At the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia, the first year cadets, also known as "rats," must memorize the "Rat Bible." The "Rat Bible" contains information about the college system and the history of the college, including the names of several heroes. These names, of which the "rats" will eventually memorize, are the names of ten cadets who were killed in action or were mortally wounded at the Battle of New Market.
At the start of spring in 1864, the Union army began its campaign through the Shenandoah Valley under the command of Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant. Grant's idea was destroy the economy of the south and flank General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. So when Grant encountered Lee's army in the east, he ordered Major General Franz Sigel to send his force of 10,000 men west into Virginia. As Sigel moved through the Shenandoah Valley, Confederate General John C. Breckenridge heard news of the Union's encroachment upon Virginia. With no time to act, General Breckenridge pulled together the nearest available forces, including 247 cadets of the Virignia Military Institue, and moved to defeat the Union forces.
On May 15, 1864, the Battle of New Market began around mid-morning. Originally, General Breckenridge wanted to keep the cadets in reserve rather than engage them directly in the battle. Keep in mind that the ages of the cadets ranged from 15 to 24, therefore it is no wonder Breckenridge did not want to engage the cadets directly, not to mention they had not "seen the elephant" yet. As the day went on, Breckenridge realized his tactics of cavalry would not entice the Union to move forward with their own cavalry and artillery. As a result, the Confederates were ordered to attack with their infantry. Under heavy fire from artillery and infantry, the right wing of the Confederate army retreated in confusion. With the 30th Virginia Infantry Battalion and 51st Virginia Infantry in retreat, Breckenridge was forced to have the VMI cadets fill in the gaps. From here until the end of the battle, the VMI cadets were in the heat of the battle.
Around 3 p.m., the Confederate army marched on, driving the Union army back. As the cadets marched on, they crossed a muddy field where some lost their shoes, giving the name of the field, "The Field of Lost Shoes". Seeing that the cannons were able to be taken, the cadets, along with the rest of the Confederate army, began charging toward to the cannons. After eventually capturing five cannons, giving credit to the cadets who captured one of their own, the Union army began retreating, bringing an end to the Battle of New Market.
As the smoke cleared from the battlefield, the Union casualties were 841 as opposed to the Confederate's 531 casualties. Among the casualties were five dead cadets and another five mortally wounded. The names of the ten VMI cadets killed in the Battle of New Market are Corporal Samuel Francis Atwell, First Sergeant William Henry Cabel, Private Charles Gay Crockett, Private Alva Curtis Hartsfield, Private Luther Cary Haynes, Private Thomas Garland Jefferson, Private Henry Jenner Jones, Private William Hugh McDowell, Private Jacqueline Beverly Stanard and Private Joseph Christopher Wheelwright, six of whom are buried on campus underneath the "Virginia Mourning Her Dead" sculpture.
Today, the Virginia Military Institute pays their respects to those brave cadets who fought in the Battle of New Market every year on May 15. Also, on Oath Day, the "Rats" recreate the march through the Field of Lost Shoes after visiting and learning about the history of the battle. There is even a movie about these brave cadets called "The Field of Lost Shoes," which I strongly recommend watching after reading this article.
