The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-21 00:00:00

General Lee at Lexington.

A. letter from Lexington- , Virginia, dated the 2d
inst., gives the subjoined account of the installation
of General Lee as president of Washington
College :

General Robert E. Lee was to-day installed Pre-.
sident of Washington College. There was no
pomp or parade. The exercises of installation
were the simplest possible—and exact and barren
compliance with the required formula of taking the
oath by the new president, and nothing more. It was
proposed tc have the installation take place in the
college chapel, to send invitations far and wide, to have
a band of music to play enlivening airs, to have young
gir:s, robed in white and bearing chaplets of flowers,
to sing songs of welcome, to have congratulatory
speeches, to make it a grand holiday. That the pro-
posed programme was not carried out was a source
of severe disappointment to many. But Gen. Lee
had expressed his wishes contrary to the choice and
determination of the college trustees and the multi-
tude, and his wishes were complied with. The in-
stallation took place at 9 a.m. in a recitation room
of the college. In this room were seated the faculty
and students, the ministers of the town churches, a
magistrate and the county clerk, the last two officials
being necessary to the ceremonial. Gen. Lee was in-
ducted into the room by the Board of Trustees. At
his entrance and introduction all in the room rose,
bowed, and then became seated. Prayer by the Rev.
Dr. White, of the Presbyterian church, directly fol-
loWed. To me it was a noticeable fact, and perhaps
worthy of record, that he prayed for the President of
the United States. The prayer ended, Judge Brocken-
brough; chairman of the Board of Trustees, stated
the object of the coming together to instal General
Lee as President
_of Washington. College. He felt
the serious dignity of the occasion, but it was a seri-
ousness and a dignity that should be mingled with
heartfelt joy and gladness. Passing a brief eulogy
on General Lee, and congratulating the Board
and the College, and its present and future students,
on having obtained one so loved and great and
worthy to preside over the college, he said he coald
say a great deal more, had it not been voted
against speech making. During the delivery of
these few words Gen. Lee remained standing, his
arms quietly folded, and calmly and steadfastly look-
ing into the eyes of the speaker. Justice White, at
the instance of Judge Broekenbrough, now admi-
nistered the oath of office to General Lee. For the
benefit of those curious to know the nature of this
new oath to which General Lee has just subscribed,
and as it is brief, I give it entire. It is as follows :
—" I do swear that I will, to the best of my skill
and judgment, faithfully and truly discharge the
duties required of me by an act entitled, " An act for
incorporating the Rector and Trustees of Liberty
Hall Academy, without favour, affection, or par,
tiality. So help me God." To this oath Gen. Lee at
once affixed his signature, with the accompanying
usual jurat of the swearing magistrate appended.
The document in the form stated was handed to
the county clerk for safe and perpetual custodian-
ship, and at the same time the keys of the college
were given by the rector into the keeping of the
new president. A congratulatory shaking of hands
followed, and wound up the day's brief but impres-
sive and memorable ceremonial. President Lee and
those of the trustees present with the faculty now
passed into the room set apart for the former's use
a good-sized room, newly but very plainly and taste-
fully furnished. General Lee was dressed in a plain
elegant suit of grey. His appearance indicated the
enjoyment of good health—better, I should say,
than when he surrendered his army at Appomattox
Court-house, the first and only occasion before the
present of my having seen him.

Fatal Collision on the London, Chatham,
and Dover Railway.

This (Saturday) morning Mr. Condon, the summoning
officer of Guy's Hospital, waited upon Mr. Payne, the
coroner of London and Southwark, with intelligence of the
following melancholy accident, by which an unfortunate
man was so dreadfully crushed that his death from the first
appeared inevitable :—lt appeared that on the 13th inst. a
man, named Samuel Pilgrim, twenty-four years of age, a
carman, employed by Mr. Harris, of the Angel, Farring-
don-street, was sent with a load of goods to the Black-
friars-road Station of the London, Chatham, and Dover
line, and whilst attending to his business in placing his
parcels in the train, another train came in at a-gentle pace
and drove the unfortunate man against the foremost train,
by which he got terribly crushed, and it was feared from
the first that concussion of the brain had taken place. As
is usual with this company in all cases of accident., a
medical gentleman was sent for, and upon his arrival he
found the man in such a dangerous state that it was deemed
advisable to remove him to Guy's Hospital. To that in-
stitution he was removed, and he died this (Saturday)
morning from the effects of the concussion to the brain.
The accident appears to have been such that no one in
charge of the trains could have prevented it. Tho poor
fellow, it seems, got between the metals just as the hinder-
most train was coming into the station. The coroner has
appointed the inquest to be held on Monday next.