Pinched with permission from Thomas Patton who says
Battle of New Market, May 15 1864
New Market Cadet Captain Benjamin A. Colonna, age 20, (Class of 1864) was the model for this portrait of a "typical New Market Cadet." It depicts the cadet uniform worn in the battle
(VMI Archives)
It's always been odd to me that the Company of Military Historians' color depiction of the cadets just before New Market showed them to be in typical Confederate garb--little by way of formal uniform, multi-colored clothing, etc.
ReplyDeleteBut against this is reasonably contemporary evidence such as the portrait above, and the recorded question by a little girl who asked while the cadets marched through town whether the French Army had finally come to help the Cause! It seems logical to assume the cadets must have been dressed in pretty natty uniforms for her to even ask.
What do you think?
Best regards,
Chris Johnson