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144 Years Ago
By Bull Nav
The Battle of New Market, 15 MAY 1864.
(John) From LtCol P's hometown rag, Readers Touch on Significant Points of Military History --
Recent columns have included information about the Marine Corps during the Civil War, and W.E. Crocken of Roanoke wrote that his "ancestors have a long record with the U.S. Marine Corps, and I thought it appropriate to share some family history with you. In brief, my great-grandfather, James Henry Crocken, served in the Corps for 20 years (1834 54). Following his discharge from his fourth re-enlistment, he was employed by the Virginia Military Institute as a musician (fifer), Ordnance and Quartermaster Sergeant and Manager of the Sutlers Store. He was the fifer at the Battle of New Market" on May 15, 1864.New Market was the introduction to combat of the 258-man Cadet Corps of Virginia Military Institute. The young gentlemen of the corps acquitted themselves with distinction. They filled part of the line of attack and came under murderous fire from Union artillery. The cadets refused to stop their attack, in spite of suffering about 20 percent casualties: 10 cadets were killed and 47 wounded. The Confederate forces ended a threat to the Shenandoah Valley and Gen. Robert E. Lee's source of food for his Army.
Crocken's account continues: "When VMI reopened after the war, he [great-grandfather James Henry Crocken] established and managed the Sutlers Store at the Institute until July of 1882. He left VMI in July of 1882 to return 17 Dec., 1884, again as Ordnance and QM Sgt. He replaced a Mr. Hook. His salary ... was set at $35 per month. He terminated his affiliation with VMI on 1 August, 1886, when his bid for the Sutler's concession was not accepted."
The story of a life well-spent ends, "Finally, James Henry Crocken raised his family of 10 children in Lexington, Virginia. His son, William Jacob Crocken (my grandfather), graduated from VMI in 1887 -- his diploma hangs on a wall in my office."
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Comments
I drove by there friday afternoon and the reenactors were setting up their camps. It looked impressive.
I wish I could have stopped and looked around but no place to park a tanker truck loaded with Hazmat, so kept going to Florida. Maybe someday I can stop and see it up close.
Maybe I'm just missing it, but I can't find anything on the VMI website about the 2008 New Market Ceremony. No pictures, no articles. But they have photos of graduation & commissioning ceremonies already posted.
I attended a new cadet recruiting event last fall put on by VMI personnel and New Market was never mentioned there either. When I asked a VMI officer about it after the presentation, his response was basically that they would consider adding that in the future.
When I was a pre-strain, VMI proudly talked about New Market and it was a significant reason I chose to attend there. I don't know VMI's intent, but it seems like they may be trying to minimize the public's exposure to the history of New Market. I hope that's not true.
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AMEN. We remember our fallen, as we think of those still overseas. Let us see them home this time next year, safe and sound, and the nation one step closer to victory.