.
/ would not he denied Th,y went over
! that fenc: like a greyhound chasing n
| rabbit. and our troops fell back No
J body OF men on earth could have stop
ped that Wild, mad rush those Lads
were making. The rebel regulars saw
1t. ana s,nt up that mighty rebel yell.
That yell inspired til, cadets. and TAX
ms 1t ND. they rushed pel!mcIl at those
guns which had opened fire ON them
again the instant our TROOPS had gone
To the rear. 1t was apparent Ia me
: and those with ME that nothing hui
dAaih would stop those boys short OF
Killers guns. Won Killer and his men
saw IT, too, IUi at first tried to get
away with ihcir guns. But the boys.
T. like trained soldiers OF many cam
priSns. made way with the horses
Then some of the men triad To splkc
the cannon. Those cadets were on
them too quick. and II became Il hand
! to-hand st!ugsia between the blue
clad men and th> sray-clad youths.
they dubbed their guns and fought
like demons. The cadet color bearer
mounted caissoN box and waving
I his flag aloft. invited Tho marksnan-
I, ship of The entire Yankee army. Thar
1 lad, however. had q charmed life. and,
| wnllc bullets whizESd about him. cut
| Tins down friends and companions
schooimatcs he had learned to love
and ahmirG-he came from the battle
| scathlcss. hut with his cadet coat and
! trousers cut almost to tattera by tas
! leadcn pellets hyirr about hin. AS the
! battle was waginT Cadet Evans. six
/, feet two inches. stood erect OH that
caissone waving the cadet flag over his
/ head. al 1.-The tina yelling words of en-
conraEement to the fighting. struggl-
! ing mass
'Ah, 1t was grand sight heard
one of that body of kid soldiers say
! after the fight. That boy Evans didn't
, know what fear was On that caisspn
he seemed to court death as ardent
~ rs no courted girls Mt the Institute
| hops. can close my eyes right now
and see him shake out those colors
that had hung limp and bedraEged
| about the stan as Scott Shipp sent
them into action"
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