The Cadet Corps of the Virginia Military Institute was marched to Richmond in
April 1861 under the command of Major (later Lt. Gen.) Thomas J. Jackson. Upon
arrival a portion was quartered at "Camp Lee"
and served as drillmasters for incoming Confederate soldiers. Another portion
was posted at the Richmond College (later the Louisiana
Hospital) and served as instructors in artillery. Jackson was promoted to
Colonel and ordered to Harper's Ferry, at which time Col. William Gilham
(Commandant of the Cadet Corps) exercised control over the cadets. Gilham had
written a drill manual for use of Virginia troops, and the cadets trained
recruits using his drill methods. Later in the war, after the cadets had fought
at the Battle of New Market, their barracks in Lexington were destroyed in a
raid by Union forces in the Shenandoah Valley. At this time, the cadets made
their way to Richmond where they were given barracks at the Richmond Alms house
(General Hospital #1). This building (which
still stands) is the only other building ever to serve as VMI's barracks. They
served as active duty troops up till the evacuation of Richmond, when they were
some of the last Confederate units to evacuate the city. Upon the evacuation,
the corps was disbanded, and returned to their barracks at Lexington the next
year.
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
1/8/1861; Governor Letcher extols the virtues of VMI and its
utility to the State |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
4/23/1861; train has left the
Fredericksburg depot to convey the VMI cadets to Richmond |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
4/24/1861; VMI cadets have arrived
in Richmond and are quartered at the Fair Grounds (Camp Lee) and parade
for the Governor on Capitol Square |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
4/26/1861; VMI cadets are drilling
recruits at the Fair Grounds (Camp Lee) |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
4/27/1861; list of troops at the new fair
grounds (Camp Lee); Col. Gilham is in command, and VMI cadets present |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
4/27/1861; all VMI graduates and ex-cadets can
find employment at the Camp of Instruction (Camp Lee) |
|
Richmond Dispatch |
4/29/1861; long article describing the “Hermitage Camp of Instruction” (Camp
Lee) and praising the VMI cadets who have drilled the volunteers there. |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
5/3/1861; list of southern cadets who have left
West Point, as well as those who refused to take the oath and resigned.
Pelham and T. P. Turner are amongst the number |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
5/3/1861; prospective VMI cadets can apply to
the acting superintendent in Richmond - notes that the academic schedule has
been suspended, and cadets thus admitted will be trained free of charge
until the corps returns to Lexington |
|
Richmond
Whig |
5/22/1861; Camp of Instruction (Camp Lee) described. VMI
cadets praised. |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
5/31/1861; notes on the present state of
affairs at VMI, and advertises for new cadets - gives a table of tuition and
fees |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
6/25/1861; Col. Gilham of VMI,
currently commandant of Camp of Instruction, is raising an infantry
regiment |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
7/6/1861; Gov. Letcher appoints VMI
officers to the Provisional Army of Virginia |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
7/8/1861; West & Johnston's has
published 10,000 copies of Gilham's manual |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
7/10/1861; military school has been
set up at UVA - commanded by VMI graduate |
|
Gen.
John H. Winder CSR , M331 |
7/16, 18/1861; Gen. J. H. Winder
assigned to "Camp of Instruction" to relieve Col. Gilham; two
days later relieved by Col. Dimmock. |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
7/20/1861; Sergeant from the
Richmond Zouaves returns to Richmond to fill up their ranks. They are
commanded by a graduate of VMI |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
9/12/1861; Artillery company of VMI
alumni is being formed |
|
Richmond
Dispatch |
9/12/1861; VMI Board of Visitors
meets again to decide the fate of the Institute during the war; notes
professors engaged in service, and mistakes J. E. Johnston for T. J. Jackson |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
9/21/1861; VMI Board of Visitors is still
meeting trying to figure out how to re-organize - cadets are serving as
drillmasters |
|
Richmond
Whig |
7/18/1862; VMI cadets contribute
$177.50 for the sick and wounded soldiers. |
|
Richmond
Enquirer |
12/2/1862; Col. Gilham has produced a new ink,
which is sold by West & Johnson's |
|
Richmond
Whig |
5/17/1864; dispatches from the
Battle of New Market, describing the VMI cadets' role in the battle there |
|
Richmond
Whig |
5/21/1864; seven VMI cadets have
died to date after the Battle of New Market |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
5/25/1864; VMI cadets parade at Capitol Square
following the Battle of New Market |
|
Richmond
Examiner |
5/25/1864; VMI cadets arrive in Richmond and
parade in Capitol Square and hear speeches from Governor Smith and President
Davis |
|
Richmond
Whig |
5/25/1864; VMI cadets parade in
Capitol Square and are reviewed by President Davis. Afterwards, they listen
to a speech from Governor Smith |
|
Richmond
Whig |
5/26/1864; VMI cadets were quartered
at Camp Lee before being put under Brig. Gen. Custis Lee's command and given
new uniforms by the Secretary of War |
|
Richmond
Examiner |
5/28/1864; VMI cadets parade and receive a new
stand of colors |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
5/28/1864; VMI cadets parade and receive a new
stand of colors |
|
Richmond
Whig |
5/28/1864; VMI cadets parade in
Capitol Square and receive a new Virginia flag from Governor Smith and Gen.
Bragg |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
6/16/1864; brief notice of the
burning of VMI buildings at Lexington. Cadets are presently at "Rope Ferry,
Balcony Falls" |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
6/24/1864; Gen. Smith of VMI says
that the Institute's buildings were not much damaged, and many of the
academic apparatus was saved |
|
New
York Herald |
7/4/1864; war news - notes the destruction
(during Hunter's Shenandoah Valley raid) of the Virginia Military Institute
and a branch of the Tredegar Iron Works at Buchanan |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
11/12/1864; VMI will
commence its term starting Dec. 1 at the Alms House; all faculty and cadets
requested to report at that time |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
11/12/1864; order from
Superintendent of VMI for cadets and faculty to report to the Alms House
for the next term, and details financial arrangements |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
12/5/1864; VMI Board of
Visitors approves the occupation of the Alms House, and city agrees to
rent it to them |
|
Richmond
Sentinel |
12/18/1864; Alms House
rented to VMI for $15,000 a year |
|
Hughes, Thomas. A Boy's
Experiences in the Civil War 1860-1865, 1904 |
late 1864;
excellent description of the VMI cadets' use of the Alms House as barracks
and classrooms and cadet life in general; also mentions the cadets tending
Confederate graves in Hollywood cemetery after the war |
|
OR, Series IV, Vol. 3, p. 1093 |
2/17/1865; J. T. L. Preston, Acting Superintendent of VMI,
offers the services of the corps in training negro troops and cites the corps'
previous experience as drillmasters in 1861 and notes that they drilled 15,000
recruits in 2 months. |
|
National
Archives, RG 109 |
3/16/1865; Jackson Battalion (black
Confederates) moved from Jackson Hospital to the front, under the command
of Col. Ship, commanding the VMI Corps. Reports on their good conduct |
|
OR, Series IV, Vol. 3, p. 1194 |
4/2/1865; T.P. Turner writes about raising negro troops |
|
Southern Historical Society Papers
Vol.
13 (1885), p. 247. |
Ewell, Richard S. "Evacuation of Richmond: Report of
General R. S. Ewell." Letter from Ewell to Robert E. Lee, December 20, 1865.
Notes on VMI cadets being some of the last soldiers in Richmond. |
|
Southern Historical Society Papers
26, 1898, pp. 241- 246 |
Shields, John C. "The Old Camp
Lee." Reprint from Richmond Dispatch, 22 May 1898 |
