Show the virginia military institute looks back over its years of stirring history as west point of the south ry ff 7 X V 3 4 a 4 ue V Q 0 aa 0 v W A Z M W A view of the parade ground of virginia military institute the west point of the south wl with th its 70 cadets cabets staging their final review before the summer quarter begins in the background are the barracks barrack where they live by ELMO SCOTT WATSON released by western newspaper union TS official name is the virginia military institute but I 1 ITS down in dixie everyone knows what youre talking about when you refer to the V M I 1 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 although it is officially only years old this year its history really goes back to 1798 when the general assembly of the state of virginia provided for two more arsenals 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 it was decided to place one of them in in the city of lexington and a reservation of about 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 school at the arsenal roosevelt to speak so the assembly passed legislation establishing the virginia military institute there the first corps of cadets cabets w was a s mustered into service on november 11 1839 1039 and it is is on november 11 of this year that the climax of the centennial celebration will come with president roosevelt going to lexington to deliver the principal address there were only 23 young cadets cabets at first then 31 and gradually the enrollment increased although only 58 men had been graduated from V M I 1 when the mexican war broke out 25 of these went into service at once and distinguished themselves in that war on august 13 1851 there came to lexington a man whose name was destined to become a part of V M I 1 tradition he was bre vet major thomas J jackson of the first regiment of united states artillery who had made a brilliant record in in the mexican war he had been appointed professor of natural philosophy and artillery tactics obtained a furlough for nine months to accept this position and finally in in february 1852 resigned from the army to remain at V M I 1 at the outbreak of the war between the states there were 1902 living former cadets cabets at V M I 1 and although 94 per cent of these served in the confederate army it is is recorded that 15 of them put on the union blue when virginia seceded from the union in in april 1861 the corps of cadets cabets marched to richmond to enroll in the confederate service and they marched there under the leadership of their professor of natural pi philosophy and artillery tac tactics three months later this professor was to win win immortality as stonewall jackson at the battle of bull run the cadets cabets were used to in instruct and drill volunteers but many of them rapidly advanced in in rank in the various branches of the confederate service service it soon became apparent that the south would have need for a training school to supply skilled and trained officers for the gray army so V M 1 I was reopened at the beginning of 1862 1861 heroic schoolboys two years later the cadets cabets were called upon for another service and as the result of it V M 1 I is is the only school in the world entitled to wear an active service pennant on its flag it won that right in a battle which wis was fought just 75 years ago lacot may the battle of new market where the repeated charges of these beardless lads was one of the most 1 heroic incidents in american military annals it came about in may 1864 when w hen lee had just commenced his death grapple with grant which was to end within a year at appomattox all of his available forces had been engaged in the peninsula campaign and concentrated cent rated for the defense of the confederate capital valuable supplies for this great army were being furnished by the rich valley of virginia the granary of the confederacy early in may the federal commander comander in general sigel with about troops proceeded southward down the valley pike to cut off this source of supply general lee detailed gen john C breckenridge with less than men to stop this advance and to protect the lines of communication muni cation from staunton to richmond on may 10 1864 the superintendent of V M I 1 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 tion in the general column in in rear of echols brigade after proceeding up the valley pike a distance of some six miles a halt was called the troops remaining on the side of the road two or three hours the federal troops failing to advance as had been expected general breckenridge proceeded to attack the enemy at 1230 p m in the general vicinity of new market general breckenridge formed his infantry in two lines whar tons brigade of infantry constituted the first line echols brigade including the battalion of cadets cabets the second the cadets cabets were lexi 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 in m by which time the confederate forces of less than men had completely routed the opposing them I 1 the federals retreating across t the ie river three cadet charges the fighting lasted eniy only six hours but it was hot and f furious urious and the confederates carried cai everything ery thing before them by imperil im impetuous charges the cadet corps being called upon to make three separate advances all under most withering fire out of men engaged the corps lost 56 killed and wounded it is a well known fact that a casualty of 10 per cent will strain the morale of seasoned troops and yet on this occasion the cadet corps suffered a casualty of nearly 25 per cent without wavering As a battle new market was Z 40 1 10 d 1 1 4 4 N S charge of the virginia military institute cabets cadets at new market va during the war between the states as depleted by mural paint ing in the chapel of the institute it was painted by sir moses ezekiel who as a youth was a member of the corps that fought there ed 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 a section of three inch 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 16 miles at midnight on the fourteenth the thorps received orders to march immediately without beat of drum and as noiselessly as possible and at A em on the fifteenth took asi of minor significance and had no material bearing on the final outcome of the struggle in virginia for soon afterwards the raid of the union general hunter hunted swept through the valley burned the institute buildings and was not checked until he was met by general early at lynchburg but the achievements of these school boys still in their teens who had never before smelled the smoke of battle or seen the carnage of warfare is not only a bright page in V M I 1 history but symbolical of what we like to believe is all that is best in american courage and american devotion to an ideal inextricably woven n with the story of V M 1 I is the story of one of the greatest military gen geniuses luses that america ever produced stonewall jac jackson akson an interesting view of this great soldier while hemal he was professor of natural philosophy and artillery tactics at that institution Is given in these reminiscences of a former student tat at washington college later washington and lee university which appeared many years ago in the wheeling W va register he writes my first recollection of stonewall jackson is when I 1 was a college boy at lexington va in the fall of 1860 1 I am not able to say whether it was the peculiar carriage of the stiff military looking institute professor who daily passed the college grounds that was of chief interest to t the he students of washington colle college ae or whether the stories told of daring and reckless courage in his early military life invested him with a halo of romance and made h him im an object of hero worship in their youthful ua minds old jack as he was fam familiarly called by the cadets cabets and stud students ants was so plain in manner and attire there was so little effort at show his feet were so large and his arms and hands fastened to his body in such an awkward shape that the cadets cabets take much pride in him as a professor they feared him in the lecture room they paid the strictest deference to him on parade but in showing a stranger the sights about the institute a cadet was never known to point W 7 y out old jack as one of the ornaments of the institution he was more popular with the college students students the next spring the fires of war threw their lurid glare over the entire land then it was jackson took a final farewell of never to return until he was brought back to be buried according to his dying request in the valley of virginia the cadets cabets were ordered to the field major jackson was selected to command them after the passage of the ordinance of secession on the seventeenth of april 1861 the war spirit was at fever he heat at in virginia the steady going old town of lexington had suddenly been metamorphosed into a bustling military camp volunteer companies were being organized and every preparation being made for a horrible war but no event of that memorable period has left a more mor e vivid impression upon m my y mind than the departure of the cadet battalion from the military institute it was a bright morning early in may and a vast concourse 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 the drivers mounted with whip in hand waiting for the command to pull out the cadets cabets were e in line their cheeks aglow and their eyes spar sparkling kUng with the expectation of military glory awaiting them poor boys little liitle did they know as they stood there in their bright uniforms and gilt guns shining in the morning sunlight how few of them would be left to answer at the last roll call of the ar army my of northern virginia As they stood thus major jackson mounted on an ordinary looking h horse orse rode up ills his face was as calm and unmoved as ever the thin lips tightly compressed and looking just as he looked at kernstown Kerns town and manassas riding up to the side of an elderly looking gentleman in clerical cloth standing in front of the main entrance to the institute major jackson wheeled his horse and facing his battalion as he raised his cap said let us pray the venerable dr white pastor 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 gave the command forward march waving a silent adieu to the assembled crowd he rode off at the head of the column that was the last time his gaze fell upon the town of le lex ington |