Wilmington journal., 1876-06-30
PKESk DENT OF THE UNgVEH.
&GfK
from the Raleigh News I

Hon. Kemp Plummer Battle, PresiA
dent OF the University of North Caro-
lima, is the oldest son of Hon. William
H. Battle, President Of the Raleigh
National Bank, for many years one of
the Judges Of the Supreme Court Of
this State. He Was born near Louis
burg, i'll Franklin county, on the 10Th
Of December 1881, aud is therefore
about the age of the rail- DAD system in
the United States. He lived until he
was eight years old in Louisbnrg or it-
vicinity, his father then removing to
Raleigh. He resided here about four
years, when his father changing his
residence to Chapel Hill, he lived
there until 1854. when he adopted
Raleigh as his home. His school
teachers were successiyely the veneer
able Mrs. Harriet B. Bobbitt, now Iiv-
ing, Rev. Edwin Geer, Messrs. John
G. Hicks. SiIas Bigelow. J. M. Love
Joy, A. g. Brown and r. Don Wilson.
He entered college in June, 1S45,
and graduated in 1S49 with the dis
tinction in all his studies. His sharers
in the honor were Messrs. Peter NJ
Hale aud T. j. Robinson, Mr.. Battle
delivering the valedictory.
After graduating Mr.. Battle was for
one session Tutor of Latin and Greek
and .hen was chosen Tutor of Mathe-
matics, and held this position for four
years, dnring tie palmiest days of the
University. We are informed by his
pupils that he wag remarkably success
full in keeping order in his classes and
making his studies attractive. Among
these pupils many have become among
our best citizens, for example, Colonel
Esq, DIR. James b. Hughes, Major
A. W. Lawrence, Colonel W. l.. Saun-
ders. w. w. PEBBLES, Esq, Colonel
McIver, j. i Moralead. Esq Colonel
J. ]. Scales, Hon. A. NJ. Waddell, Col
onel ". E. Anderson. r. IT. Battle,
Jr.. joseph A. Engelhard. w. j. Mont
gomery, Colonel William Bingham.
Dowd. Colonel J. B. Killebrew, Major
Robert Bingham. Captain John E.
Digger, b: F. Grady, Ed, Major
JOHN ". Graham, W. 8. Norment,
E g.. W. l.. Twitty, Esq, and many
others.
Mr. Battle resigned his post in
June. 1854, and having lleady OBJ
tanned license to practice law In all the
courts of the state, he located in Raj
eigh. Mr.. Battle was not long i'm OBJ
tanning a good business at the bar,
lich rapidly increased until at the
time of his election to the Office of
Treasurer of the St,te, he, with his
co partner, r. Fl. Battle, Jr., ESQ
had as large a share as any other firm
in Raleigh. In the organization of
the Bank of North Carolina, Mr.. Bat
tie, young as he was, enjoyed the dis
tinctiOn of being among it's first dirac-
tors, being chosen along with such
veterans as Geo. W. Mordecai, Geo.
e. Badger, j. III Bryan, B. F. Moore,
and others About this time he was
appointed director of the Insane
Asylum of North Carolina, and served |
several years on its executive !
In 1860 Mr.. Battle entered the
stormy field of politics. He ran for |
a seat in the General Assembly, and |
although he failed of an election by
three votes, he. with his colleagues,
succ eded in changing hundreds of |
votes and carried the. county for the
Wing candidate. This campaign will
be remembered S. one of the most
pluckv and exciting in the history of
he county. A document prepared by
Mr.. Battle, called 'Ad NaIorem ex-
planned by Questions and Answers"
vas SO highly approved that fifty
thousand copies were ordered by the
Wbig Executive Committee for distri-
,ution. Mr.. Battle was a decided
Union man until the proclamation of
President Lincoln, calling for $4,000
roops. being in the spring of
SCI President OF the Union Club
f Wake county; but Oh that
in common with all
be leading men of his party he con- 4,
luded to go with the South, and was 1
lected delegate to the Convention of ,
SOL, pledging to sec csssion and his
ams is appended to the secession or
nance Immediately following that of
ne distinguished Geo. 2. Badger. 7
[e took a prominent part in that
acting with the Conssrva-
We party, headed by Mr.. Badger, the
tie Gov. Graham and others party &
hich in 1862, by q large majority, c
ected Col. Vance, Governor. All J
lrough the war he was warm supp
orter of Governor Vance, who relied Q
uch on his 5udgment. on one occasion t
hen the eonscript officers threatened .
disregard the mandates Of the =
ourts of North Carolina in ha6eas =
'rpus proceedings, sending him in .
injunction with Governor Bragg on s
mission to President Davis to pro- O