Bruce,

Good to hear from you!

Your enrollment numbers are correct. However, pension records reflect that on the day prior to the Battle of Natural Bridge, the size of the corps was expanded by a number of new enlistments. John Milton (son of Governor John Milton), for example, joined the cadet corps on March 5, 1865, as did a number of others. They served with it through the rest of the war.

When you combine those already enrolled with those who are verified as having joined on March 5, 1865, when the city was in a state of emergency, you come up with the final list I put together.

Obviously not all of these were at Natural Bridge as the pension records of some of the younger ones mention they were purposefully kept back to perform other duties in Tallahassee during the battle. Those who actually fought were generally 15 years of age or older.

The actual number I can verify as serving under the banner of the cadets on March 6, 1865 (whether in Tallahassee or on the Battlefield) is 51.

I devote quite a bit of attention to the cadets in the new book and, I think, I have cleared up some of the murkiness about them.

Best,
Dale