Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1913-03-21
FRIDAY, MARCH n. 1918.
The Cadets Fight
Al New Market.

HE NEW MANAEA OA4>A
Nav. 1864. By Edward Ray
mond Turner, professor of Euro.
mean history, University of
Michigan. (Whittet & Shep-
person. Richmond. lllus.' PIP.
2O3.)
The battle of New Market,
fought Sunday, May Is, 1864, be-
tween Union and Confederate
forces ia the Valley of Virginia,
was not one of the most impor-
taut battles of the Civil War;
but because, of its many and ro-
mantle features, because It leo 10
the resignation and retirement
of distinguished Federal ohcer
Gen. Grantz Sigel-because II
was the engagement in which
cadets of the Virginia Military
Institute played a valorous part
and because so many and such
conflicting statements concerning
its incidents have been made, the
campaign is, to the historian, q
peculiarly interesting page IN
American military history.
In presenting the present vol
ume Professor Turner writes
with delightful modesty of his
historical achievement, yet with
complete fearlessness IN stating
what he believes to be the truth
He states in his preface that his
own work was made possible by
the preliminary researches OF
Capt. Henry A. Wise, Col. Geo.
H. Smith, Lieut.. -Col. George M.
Edgar and Mr.. BENJAMIN A.
Colonna.
Much debate concerning the
charge of the cadets and wish
that the exact happening OF
engagement be authoritatlvely
recorded, had induced Captain
Wise to begin. 20 years ago, a
careful study of the subject that
included the bringing together
Of all possible data, official and
personal, that could be secured.
This included letters from sur
viving officers and cadets who
fought upon that occasion. Col.
George H. Smith, who COM
manded the Sixty-second Vir-
ginia Regiment at New Market,
had been similarly engaged, with
a view to writing an account OF
the engagement in scientific
way. Lieut.-Col. George M
Edgar, who commanded th'
Twenty-sixth Virginia Battalion
at New Market, and who directed
one of the decisive movements
of the battle, had begun t.
write a history also, and Mr.
BENJAMIN A. Colonna, a New
Market cadet ard a surveyor with
training in Government service,
had made an accurate survey and
adequate typographical map CT
the battlefield. All these gentle
men placed their material at the
service of Professor Turner aud
the possession of this specialize d
material has enabled him to pre-
sent an extremely valuable and
authoritative history Of the car :
paign from beginning to end.
Some tof the most important
results OF his study of the subject
from these and other sources
Professor Turner sums up as
follows, First, that there was no
such disparity of numbers in the
opposing forces as has often been
stated; that Sigel had about
5000 men in the battle; Breckin-
ridge about $500. He considers
that the Federal Army was de-
feated because of dilatory leader
ship and lack of hearty co-opera-
ton on the part of its different
commands; that Confederate tri-
umph was due to brilliant tacti, S
on the part of Irnboden and
Breckenridge and the resolute
bravery of veteran Confederate
troops, and that any assertion
that the cadets won the battle of
New Market or stemmed a Con-
federate route are exaggeratioi s
which have tended to discred
what these young soldiers ac.
tually did. In the author s
opinion there is no doubt the
gap in the Confederate lines,
fought wonderfully well and by
heir example stimulated the adj
ioining regiments to make the
decisive charge, which result. d
n the Confederate victory of the !,
lay.
In describing the battle Pic '
essor Turner sweeps away son e y
hesished trditions. He says: III
It has usually been asserted
hat the cadets took Won Kleiser's
artery. bas they could scarcely
ase done thi1y. since Won
: