Battle of New Market
New Market, Shenandoah County, Virginia, USA
What happened
Confederate forces under John C. Breckinridge, including cadets from the Virginia Military Institute, fought a Union army under Franz Sigel. Breckinridge's smaller army attacked Sigel's men near the town of New Market. The Confederates pushed the Union line back through the town, and when Union counterattacks stalled, Sigel withdrew. About 247 VMI cadets marched 80 miles to take part.
Why it matters
Why it matters: The win let farmers in the valley harvest crops for Robert E. Lee's army. It also protected Lee's supply lines for a few weeks.
What came next
Grant replaced Sigel with David Hunter, who later took Staunton. VMI remembers its fallen cadets every 15 May.
Did you know?
Part of the battlefield is called the 'Field of Lost Shoes' because the cadets lost their shoes in the mud.
Timeline
- 15 May 1864Battle of New Market.
- 5 June 1864Union victory at Piedmont.
- Every 15 MayNew Market Day at VMI.