When was the Battle of New Market fought?
The Battle of New Market was fought on the 15th of May 1864, in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, during the Valley Campaigns of 1864 in the American Civil War.
Questions about Battle of New Market
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Why are VMI cadets famous for the Battle of New Market?
The Battle of New Market is the only instance in American history when a school's student body was deployed as an organized combat unit. Confederate General John C. Breckinridge ordered 247 cadets from the Virginia Military Institute, averaging 18 years of age, to fill a gap in his battle line during the fighting. Of those cadets, 60 became casualties.
What is the Field of Lost Shoes at the Battle of New Market?
The Field of Lost Shoes refers to a muddy field near Bushong's orchard where VMI cadets lost their shoes in the mud while charging Union positions during the battle on the 15th of May 1864. Confederate soldiers watching the charge named the ground after that detail.
Who commanded the Union forces at the Battle of New Market?
Major General Franz Sigel commanded the Army of the Shenandoah at New Market. After the Union defeat, General Ulysses S. Grant replaced Sigel with General David Hunter and reassigned Sigel to command the reserve division at Harpers Ferry.
What were the casualties at the Battle of New Market?
Union casualties totaled 841, including 96 killed, 520 wounded, and 225 captured or missing, a casualty rate of 13.4 percent. Confederate losses were 43 killed, 474 wounded, and 3 missing, or about 13 percent of their force.
What is the Virginia Mourning Her Dead monument at VMI?
Virginia Mourning Her Dead is a sculpture at the Virginia Military Institute commemorating the cadets who fought and died at the Battle of New Market. It was created by Cavaliere Moses Ritter von Ezekiel, VMI Class of 1866, who was himself a veteran of the battle. Six of the ten cadets who died at New Market are buried at that site.