The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-06-29

also the many positions with lucrative sal
aries which were urged upon his accept
ance, Il was his intention TO locate in one
~ the Sou,hside counties ~ Virginia,
"ppon a small farm where he might earn
his daily bread" in cultivaiing the soil.
and NJ The same time 60 write history OF
his campaign; not,v as he said. Ito vim
dicaie himself. and promote my own rcpu-
tation. but TO show the world what our
moor bows, with their small numbers and
scant resources, had succeeded in accom-
pli,hing'
But circumstances, then TO him I'M
known, were bringing an event TO pass
which turned over a new and unexpected
leaf in his history; an event which made
a little scion of knowledge which had been
nurturcd through the storms Of the colo
NAL Revolution a great and noble Uni-
yersiiy, and which now has associated in
the glorious WORK OF education, as in glori-
Gus deeds OF arms. the twin names Of Wash
ingtOn and Lee.
IIBERTY-HALL ACADEMY.
II was nearly q century after the settle
ment at jamestown that Governor Spots-
wood, OF Virginia. at the head OF troop
OF horse first explored the hitherto I'M
known land beyond the mountains, and
upon his return from the expedition the
Governor presented 10 each OF his bold com
panions q golden horseshoe. inscribed WIN
The legend. sic JUrCt 1r0iLScehdcTe
V0nfeS.v Is o memorial Of the event, q
circumstance which caused them to be
named i'm history "The Knights OF the
Golden Horseshoe" In August, lIlG,
these adventurous spirits first looked down
from the heights Of the Blue Ridge upon
the beautiful Valley OF Virginia. virgin
land indeed, tenanted only by the rowing
red men.
Glorious must have been The thrill Of
ioy that quic kened their hearts rs the
tcmnting vision lay spread before ihein' ~
their ewes ranged over the fields ana forests
Of this new land Of promise in it. summer
>bccu--a land watcrcd with many rivers,
and especially with that beautiful ana
abOunding river "Thc SHENANDOAH,
which ihe Indians named 1.-THE Daughter
oi Che stars" But prophetic aS nay have
been the glance that saw IN The Irllil-
FIJI valley the future home OF great ana
thriving people. slow were the ioo'Nep,
that followed the pioneers and occupied
the huntng-ground- ola the lcceding In
dians. For in those days immigration was
not quickcncd 10y steam and electricity,
and carly tradition Lad pictured the trans
montale country as barren and gloomy
waste. infested With serpents and Wild
beasts and brutal sayagcS.
Bat crcwhile the report, OF Spot,WooG
and his men went far and wide. and TIE
star OF Empire bc1mcd over the AllcSha-
MES. Aud along in 1870 and lliO we ma
the spray Oi the incoming tide breaking
over the mountainS-thc sturdy Scotch
Irish Tor the most part, with some GermaAS
and EnglishmCn. pouring into the Valley
from PENNSYLVANIA and Eastern Virginia.
and from -he fathcrland, over The water.
Not speculative adventures Wera they,
with tha ambition Of landlords, but bring
ine with them rifle and Bible. wife and
child, and simple household gOOd>-homc-
scckers md homc.buildrIs, who bad heard
OF the go0dly land, and who had come to
stay, and who built the mcctng-housc ana
the scho0l-hOusc side by side when tAey
came. Rough men were they-ready to
hcw their way 20 nee and pleasant home
but in noWIse coarse men; for they were
filled with high purpose, and religion ana
knowledge they knew Should be hand
maids Of each other. And showing their
instructive refinement, where the corn
waved IL tassels and the wheat bowed TO
the wind by their rude log hut' in the
wilderness, there also the vine chmbcreu
and the rose and lily blOOmed.
In 1919, near Grcenevilic, In Augusta
county and Augusta county was then an
empire stretching from The Blue-Rldge
mountains to the Mississippi riyer-in li49
Robert Alexander, a ScOtch-lrish immi-
grant. who was master OF arts OF TRINITY
College. Dublin, established there "The
Augusta Academy the first classical
school in the Valley of Virginia.
Under his successor, Rev. John Brown,
the academy was first moved TO "Old
and again 10 "Ncw Proyi-
dence church," and just before the Reyo-
luton. for a third time, TO Mount Pleasant,
near Fairfield, in the new county OF Rock
bridge.
I'm I17G, as the revolutionary fires were
kindling, there came to lis head rs prince
pal William Graham, OF worthy memory,
who had been a clasSma,e and special friend
of Harry Lee at Princeton College, and ut
the first meeting OF the trustees after the
battle Of Lexington, while Harry Lee was
looming Lis sword for battle, they baptized
it as '.Liberty Hall Academy" Another
removal followed in 1,7 to near the old
church; but finally, in l1Sj.
the academy rested from its wanderings
near Lexington, the little town which too
had caught the flame Of revolution. and
was the first to take the name Of that carly
OF the great rebellion, where
=. The cmbatllcd farmers stood
Aud fired the shot heard round the world
ACADEMY AND WASHINGTON COLI
LEGE.
81. Il. I 1srNf
airy ". the Legislature Of Virginia, in
token OF esteem and admiration for the
virtues and services OF General George
Washington, donated him one hundred
shares of stock in the old James-lsiycr
Company. General Washington. in char
acterstic manner, declined to accept the
donation save only on the condition that he
be permitted TO appropriate 1t to some pub
lie purpose "in the upper part OF the
State" such rs =" the education OF the chill
dren OF the poor, particularly the children
OF such as have fallen in defence OF the
country" The condition granted, Presi-
dent Washington i'm l70G-iOr he had then
becomc President OF the new republic
dedicated the one hundred shares Of stock
"tO the use Of Liberty Hall Academy, in
Rockbridge county," Nayhap the friend
HnLp utt Nttn W imam NI"u1AlI. IL pi4hCl-
pal, and his old claSSmate at Princeton,
Lighthouse Harry Lee the friend OF
Washington, had something to DO in guld'
ing the benciaction; but be this rs it may.
il was given and accepted, and in Gonor of
the beneiactOr the academy was clothed
with his immortal name.
In acknowledging the thanks expressed
to him by the Board OF Trustees President
Washington said: "To promote literature
in this rising empire and to encourage the
arts has ever been amongst the warmest
wishes OF my heart; and if the donation
which the generosity OF the Legislature OF
the Commonwealth has enabled me Il be-
stow upon Liberty Ilall-now by your po-
likeness called Washington Academy-is
liletV IN nroXp a means Ia aepnOif,iis u fbpsp