Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1912-05-16

Breckenridge was hurTying up, with four
thousand men, to bring succor. The ca
diets were in the shadow of impending
battle.
A MESSAGE FOR THE COMMANDANT,
Very early on Sunday morning, while
they were sleeping, as weary boys will,
in their little camp, the sentinel heard a
horseman coming down the pike. There
was message for the commandant. A
moment later, when Colonel Shipp was
awakened, he found that it was an order
to move forward.
Then the camp was reused, and roll
was called. All round was the gloom
and terror of the night Somewhere be-
yond was the enemy, and danger and
death. These boys could not know the
grim work that was before them, but the
strangeneSS of If all Sobered them. Most
of them were between sixteen and eigh-
teen years old, and one was only fourteen.
In the silence Capt. Frank Preston OF
Company B stood forward, and offered
up prayer. A moment later they were
out on the road.
The battle was fought on Sunday, May
IS, 1864. Breckenridge had joined limbo
den, and now The Confederates had about
four thousand two hundred men. They
were drawn up on the wooded slope OF
Shirley's Hill somewhat TO the southwest
OF New Market. The town was being
held by part OF the Federal forces, while
the rest were at some distance in the rear,
across the Shenandoah River. Altogeth-
er, Sigel had about five thousand five
hundred men.
The struggle, which began about eleven
o'clock, was watched by the cadets, who
were posted in the rear as a reserve.
First the Skirmishers were sent forward,
creeping and dodgingf from place to place,
firing as they advanced. Gradually the
Federal outpoSts were driven in. Then
the Confederate artillery openedfir upon
the town.
There was battery posted among the
tombstones of little churchyard in the
town; the Federal soldiers could be seen
in the streets. Soon the place was alive
with the movement of troops, and cannon
were roaring. In short time the Con-
federate gupnerS got the range, and ST.
lenced the battery. Then Breckinridge
sent his troops forward, and the enemy
Withdrew 10 new position about a mile
and half north OF the town.
THE FIGHTING AT BUSHoNG'S HILL.
Two hours later Breckenridge advanced
his army to attack the Federal troops in
the new position on Bushong's Hill, and
fighting was resumed. The enemy were
posted very strongly on high ground that
extended from the Shenandoah River
over toward a smaller stream called Smiths
Creek. The larger part OF SigePs army
had now been brought together, so that
he had more men in line than Breckin-
ridge; and his artillery was overwhelm-
ingly superior.
A deadly contest began between one
and two O'Clock, when the Confederates
marched forward and tried to drive Sig
ell out of his position. From up on Bush
ong's Hill, and from New Market in the
rear, the opposing artillery began thun-
derous cannonade. On the left, by the
river bluffs, there was terrible slaughter.
One of the Southern regiments fell into
confusion, and began 10 break. Another
lost half its number in a few minutes. A
Federal officer tells us that he saw the
enemy's line waver and come to a halt.
"a cheer ran along our line, and the first
success was ours"
Moreover, a gap had opened in the line,
and the Confederate right was a little slow
in coming up. ltlooked as if Breckin-
ridge would be defeated.
The cadets had advanced as the rest of
the army moved forward, although they
were still in the last line, in the rear. AS
they marched along Federal officer far
away on hill watched them through his
field glasses with anazement. They
kept their ranks as perfectly as if on dress
parade, he said. II was not long before
the gunners got the range, and then shells
began to soar through the air and drop
all round them. They passed a group OF
wounded, who tried TO cheer as they went
by. Suddenly shell burst among the
fallen men after which they lay still. One
of the cadets was killed and several were
wounded; but closing up their ranks,
they kept on.
After some time they came 10 a little
hill behind which they took refuge. "Here
we waited half an hour" wrote Capt.
Frank Preston few days later, "while
some change was made in the lines a
half an hour Of intense suspense,-the ar
tillery on either side firing.-the shot and
shell flying and bursting high over our
heads,-knowing that in short time we
must charge the infantry, whose dark
lines we saw drawn up in the woods.
Our nerves were strung and our lips firm
ly closed, our breath coming short and
quick, waiting for the crash Of musketry
which we expected would receive the first
line"
Then came the carnage and the failure
on the Confederate left, when one OF the
regiments was in confusion, when some
were slow in getting into action and when
the gap opened in the line. The Confed-
crate commands were changing position
in order to 90 where they would be OF
most service. Colonel Shipp believed
that his cadets were needed to fill the
broken place in the line, and led them
1 1919 fo-..,, "A ;ako fl,a ,ran