I S 11 The Vir Virginia gin jaM Military iI it a r y Ins Institute tit ute L Looks 0 0 k s Back Over Its Years of Stirring History as West Point of the South ff I I i J x o I A t v w. w V I 11 1 1 4 r aC 11 e I S e r aeY r Vt Sr 0 i wv a A view of the parade ground of Virginia Military 1 Institute the West Vest Point of the South with its cadets staging their final review before the summer quarter begins In the background are the barracks I where they live Dy By ELMO SCOTT WATSON Released by Western Newspaper Union I I TS official name is the Virginia Military institute but I ITS down in Dixie everyone knows what youre you're talking about when you refer to the V V. M. M I I. I For this school which is celebrating its centennial this year is the West Point of the South and back of it there is a tradition as full of glory as the honored legends which cluster around the school on the Hudson and one in which all Americans North as well as South can take pride I Although it is officially onI only only on on- I ly years old this year its I history really goes back to i 1798 when the general assembly assem assem- j bly of the state of Virginia provided for two more arsenals arsenals arse arse- nals pals for the preservation of state arms in serviceable condition The location of these two arsenals was not decided however until the end of the War of 1812 made them a necessity In 1816 1818 it was decided to place one of them in the city of Lexington and a reservation of about i seven acres overlooking the north branch of the James river was set aside for this purpose Here about stands of arms and other munitions were stored and it was not long before the citizens of Lexington began discussing the idea of a military t L I school at the arsenal Roosevelt to Speak So the assembly passed legislation legislation legisla legisla- tion establishing the Virginia Military institute there The first corps of cadets was mustered into service on November 11 i 1839 and it is on November 11 of this year that the climax of the centennial celebration will come I with President Roosevelt going to Lexington to deliver the principal address I There were only 23 young cadets I at first then 31 and gradually the enrollment increased Although only 58 men had been graduated r. r from V. V M. M I. I when the Mexican r f. f war broke out 25 of these went t into service at once and distin distin- themselves in that warP war I PP P On August 13 1851 there came camei cameto i to Lexington a man whose name t r. r I was destined to become a part of off f V V. M. M I. I tradition lie He was Bre Bre- vet Major Thomas J J. J Jackson of I the First Regiment of United States artillery who had made a brilliant record in the Mexican war var He lie had been appointed professor of natural philosophy and artillery tactics obtained a furlough for nine months to accept accept accept ac- ac this position and finally in February 1852 resigned from the j army to remain at V. V M. M I. I LAt At the outbreak of the War Between Dei Between Be- Be i tween the States there were 1902 living former cadets at V. V M M. M I I. I and although 94 per cent of these served in the Confederate army it is recorded that 15 of them put on the Union blue When Virginia Virginia Vir Vir- ginia seceded from the Union in April 1861 the corps of cadets marched to Richmond to enroll Inthe in inthe I the Confederate service and they marched there under the leadership leadership leader leader- l' l ship of their professor of natural philosophy and artillery tactics Three months later this professor was to win immortality as Stonewall Stonewall Stone wall Jackson at the Battle Dattle of Bull Dull Run I The cadets were used to instruct in and drill volunteers but bul many of them rapidly advanced in rank in the various branches of the Confederate service It soon became apparent that the South would have need for a training training train train- ing school to supply skilled and trained officers for the Gray army 1 so V. V M. M I. I was reopened at the beginning of 1862 i I Heroic Schoolboys tf Two years later the cadets were t a called upon for or another service and as the result of it V. V M. M I. I Is the only school in the world enc entitled entitled en en- c titled to wear an active service pennant on its flag It won that tha right in a battle which was fought ough a Just 75 years ago last laDt May the May the Battle of New Market where the repeated charges of these beald d. d t less lads was one of the mos most 1 I 1 heroic incidents in American military mili miB- tary lary annals It came about in May 1864 when Lee had just commenced his ils death grapple with Grant which was to end within a year at Appomattox All of his available avail avail- able ible forces had been engaged in inthe inthe the he Peninsula campaign and concentrated concentrated concentrated con con- for the defense of the Confederate capital Valuable supplies for this great army were being eing furnished by the rich Valey Valley Val Val- ley ey of Virginia the Granary of the he Confederacy Early In May the Federal commander commander com com- mander General Sigel with about troops proceeded southward down the Valley Pike to o cut oft off this source of supply General Lee detailed Gen John C. C Breckenridge with less than men to stop this advance and nd to protect the lines of communication com com- from Staunton to Richmond On May 10 1864 the superintendent superintendent superintendent of V V. M. M I I. General Smith received an order from General Breckenridge to send to him at Staunton the cadet corps and a section of artillery At midnight the long roll was sound sound- lion tion in the general column in rear of Echols brigade After proceeding up the Valley pike a distance of some six miles a halt was called caned the troops remaining remaining re reo on the side of the road two or three hours The Federal troops falling failing to advance as had been expected General Breckenridge Breckenridge Brecken Brecken- ridge proceeded to attack the enemy at 1230 p p. p m m. in the general general gen gen- eral vicinity of New Market General Breckenridge formed his infantry in two lines Whartons Wharton's Whartons Whartons Wharton's Whar Whar- tons ton's brigade of Infantry constituted constituted the first line Echols brigade including the battalion of cadets the second The cadets were next to the last battalion in the second line of the left flank the second line following at an interval of paces in rear of the first The battle lasted from 1230 until p. p m. m by which time the Confederate Confederate erate forces of less than men had completely routed the opposing them the Federal Federals Feder Feder- al als retreating across the river Three Cadet Charges I The fighting lasted only six hours but it was hot and furious and the Confederates carried everything