The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-11-18
Oa,R LEXINGTON LETTER.
CORRESPONDENCE of the Richmond Dispatch.

County Cour, of Rockbridse -Eadical Tactics
with Conservative Negro Anniversary oil
the Virginia Military lnstitute-Good Order
among the Cadcts-Improvements mt WASH
inGton College.
LEXINGTON, VA, November IL, 1867.
The County Court Of Reckbridge has
been in session for more than week, and
is still sitting.
A case on the docket of the County
Court which is exciting good deal of in
terest is that Of three white men and a
negro charged with attempting to force a
Conservative negro to take al oath to sup
port the Union League" and then Sc
vercly beating the employer of the negro,
who tried to prevent their ncfarious pur-
pose.
The Conservatives CT Rockbridge feel
very much ashamed Of having permitted
the county to be carried by the Radicals,
and when they get another chance will be
pretty certain 10 roll up their full ma jority
of a thousand to twelve hundred.
-Is-------y--..-.- TIC
foundation of tho Virginia Military Insti-
tutc. 1t was observed at the Institute as
a holiday and a season of fcstivity. An
elegant dinner was prepared, and served
up in the mess hall to the intense enjoy
,ioymcnt of the corps Of cadets and q num-
Der Of invited guests. The "aftcr- din
ncr" speeches which were expected did
not come Off. A witty "rdt " remarked
that the first clasSmen and professors were
"too full for utterAnce.' 1t was a source
Of pride and pleasure to think Of the
marked improvements in the buildings and
In ~
since last anniversary day. General Smith
is stiA cnergetically pushing forward the
buildings, and it is hoped that by the next
anniversary no trace Of Hunters vandal-
ism will remain. The corps now number
about $50, and will continue to enlarge as
the capacity of the buildings increases.
Your correspondent takes pleasure in
again bearing testimony to the general
good department OF these young men. On
yesterday, for example, although it was a
holiday, | saw nothing approaching in
temperance CT disorder of any kind among
them.
There are now about 400 students al
Washington College, and weekly additions
to the numbers.
The new clearinghouse is being rapidly
putit, ohA ~ ID S-NpSSsSN ~ - -
January next.
A new residence for General Lee is
under contract, but the work has not yet
been begun.
The young men of the college seem to
be generally of more maturity and better
students than last year. Of course in sc
large number there will be those who pa.
tronize the confectionery shops more than
. Latin, Greek, or mathematics, and who,
alas are seen more frequently hanging
around the bar-room than attending morn
ing prayers. This class occasionally re-
ceive polite notices that General Lee
wishes to SEQ them; and il the kind re-
Dukes Of the honored President do not
avail, their fathers or guardians are ad-
yised to take them home and put them to
work. But as class the students are
very orderly.
For tho past ten days Rev. Cornelius
Tyree, of Powhatan, has been preaching
every night in the Baptist church here.
Mr.. Tyree has displayed his usual earnest
ness and power; the congregations have
been generally large and attentive, a num-
Der have protested conversion, and others
are interested.
The pastor administered the ordinance
OF baptism last Sabbath night in the pre-
sence of an immense crowd, who looked
ON with solemn interest. OCCASIONAL.