Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1912-05-16
From the Youths companion.l
The Boy Soldiers Of Virginia

Upon massive pedestal is seated the
heroic figure of woman, with spear
dropped and head bowed in silent, unut-
terable grief. II is "Virginia Mourning
Her Dead" On the pedestal are the
names OF fifty-two boys who were killed
and wounded in battle. In the distance
are the hazy mountains. Around is the
solitude of the Valley of Virginia.
Forty-eight years ago these boys
marched out to battle. BY 1864 the Civil
War had nearly ruined the South, and
had drained her OF men young and old.
So great was the pressure and so terri
BILE was the danger that at last almost
every man in the Confederacy had gone
into the army or had been forced to en-
list. Nevertheless, these sacrifices ac-
complished little, for, in the face OF loss
and disaster, the North kept steadily at
its task OF preserving the Union.
After the Battle OF Gettysburg, it re-
solved TO make gigantic effort to bring
the struggle to a close. In the west
great army under Sherman was TO 60
through the heart OF the South in the
east Grant was to attack Lee from all
sides. Grant himself marched TO meet
Lee in front, and smaller armies were
sent to threaten the Confederate rear and
destroy their base of supplies. And so
at last, in the early part OF May, 1864,
alarms OF war began to reach up the val
ley 10 Lexington, until then unmoleSted
and little disturbed.
THE SOUTHERN "WEST POINT"
AT Lexington was one Of the most fa-
nous schools in the South, the Virginia
Military Institute. II had been establish
ed by the State in 1899, and had had an
honorable career. Its importance was
enormously enhanced when the war be-
gan, for il then became the West Point Of
the Confeder2cy.
II was difficult now to keep the school
open, since the cadet students were call
ed away to act as drill-masters and Of
ficers in the Southern armies. In the
hour of need the teachers also left their
classes and went forth into the world OF
action. In this place Thomas Jonathan
Jackson was teaching natural and expert
mental philosophy when the call to arms
came.
After while the only teachers left were
the old, the weak, and the wounded who
had returned from battle. "Capt. +.
Preston lost an arm at the Battle of Win
chester just before his appointment as an
assistant professor of Latin" Lieut.
Col. ]. w. Lyell has been recently ap-
pointed an assistant professor OF mathe-
matics, having received five wounds in
battle, and retired from military service
in consequence OF the loss of an ARM"
So runs the report OF the superintendent.
For a while, then, the institute was
closed but il was soon reopened, since
il was necessary 10 train up officers to
take the place OF those who were falling
At first, in the quiet secluSion OF the
mountains, lite at Lexington went on with
little disturbance. Sometimes when hos
tile armies car1e near, the boys were call
ed out, and once in 1862 they marched to
the aid of Jackson at Mcdowell in the
Shenandoah Valley, although they did
not fight in the battle. For the most
part, however, there were only the lesson
in the classroom, the drill on the campus,
and the monotonous life in the barracks.
Occasionally, when news came OF the
great deeds being done outside, the boys
would yearn TO 60 forth and take mans
part themselves. There were the early
days of victory when the body OF Stone
WALL Jackson was borne back 10 repose
in the shadow OF the halls where he had
taught the day when Lee Staked his all
at Gettysburg and lost; and at last, the
day when Grants lieutenants entered the
valley.
On May lst General Sigel, with six
thousand five hundred men, set out for
Staunton and Lynchburg. All the Con-
federate forces in the vicinity amounted
only to one thousand six hundred men
under General Imboden, although there
was larger force under Breckenridge far
down in the southwestern part OF the
State. Imboden did what he could. He
had to fall back, but he harasSed his
enemy, cut off detachments, and dashing
to the rear, destroyed and disturbed con-
nections.
Word was sent to Breckinridge, and he
set out, by forced marches, to bring help;
but meanwhile the danger became so
threatening that the scanty reserves OF
the neighborhood were summoned, and
finally, Col. Scott Shipp was asked to
bring the students from Lexington. The
call for the cadets had come.
John S. Wise, who was then at the in
stitute, has told of the summons. In the
blackness OF the night, he says, "the bar
racks reverberated with the throbbing OF
drums we awoke, and recognized the
long roll. Lights were up; the stoops
resounded with the rush Of footsteps seek
ing place in the ranks; the adjutant, by
lantern-light, read our orders amid breath
less silence. They told us that the enc
my was in the valley, that Brecknrldge
needed help, and that We were ordered to
march for Staunton at daybreak. Not a
sound was uttered, not a man moved
from the military posture OF parade rest.
Our beating hearts told us that our hour
had come al last"
Early on the morning of the llth the
young soldiers set out on their journey
I'D the valley turnpike TO join lmboden.