Memorial, Virginia military institute. Biographical sketches of the graduates and élèves of the Virginia military institue who fell during the war between the states

Front matter

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MEMORIAL, VIRGINIA MILITARY INSTITUTE.

Preface

The idea of the following work first found expression in December, 1862, when the Adjutant-General of the State of Virginia, in presenting his annual report to the Legislature included in it an extended memorial of the eleves of the Military Institute, who up to that time had taken part in the service of the Southern Confederacy. This memorial, which had been prepared by General Smith, was widely circulated and eagerly sought after. During the summer of 1865, General Smith, as a partial relief from the heavy care laid upon him by the destruction of the Institute buildings, the erection of which had constituted one part of his life-work, turned to that other part, which no enemy could destroy — the record of those who had gone forth from the now dismantled walls to battle and to die for their country. He felt assured that if an interest had been evinced in such a memorial when the Cause was young, vigorous, and with prospect of success, much more, now that the Cause waslost, would there be felt a deeper and more tender interest in a fuller record, which should include all who fought or died for its dear sake. Acting upon this idea, he prepared short sketches of about four hundred Cadets who had been in service. But the labor of rebuilding the Institute, and the necessity of applying every energy to that object, inter-

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fered with their satisfactory completion. When, in 1871, the Rev. J. L. Johnson issued the Univa'sity Mc}nonal,A\\e. Faculty of the Institute — recognizing the appropriateness of the form of tribute paid therein to the gallant dead of our noble State university — felt that her younger sister could not do better in this respect than to follow her example. Accordingly, the execution of the following work was ordered, in which the plan of the University Memorial, except in a few minor details, has been closely followed. Four of the sketches in this Memorial, by permission of Mr. Johnson, and at the request of the families of the deceased, are copied from that volume.

To carry out the design thus decided upon a committee was appointed, consisting of General F. H. Smith, LL.D., Commodore M. F. Maury, LL.D., Colonel James W. Massie, Colonel Scott Ship, Colonel R. L. Madison, M.D., and Colonel W. E. Cutshaw, to supervise the preparation of the book, examining and deciding upon the sketches. Scarcely was the work begun when one of this number, Colonel Massie, himself a brave and distinguished soldier, found rest from terrible suffering, brought on by exposure in service, and went to join his comrades whose names constitute this record. So, too, when the committee had almost finished their work, another of their number. Commodore Maury, the Pathfinder of the Sea, his anchors not dragging to the last,* came safely to rest " in the haven where he would be." On many of the sketches which he examined were written brief notes, generally expressive of admiration for some brave boy-soldier, who, ere manhood had rendered his military services due to his country, had

I * His last words were, " Do I drag my anchors ?"

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freely given them, and with them his life, an offering of youthful patriotism,

A longer time than was anticipated has been needed for the completion of this work. And now, when at length it goes forth, so numerous are its imperfections that it would be withheld but for the assurance that the principle which prompted its inception, and has carried it through to completion, must commend it, in spite of all defects, to the Southern people. That principle was to rescue from oblivion the names of those fallen Confederate soldiers who were sons of the Virginia Military Institute. In the endeavor to perform this sacred duty many difficulties and discouragements have been encountered. The many changes brought about by the war have made it difficult, in some instances impossible, to get a clue to the residence of any relative or friend of the deceased. And even where this insurmountable obstacle did not present itself, the years which have elapsed since the war have blotted from memory all save salient facts. Hence it has happened that in some cases, where direct communication with the immediate family was possible, they have preferred the simple record of a few lines to any attempt at a formal memoir founded upon the imperfect data in their possession. This will account for the brevity of some of the sketches, though in the majority of cases this brevity is due to lack of information. Honest effort was made to learn all that could be known of each and every one, and all that was learned is faithfully recorded.

Doubtless it would have improved the appearance of the book to throw all these imperfect sketches together in an appendix, but this did not accord with our plan. No distinction of merit, rank, or service determines the position of a name on this roll of honor. It is only a roll-call of the

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Cadets who died for the South ; all have equal honor in this one fact, that they gave up their lives ; each one has his place in ranks ; each one died in the forefront of duty, and it were dishonor to any one to put him in the rear.

When it is remembered that a very large proportion of those whose life-story is here told had not reached years of manhood, so that time for full development of character or opportunity for performance of deed had not been given, there will be no difficulty in understanding the lack of incident in some of the memoirs, their great likeness to each other, and in this their want of that individuality which gives to memoirs, as such, their value. The single interesting event of the young life, its close on the field of battle, being the same in many cases, variety in describing those lives was impossible. To secure as much variety as was practicable, such changes only have been made in the rough memoirs, furnished often by inexperienced writers, as was absolutely necessary; bad shape and awkward expression being preferable to the dead sameness that must have resulted had they all been remodeled by a single hand.

Despite all these difficulties, and the consequent defects of the book, still, it contains many noble memoirs, that ought to be interesting and profitable to all ; stirring accounts of heroic deeds, life-stories of brave, true, tender, great-hearted Christian soldiers, worthy of the imitation of the young, and of the admiration of the older, some of whom were their comrades in arms.

CHARLES D. WALKER.