Exact Placement

It’s one thing to place a soldier on a battlefield, but quite another to determine the exact location of where he was wounded, killed, or acted in some way that caught the attention of their superiors.

Case in point: Virginia Military Institute cadet Sam Shriver. Various sources note that he was wounded in action at the Battle of New Market. He and his fellow cadets played a significant role during the engagement. The boys had a busy day. Initially held in reserve, they later were ordered to the front lines and helped to drive back an enemy advance.

Shriver could have become injured at several points in the battle. My research led me to speculate that he was likely wounded during the key point in the battle. But without any source to place him there, I could not include this speculation in his profile.

Shriver’s story might have ended with the general notation that he was wounded at New Market. But it didn’t. I found The New Market Campaign by Edward Raymond Turner, published in 1912. Initially impressed by the book’s research, I was disappointed that the index included only a minor reference to Shriver. Then I noticed several appendices. Intrigued, I carefully scanned them. On page 148 I hit the jackpot: A cadet letter describing his experience during the key part of the battle. His observations included Shriver’s advance out in front of his company, and the moment he was struck down by a musket ball.

I could not have asked for anything more. Well, maybe one more thing: A second source. However, I’ve learned that this level of information is a rare find, and typically is the only one of its kind.