Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1917-05-31

skin, their natty uniforms begrlmed with
clay, many OF them robbed OF their shoes
by the same stiff clay. all exhausted, the
boys responded with cheer. They raH
10 the charge.
Captain Town says OF the battle at this
point:
AS the cadets advanced, our guns
played with the utmost vigor upon their
lines; at first with shrapnel, as they came
nearer, with canister, and, finally, with
double loads Of canister. As the battalion
continued TO advance, our gunners loaded
at the last without stopping 10 sponge,
and ! think il would have been impoS-
sible TO eject from the guns more missiles
than those boys faced in their wild charge
up that hill"
Here at one discharge three cadets,
Cabell, Crockett, and Jones, were moved
down, terribly mangled by the canister
Here also fell Cadet Mcdowell OF North
Carolina, sixteen years old, small and
slight and boyish, shot through the heart
A little nearer to the enemy lay AtwelI, a
gaping wound in his leg. He died later
in the agony OF lockiaw.
Here JeHersonre received his fatal wound
and brave Joseph Wheelwright Stanard
went down a little farther on. Men were
falling right and left. and Colonel Shipr
was wounded The veteran seemed tc
waver slightly. There was moment oi
hesitancy, OF iresolution.
Some one cried, "Lie down." All
obeyed, firing from The knee, all except
Evans, the daring ensign, who still stood
erect, a target six-foot-two, waving the
colors. Captain Frank Preston. assistant
professor commanding Company b, had
lost an arm at Winchester. He laughed
as he lay down on his remaining one,
saying he would at least save that. The
corps was suffering heavily.
"Fall back and rally on EdgarS oattal-
ion p some one ordered. But Cadet Piz-
zini, first sergeant OF Company b, the fire
OF Corsica ia his veins, raised his rifle and
shouted he would shoot The first man who
ran. Cadet Captain CoIonna, Company
d, rallied his men with words OF encour-
agement.
CHARGE OF THE WHITE AND GOLD FLAG.
The decisive moment had come. II
was either final charge or fall back ;
capture or the battery with victory, or de-
feat. AT this juncture Henry A. Wise, Jr,
commanding Company A, Sprang 10 his
feet and gave the order 10 rise and charge.
Moving in advance OF the corps at double
time, he led them toward the guns. The
battery numbered for last voley. On
through fire and smoke and groanS OF the
dying, through clay made redder with
blood, they pressed up TO the foe. The
artillery teams were surrounded and dis
abled.
The gunners dropped their sponges
and ran for their lives. The cadets leap
ed upon the battery, and it was theirs.
Evans now proudly flung out the flag,
the corps flag OF white and gold, bearing
a picture OF Washington. which had so
greatly excited the curiosity ofthe enemy
throughout the battle.
While valiant deeds were done that
day on other parts of the field, the Sixty
second Virginia claiming TO have made
possible the victory, the cadets had truly
turned the tide at a critical moment.
The rest OF the battle was mere rout,
the Federals hurrying down the pike,
hotly pursued by Confederate infantry
and cavalry.
The engagement closed at $50 p. m,
the enemy having fled across the North
Fork OF the Shenandoah River, burning
the bridge behind them.
The Federal loss was from eight hun
dred 10 fifteen hundred; the Confederate
about four hundred killed and wounded,
more than half OF this having fallen on
the cadets and the SixtY-second, the ca
det loss being eight killed and fory-eight
wounded, out of two hundred and fifty
engaged
The sixteenth and seventeenth were
spent in burying the dead and caring for
the wounded on both sides. On the
nineteenth began the return to Staunton,
whence the cadets were ordered 10 report
at Camp Lee, Richmond. The march
was triumphal procession, and at Rich
mond an ovation awaited the battalion.
Drawn up in the Capitol Square, they re-
ceived vote OF thanks from the Con-
federate Congress, then in session, and
were presented with State flag by the
Governor OF Virginia.
THE HERoISM OF YOUTH.
Incidents in connection with The battle,
always more interesting than the details
OF combat, were not wanting. When
Cadet Jefferson fell, two Of his comrades
hasiened 10 his aid. Indifferent to his
own suifenngs, he waved them aside.
Pointing TO the front he said:
THAT is the place for you You can
do me no good"
He was mere lad, fifteen years Of age.
blue-eyed and golden-haired; with ar
almost girlish beauty. After The battle he
was borne in an ambulance 10 the home
OF citizen OF the town by Cadet Ezekiel,
then just a little Jew boy Of no special
promise, afterward the noted sculptor,
Sir Moses Ezekiel, OF Rome, knighted by
the Italian government ~ recognition OF
his skill as an artist.
Though senderly nursed by his faithful
comrade and the daughter OF the house,
Jefferson did not long survive the probing
70 -ithe bullet that had pierced his bfe ast.
On the third day, just before his death,