Battle of New Market
May 15, 1864
The Charge of the New Market Cadets, by Benjamin West Clinedinst (Courtesy of the VMI Museum)
Description:
As a part of his spring offensive against Gen. Robert E. Lee’s army, Union Gen. Ulysses S. Grant ordered Gen. Franz Sigel to move through the Shenandoah Valley along the Valley Pike and destroy the railroad and canal complex at Lynchburg. At New Market on May 15, Sigel was blocked by a makeshift Confederate force commanded by Gen. Breckinridge. Breckinridge seized the initiative and attacked Sigel’s numerically superior force, driving them out of town and onto the hills to the north. Attacks by Federal cavalry and infantry failed. At a crucial point, a Federal battery was withdrawn from the line to replenish its ammunition, leaving a gap that Breckinridge was quick to exploit. He ordered his entire force forward, including the Virginia Military Institute (VMI) Cadet Battalion, causing Sigel's line to break. Threatened by the Confederate cavalry on his left flank and rear, Sigel ordered a general withdrawal, burning the North Fork Bridge behind him as he retreated north to Cedar Creek.
Significance:
Sigel’s defeat resulted in his relief of command and replacement by Gen. David Hunter. The Battle of New Market was one of the last major Confederate victories in the Shenandoah Valley and was the only instance in American history where a student body—the VMI Corps of Cadets—participated in a pitched battle. At the center of the Confederate line, the young cadets were steady under fire and exhibited impressive valor on the field.
The Battlefield Today:
To learn more about the New Market battlefield today, click here
Visitor Information:
Virginia Museum of the Civil War
New Market Battlefield State Historical Park
8895 Georg Collins Parkway, New Market, Virginia 22844
1-866-515-1864
Self-Guided Tours: A podcast tour of the Battle of New Market is available at civilwartraveler.com/audio
