What was the date of the Battle of New Market?
The Battle of New Market took place on the 15th of May 1864. Union and Confederate forces engaged near New Market, Virginia, during this single day of fighting.
The Battle of New Market took place on the 15th of May 1864. Union and Confederate forces engaged near New Market, Virginia, during this single day of fighting.
Major General Franz Sigel commanded the Union army at the Battle of New Market. Grant ordered Sigel to secure the Shenandoah Valley while he confronted Robert E. Lee elsewhere in the state.
A total of 247 VMI cadets participated in the Battle of New Market. Sixty of these cadets became casualties including five who were killed in action and five more who died later from their wounds.
The battle occurred south of New Market near Manor's Hill and the North Fork of the Shenandoah River. The site is now preserved as the 300-acre New Market Battlefield State Historical Park.
Breckinridge ordered the VMI cadet battalion to fill a gap after massed Union fire disorganized Confederate units and caused parts of his line to retreat. This decision came after initial attacks stalled and the right wing of the 51st Virginia Infantry retreated in confusion.