History

At New Market, both Confederate Gen. John C. Breckinridge and Union Gen. Franz Sigel aimed to occupy the high ground. Outnumbered, Breckinridge expected to be attacked at his position on Shirley’s Hill. When that didn’t happen, Breckinridge, rather than wait for Sigel to be reinforced, attacked Sigel by rushing north to the area were the Union line had formed in the middle of Sarah and Jacob Bushong’s farm. “We can attack and whip them here, and we will do it,” Breckinridge bellowed at one point prior to the engagement, according to the book The Battle of New Market, by Joseph W. A. Whitehorne.

The battle was marked by lots of artillery fire and heavy rain. At one point, according to historical accounts, a Union shell blew a hole in the center of the Confederate line. Roughly 250 VMI cadets, most between ages 17 and 21, rushed in to fill the gap. They helped to repulse a Union charge, then swept forward with the other Confederate troops in a counter attack. The Union army retreated along the old Valley Turnpike to Mount Jackson. The cadets later named the muddy battlefield the Field of Lost Shoes, because so many boots were sucked off their feet in the muck. Union casualties (dead and wounded) were estimated to total 840 compared to 540 for the Confederacy.

The New Market reenactment, one of dozens of Civil War-related events held in the U.S. every year (including at least a half dozen in Virginia), took place this year on May 15. According to Scott Harris, who runs the New Market Battlefield Museum, 1,150 people took part, playing roles as Confederate and Union soldiers and officers, and nearly 3,000 spectators watched.

Why do people take part in reenactments? Most of the participants have a serious interest in the Civil War and say that taking part in a battle re-creation helps to put a flesh-and-bones perspective on events otherwise relegated to history books. “One of my favorite hobbies is reading, especially historical books,” says Marc Ramsey, owner of Owens and Ramsey Booksellers in Richmond and a reenactor for 14 years. “Reenacting allows me, in a manner of speaking, to go back to that time I read about. When I read about a Union regiment trying to outflank a Confederate regiment, I know what it actually looks like. When I read about artillery fire, I have a better idea what it sounded like.” Beyond that, he enjoys the camaraderie of the people—“sleeping under the stars with a crackling fire nearby. So many people with diverse backgrounds, all enjoying the same experience.”