“Put the boys in”: the teenage cadets sent to fight for the Confederacy

VMI’s Teenage Cadets at New Market’s Muddy Battlefield

In May 1864, teenage boys from Virginia Military Institute went to war.

The 257 cadets, some just 15 years old, marched 85 miles to New Market when the Confederacy needed help.

General Breckinridge, torn by doubt, finally sent these students into battle with the words, “Put the boys in, and may God forgive me.”

They charged through mud so thick many lost their shoes, yet still closed a gap in the line and helped win the day. Their bravery cost them dearly – 57 wounded and 10 dead.

The “Field of Lost Shoes” remains at New Market Battlefield State Park, where you can walk the same ground these young cadets crossed on that fateful spring day.

Teenage Cadets Got Urgent Telegram on Stonewall’s Death Anniversary

VMI boss Francis Smith got a telegram from Confederate General Breckinridge on May 10, 1864. He asked for help from the cadets and artillery right away.

This call came exactly one year after Stonewall Jackson died. The boys had just finished grave ceremonies and evening parade.

Cadet John Wise later remembered waking to drums rolling in the dark. Flickering lights cast shadows on walls as they heard the news they’d been waiting for.

Breckinridge warned: “Sigel is moving up the Valley–was at Strasburg last night… I would be glad to have your help at once.

Boys Left School for an 80-Mile Trek North

The VMI cadets started marching from Lexington at 7 a.m. on May 11, 1864. They walked 18 miles that first day and slept near Midway, Virginia.

The group had 257 young men split into four infantry companies and one artillery section. Lieutenant Colonel Scott Shipp led the infantry group on their 36-mile walk to Staunton.

Though the boys tried to act like soldiers, they couldn’t help stomping on creek bridges to make them rock. The cadets ranged from just 15 to 24 years old, with most around 18.

Rain Turned Roads into Thick Mud for Marching Students

On May 12, the Corps walked 18 more miles to Staunton. The next day they pushed another 19 miles to Mt. Crawford near Harrisonburg.

Heavy rain fell from May 11-15, turning roads into what Cadet Jack Stanard called “perfect loblolly” with cadets walking “through like hogs.”

By May 14, the Corps had walked 15 more miles to camp at Mt. Tabor, just seven miles south of New Market.

These young men covered nearly 80 miles in four straight days, walking 18-20 miles daily through awful conditions.

Veterans Made Fun of Clean-Cut Cadets as Easy Targets

General Breckinridge gathered a mix of 4,100 men to face the Union threat.

His force included two infantry groups led by Generals Wharton and Echols, cavalry under General Imboden, and the VMI cadets.

The older soldiers teased the cadets about their youth, clean uniforms, and shiny guns, calling them easy targets. Lieutenant Colonel Shipp led the cadet group of 247 fighters plus a two-gun artillery section.

They faced Union General Sigel’s force of 9,000-10,000 Federal troops moving south through the Shenandoah Valley to cut supply lines.

Sunday Morning Brought the Sound of Cannon Fire

The Corps got to New Market on Sunday morning, May 15, 1864, after walking nearly 85 miles from school. The two armies met south of New Market around mid-morning.

Union forces took spots on Manor’s Hill near the North Fork of the Shenandoah River. Breckinridge put Wharton’s group on the left and Patton’s group on the right.

He kept the VMI cadets in reserve, hoping to keep them out of fighting.

Throughout the morning, both sides fired guns and cannons across the wet wheat fields of the Bushong farm.

A Dangerous Gap Opened in the Confederate Line

Union troops firing from Bushong’s Hill hit the Confederate line hard with cannons and guns, creating a 100-yard gap where Virginia soldiers had backed up.

Breckinridge faced a crisis with no other men to fill the hole.

At first, he told Major Semple no when asked about sending in the cadets, saying “This will not do… I cannot put them in such fire as our center will get.”

Sigel tried to attack twice, but both tries failed.

His cavalry got pushed back by Confederate cannons, and his foot soldiers got confused when Sigel shouted orders in German.

Breckinridge Made a Choice He Hoped God Would Forgive

With no other options, Breckinridge reluctantly ordered the VMI cadet group to fill the gap in his line. He reportedly said, “Put the boys in, and may God forgive me for the order.”

Before the attack, he rode up to the young cadets saying, “Young gentlemen, I hope we won’t need you, but if we do, I trust you’ll do your duty.”

As the group moved toward the Bushong orchard, Lieutenant Colonel Shipp got hurt and Captain Wise took over. The cadets showed their white battle flag while the band played to lift their spirits.

Many Cadets Lost Their Shoes in the Muddy Wheat Field

After 3:00 p.m., Breckinridge told his entire line to charge across the muddy field near Bushong’s orchard. Many cadets lost their shoes in the thick mud of the fresh-plowed soil, soaked by days of rain.

This created the famous “Field of Lost Shoes” that lives on in Civil War stories.

Captain Preston later recalled: “When we got within four hundred yards of their line three of our boys fell dead from one shell, Cabell, Jones, and Crockett; and fifty yards further on McDowell fell shot through the heart.”

Private Jack Stanard fell with a broken leg while Private Jefferson got shot in the stomach.

Ten Young Men Died for Victory

The cadets helped close the gap in the Confederate line, letting Breckinridge’s forces regroup and push back the Union army. Sigel’s troops ran across the flooded Shenandoah River, burning the bridge behind them.

Five cadets died on the battlefield: William Cabell, Charles Crockett, Henry Jones, William McDowell, and Jack Stanard.

In total, 10 cadets died from wounds, with another 45-47 hurt out of the 257 who fought. Union losses reached about 744 while Confederate losses totaled 588.

A Friend Walked Miles to Find a Cart for His Dying Classmate

The Corps spent May 16-17 caring for their hurt friends and burying their dead. Cadet Moses Ezekiel found his wounded friend Thomas Jefferson after the battle.

He walked miles to find a cart to carry Jefferson to the Clinedinst home for medical care. Eliza Clinedinst took care of the dying Jefferson in her home.

Ezekiel stayed by his side, reading from the Bible until Jefferson died on May 18. The six cadets killed in action were first buried in St. Matthew’s Lutheran Cemetery in New Market.

Among the dead was Thomas Garland Jefferson, great-great-nephew of President Thomas Jefferson, and William McDowell, who later inspired the novel “The Ghost Cadet.”

VMI Still Honors Their Sacrifice With a Special Roll Call

The cadets got orders to go to Richmond where President Jefferson Davis and Virginia Governor William Smith honored them. They received new colors to replace their bullet-riddled banner.

The Corps returned to VMI just as Union General David Hunter attacked and burned the Institute on June 12, 1864.

In 1866, the dead cadets were moved to VMI and buried beneath a monument called “Virginia Mourning Her Dead,” created by battle veteran Moses Ezekiel. Every year on May 15, VMI holds a New Market Day ceremony.

Current cadets answer roll call for the ten fallen with “Died on the field of honor, sir.”

The Battle of New Market stands as the only time in American history that an entire school’s student body fought as an organized combat unit.

Visiting Shenandoah Valley Battlefields National Historic District, Virginia

The New Market Battlefield at 8895 George Collins Parkway tells the story of 257 VMI cadets who marched 85 miles to fight in 1864.

Your $12 ticket gets you into the Hall of Valor Museum, the 1825 Bushong farmhouse where a family hid in their basement during battle, and two one-mile walking trails with markers.

The Emmy-winning film “Field of Lost Shoes” plays every hour from 9am to 5pm daily.

This article was created with AI assistance and human editing.

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