The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1868-06-18
Trnox. oua spro1AI aEtonTEa:1

II =
/ memories which '.a good old reber loves TO
Ed1el; upon. There was scarcely o stream or
lmountain which your. correspondent could t
lnot associate with some incident iof our
Ilgreat struggle. But as the iron = horse
ldasles : on through .Abemarle, With jug
lisplendid farms, Ivy. the nobler University Soi
lvrginis. through the great tunnel into the
beautiful "Vslley Of Virginia, and past staun-
Iton nesting in tfc hills ones thoughta are
I!diYerted to;mors peaceful scenes. From Go
lishan to Lexington, q distaEce Of twenty miles.
| he staging is vely rcEsn, but, the sosneryis
grand beyond description. The road runs
along the zbanks Of North River, through 9
marrow aefle with mountains piled up on
lleithor side, and producing scenery which, in
sublimity and beauty. is scarcely e1celied by
any Of the Alpine passes We pass also the
|t,Rockbridge Baths oneof the most Sbeauti-
fuI summer resorts in the mountains. by
sripwas enliveasd by the company ofMr. W. w.
Scott, of the Lexington Gazette. and Dr.. Geo.
/ Nv. Bsgby (..Mosis AdumsD) D, Of the "Native
Hirginian,s who, by Che way, has been treat
ing the good people Of Lexington to his lee
turesson eThe Disease eioalIed Love and, "Ba7
con aud Green's" sst, .estr,:r, w "a rs
Lexington As certainly one OF the prettiest
little towns in America. Many OF it's houses
ARE antiauaseds in sd,needof paint, and
ths streets are not 30 well paved as Broadway,
but the view 5of The town as it ats upon the
hills, surrounded by it's fringe Of green and
sentinelled by grand oldmountsins in the dis
lance, is worth coming go long a way to gaze
upon. The first object Of interest to the
stranger, as he enters Lexington, is the vir-
kinis Military institute, ,located upon hill
overlooking Tie town. The buildings were ad-
mirabIyy; designed for. beauty, comfort and con.
9enicnoe.awhen Hunter, the Vandai," las
he, will y ever y be known in this l!val,
ieyl, applied the torch which reduced
Them to ashes. The untiring energy and
Splendid 9busiBess tact jofr General Smith,
Superintendent Of the Institute, are, however,
fast restoring the buildings TO more than their
pristine glory They haye'during the present
dession ne ,rly three hundred; cadets, and are
expecting next session srill larger number.
And the unqualified testimony of the citizens
here is, TINT there were never collected together
d more orderly, we'll behaved sst of young men.
learn that for two years not one single COM
l,laint against cadet .has been made either;to
/ the civil or military authorities. This good
order is due largely to the strict discipline OF
the Institute, but scarcely less TO the high tone
Of honor which seems to ,peryade the corps.
Washington College is on the same range OF
hills astthe Institute, but. t.nearer the town.
The buildings were amply sufficient for the
purposes Of the College beforesthe war, but
utterly inadequate to the new order Of things
Introduced since General Lee became its preai-
dent. The Collegv sprung from old Liberty
Hall Academy which was chartered in 1882
and was in, quite a. lourishing condition when,
ID 1785, Washington bequeathed to it one huwn- w
deed sharos in the James, River Navigation
Company The fchsrter and name Of the
academy was changed into .'Washington Col
lege," in bonor'6f~itst great benefactor. The
.dpincinnah Society" icomposed OF old Reyolu-
hbnary solders) followed the example of their
Filiustrious chief, and conferred upon the Col
ldge the funds remaining In their treasury at
the dissolution OF their society. In 1896
John Robinson Esq, OF Book ckbridge County
himself revolutionary soldier-begueathed
I'd Washington College o valuable estate
and at the same ifiaieH established fund for
tie foundation Of the prrizs medals, which are
stail known;Sy his name. Up TO the beginning
Of the war, Washington College enjoyed q
good degree OF patronage, and numbered
among its Alumni not . few illustrious names.
at tho breaking out Of the late war Rev. DR..
Jdnkin was president of tho college, and took
q most prominent. part against thee'secession
mbvement. The day that the news Of the Sc.
cessions OF EFirginis reached Lexington, the
students hoisteilfa Southern flag upon the
college, which 30 incensed the president, that
he ats6nce resigned bis position and .Rent
North. The students organized the 'LbertY
BAN Guards" elecsed Professor White their
Captain, and as members OF the famous
'Ttonemal Brigade" bore o most gallant and
cohspicuous part in the great contest. Du-
ring the war the halls Of Washington
College were OPEN to boys exempt
from military SERVICE, until Hunter
stripped the library and destroyed their appa-
rssus. When, at the dose Of the war, the
trustees met to consider The interests OF the
college, the h.ppy idea'of calling General Ice
to the presidency was suggested and carried
out. 1t was brilliant conception to link the
name of Lee With that of Washington, and
bring his mighty influence to the college,
while, al the samo time at offered the old hero
quiet retreat where he could earn an honest
livelihood in working fol. the good Of tho rising
generation. The effects Of this wise policy
have been most striking. The!number of stu.
dents during the session justclosing is four
hundred and ton, the coprse ofsstudy has beon
widened, and the standard of scholarship great
lyraisea, while the corps of instructors has bcc1
increased from five to. twenty-five. But moro
about thecollege-in the accounts shall send
you Of the approaching commencement" e1-
ercises, which begin tomorrow with the dedi-
cation of the new chapel and the ''Baccalaureate
sermon" preached by Rev. DR.. Minnegerose,
.of Richmond. 0fcourse no one comes to LEX
i1stoIi without visiting the grave Of Stonewall
Jackson, whose remains quietly rest in the
cemetery Of the town he loved 20 nell, and