everything ev ev- before them by impetuous ous charges the cadet corps being being be be- ing called upon to make three separate advances all aU under most withering fire Out of men engaged the corps lost 56 killed and wounded It is a well known fact that a casualty casually of 10 per percent percent percent cent will strain the morale of seasoned seasoned sea sea- troops and yet on this occasion occasion occa occa- sion the cadet corps suffered a casualty of nearly 25 per cent without wavering As a battle New Market was A R vr t If A h hA A. A v S arm armera era w aw Charge of the Virginia Military l Institute cadets at New Market Marketa Va a during the War Between the States as depicted by mural painting paint lug hog in the chapel of the Institute It was painted by Sir Moses 1 Ezekiel who nho as a youth was a member of the corps that fought there ed cd the corps assembled in front of barracks and an order was read directing the corps to take up the line of march to Staunton The next morning a battalion of four companies of infantry and anda ant I a section of three-inch three guns left Lexington for Staunton arriving in Staunton the evening of the twelfth The corps left Staunton at daylight on the thirteenth marching 18 miles moving at daylight on the fourteenth for another another an an- other 16 miles At midnight on the fourteenth the corps received orders to march immediately without beat of drum and as noiselessly as possible and at arI 30 a a. a m m. on the fifteenth took posy of minor significance and had no material bearing on the final outcome out out- outcome come of the struggle in Virginia For soon afterwards the raid o othe of the Union General Hunter swept swep through the valley burn burned d the institute buildings and was no not checked until he was met by General Early at Lynchburg But the achievements of these school boys oos still in their teens teen who had never before smelled the smoke of battle or seen the cate carnage car nage of warfare is not only a abright abright abright bright page in V. V It M. M I I. I history but symbolical of what we like t to believe is all aU that is best in Amerlean Amer lean coura courage e and American devotion devotion devo devo- tion ion to an ideal Inextricably woven with the story tory of V. V M M. M I I. I is the story of one of the greatest military geniuses that America ever produced pro pro- Stonewall Stonewall Jackson An Interesting view of this great soldier soldier soldier sol sol- dier while he was professor of natural philosophy and artillery tactics at that institution is given givin en in in these reminiscences of a former ormer student at Washington college col col- lege ege later Washington and Lee university which appeared many years ears ago in the Wheeling W W. V Va Register He writes My first recollection of Stonewall Stonewall Stonewall Stone Stone- wall Jackson is when I was a college ollege boy at Lexington Va inthe in inthe the he fall of 1860 I am not able to o say whether it was the peculiar peculiar liar carriage of the stiff military looking coking institute professor who dally daily passed the college grounds that bat was of chief interest to the students of cf Washington college or r whether the stories told of daring daring dar- dar ing ng and reckless courage in his early arly military l life e invested him with a halo of romance and made him ilm an object of hero worship in their heir youthful minds Old Jack as he was familiarly famil- famil arly called by the cadets and students was so plain in manner and attire there was so little effort effort ef- ef fort fort brt at show his feet were so large arge and his arms and hands fastened to his body in such an awkward shape that the cadets didn't take much pride in him as asa asa asa a professor They feared him inthe in inI the he lecture room they paid the I strictest deference to him on parade arade but in showing a stranger the he sights about the institute a cadet was never known to point rr r r 1 r 1 r a r l f l 1 v vout out Old Jock Jack as one of the ornaments ornaments orna orna- ments of the institution lie He was more popular with the college students The next spring the fires of war threw their lurid glare over the he entire land Then it was Jackson took a final farewell of Lexington never to return until he was brought back back to to be buried according to his dying request in inthe inthe inthe the Valley of Virginia The cadets were ordered to the he field Major Jackson was seeded selected selected se se- se- se eded to command them After the passage of the ordinance of secession on the seventeenth of April 1861 the war spirit was at fever heat in Virginia The steady going old town of Lexington Lexing Lexing- ton had suddenly been metamorphosed metamorphosed into a bustling military camp Volunteer companies were being organized and every preparation being made for a horrible horrible hor hor- war But no event of that memorable period has left a amore amore amore more vivid impression upon my mind than the departure of the cadet battalion from the military institute It was a bright morning morning morn morn- ing early in May and a vast ast concourse concourse con con- course of people had gathered on Institute hill to see the youthful soldiers start for the war The baggage and camp equipage had been put into the wagons the horses hitched in in the drivers mounted with whip in hand waiting wait ing for the command to pull out The cadets were in line their cheeks aglow and their eyes sparkling with the expectation of military glory awaiting them Poor boys Little did they know as they stood there in their bright un uniforms and gilt guns shining in the morning sunlight how few of them would be left to answer at the Ule last roll call of the Army of Northern Virginia As they stood thus Major Jackson mounted on an ordinary ordinary- looking horse rode up His face was as calm cairn and unmoved as ever the thin Ulin lips tightly compressed compressed com com- pressed and looking just as he looked at Kernstown and Manas Manas- sas Riding up to the side of an elderly looking gentleman in ir clerical cloth standing in front ol of the main marn entrance to the institute tute Major Jackson wheeled his horse and facing his battalion as ashe ashe ashe he raised his cap said Let us pray The venerable Dr White pastor pas tor of the Presbyterian church then stepped forward and baring his gray locks to the sun poured forth a feeling prayer It was a memorable scene Just as the clergyman pronounced the AmEn Jackson wheeled his horse and in a short crisp manner man ner net gave the command Forward Forward For Fut ward march Waving a silent adieu to the assembled crowd he herode herode herode rode off oft at the head of the col That was the thelast last time his gaze fell feU upon the town of Lex Lex- ington