Part of Gen. Grant’s strategy to capture Richmond involved conquering the Shenandoah Valley. He assigned the task to Maj. Gen. Sigel. In May, 1864, Sigel moved south up the valley. His targets were the towns of Staunton and Lynchburg. Facing him was the army of Maj. Gen. John Breckinridge. He was a great example of a political general. As a senator, he had run for President in 1860 as the Southern Democrat candidate. He was the rare political general who was competent. He had only 5,000 men to stop Sigel’s 9,000. His army consisted of a few veterans, plus partisan cavalry, militia, and home guardsmen. He knew he had to give battle and he could use any reinforcements he could find. On May 10, he sent a message to the superintendent of Virginia Military Institute. He hoped Maj. Gen. F.H. Smith would send his cadets and their two cannons to act as a reserve for the upcoming battle. Although the cadets were the “seed corn of the Confederacy”, Smith did not hesitate. And he didn’t have to talk the boys into it. Not surprisingly, they were gung-ho. Under the command of Col. Scott Shipp, they marched to join Breckinridge’s army. Shipp was an 1859 graduate. His boys averaged 16 years old. There were 250 plus the two cannons.
The Battle of New Market was fought on May 15. Breckinridge took advantage of Sigel’s army being spaced out along the road. His vanguard of 6,000 was ahead of the rest of the army. Breckinridge tried to lure the Yankees into attacking his position on a hill. When they held back, Breckinridge took the initiative. He attacked the Union position on Bushong’s Hill. (The Bushong family was cowering in their basement.) In the exchange of artillery fire, three cadets were killed. In the battle, Breckinridge’s center collapsed and he needed to plug the gap. He sent an order to Col. Shipp. “Put the boys in, and may God forgive me for the order.” In marching across the muddy field, some of the boys got their shoes sucked off their feet. For this reason, the field became known as “the Field of Lost Shoes.” The boys naively rushed forward to get their first taste of combat. Their elan helped push the Yankees back. The boys captured a cannon. The assault was halted by Union artillery, but the battle had been won and Sigel retreated north. The VMI cadets had suffered ten dead and 50 wounded, but they had covered themselves and their school with glory. Breckinridge registered his gratitude by telling them: “Well done, Virginians. Well done, men.” In June, the Union army passed through Lexington, Va. and burned VMI in retaliation for the Battle of New Market. Every May 15 since 1866, VMI commemorates the battle with a ceremony that includes a roll call of the ten dead cadets.
https://www.shenandoahatwar.org/put-the-boys-in-article
https://www.historynet.com/battle-of-new-market-vmi-cadets-the-forgotten-ones/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_New_Market
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