Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1888-06-08
RI Z
LOCAL.
InE BEGINNING OF 4 UNIVERSITY.

AoOAo.
IHE BEGINNING OF 4 UNIVERSITY
HOW THE GREAT UNIVERSITY OF WASH
INGTON AND LEE WAS BORN AMI
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. EVOLUTION
FROM A PRoTOPLAsMIC LOG school
HoUsE-A MIGRATORY GERM-MANY
FACTS INTERESTING TO AUGUSTA
COUNTY PEOPLE AND THE WORLD.
&C. &C, &C.
We have received an advanced copy Of
the Catalogue of the Officers and Alumni
of Washington and Lee University' just
issued, and embracing the list from TIA!
to 1888. 1t is published by the authority
OF the Board of Trustees. The committee
say in their preface that the list is neces-
sarily incomplete and request that all who
know, will furnish to John L Campbell
Treasurer Of the University a Lexington
the name of any man who has been 6
student there, his occupation, the public
position held by him and, if not living, the
date of his death. The work, however, as
just issued, is book of 245 pages and
gives an account of 3 ,955 students, besides
23O of the Law School. A copy of it Will
will be sent to any alumnus who Will
write to John L. Campbell, Treasurer Of the
University. The Committee say that much
of the labor, research and extensive CORE
spondence attending the preparation of the
work has been done by Mr.. Campbell, and
Jacob Fuller, the Librarian of the Univer
sitY, the whole being done under the SUI
pervision and direction of Judge VIM.
Mclaughlin, of the Board Of Trustees. of
whom it adds: cit is but just to say that
to the unsparing and enthusiastic labors
and the untiring energy of this gentleman
is due the very full, accurate, and valu-
able record Of the sons Of our Alma
Mater" The work is prefaced by an His
torical Sketch of the University, which is
very Interesting.
ITS GERM.
The germ Of the University was math-
ematical and classical School called the
Augusta Academy, established in 1919, by
Robert Alexander, and first started just
two miles southwest of what is now
Greenville, at point where are the head
springs of the James River and the Shen-
andoah. 1t was the first classical school
in the Valley. Robert Alexander was
Master of Arts Of Trinity College. Dublin
University, and was one Of the Scotch
Irish settlers Of the Valley. In I746 he was
elected one of the twelve most able and
discreet men to act as the Vestry for Au-
gusta Parish" He died in 1887, and his
will dated four years before, is on record
in Augusta county court.
A MIGRATORY GERM.
Rev. John Brown ID, pastor of Tim
Der Ridge and Providence churches, sue
ceeded Mr.. Alexander, and during his
administration the Academy was moved
several times. Each time going west
ward-frst to Old Providence. then to
New Providence, then, ''shortly before
the Revolution" to Mt. Pleasant, near
Fairfield. At this last place, VIM. Graham
succeeded Mr.. Brown as Principal, in the
year of Independence 1875. In honor of
the year, the Trustees directed that the
school be called Liberty Hall-as this
Academy is hereafter to be called instead
III Augusta Academy But it had not
yet stopped its moving, for the following
year it was moved to Old Timber Ridge
church where it remained eight years.
During that eight years much happened.
The Presbytery of Hanover being DESTROYS
of establishing "a Seminary of learning
somewhere within the bounds" had. in
1773, "agreed to fix the Publck Seminary
for the liberal education of youth, at
Stanton in AuguSta.'' In the following
year the Presbytery having a5certained
that There is no person to take the man
agement of it in the place first agreed
there ever will be-" singled out Mr..
Graham's school for their patronage, and
appointed number of gentlemen to take
subscriptions in its behalf. Among the
gentlemen were Rev. John Brown of
Rockbridge, Thomas Stuart and Walter
DAYS. of Thinking Spring, Sampson Math-
ews of Staunton, George Mathews, Geo.
Moffett and James Allen sin Augusta
congregation. and Revs. Mr.. Brown, Mr..
Irwin and Mr.. Wallace. In 1776 the COL
lectors had turned over e3OO to MIR. Ora
ham. and books and philosophical appa-
ratus had been purchased with it. 1t was
at this Old Timber Ridge location, then
called the "new site, F" that Samuel Hous-
ton, 1.-THE father of Gen. Sam Houston, of
Texas,) and Alexander Stuart THE grand
father of Hon. A. H. Il. Stuart, gave forty
acres of land each and the neig hbors agreed,
besides their subscriptions, to build for
the 4 cademy heWed Lighthouse, twenty
eight by tWenty-fCur feet and a story and
half highland further, to furnish fire.
wood, and timber for building gratis for
at least twenty years" But these liberal
neighbors were not to see their hopes real
lied. The school only remained there until
1888, when it was moved to near Lexing-
ton, where it was burned in 1902 and where
the picturesque stone ruins of old Liberty
Hall are yet to be seen. In 1903 it was
removed for the last time to its present
site within the limits of Lexington.
TRUSTEES THAT KNEW THEIR
RIGHTS.
Presbytery had no official connection
with the school after 1882, and it was man
aged by the same trustees who had con-
Quoted it before and during the Revolu-
tionary war. After the war, Gen. Wash
lngton, then President Of the United
States, was presented by the State of Vir-