The daily morning journal and courier., 1896-02-17
RUSSELL SCHOOL ALUMNI
THE FORMATION OF AN ALUMNI
 ASSOCIATION,
Much Interest Over the Project-The Meet ing on Wednesday Night to Perfect the PIan-Some of the New Haven Boys Who Attended tho School.

 l Attended tho school.
 Great local interest is being taken Tn the meeting which is to be held on Wednesday night at Champions TOT the formation of an association of the alumni of the c. c. I. It may be of ln- terest to many to know the history of the school. The following is taken from "The Reveille," the school paper, which was issued in February, 1884;
 Just fifty years ago General Russell, then recent graduate from Yale, opened his school up in Broadway fronting the green. It soon outgreW these quarters and was transferred to the location where Sargent's factory now stands, and 1t was soon apparent that still larger quarters were necessa- ny. He moved to the present site, which was at that time already in use as a boys school under the management Of the late Stiles French. In 1852 the school buildings were destroyed by lire late in the afternoon of a sunday ln December. With characteristic energy the school opened on Monday morn ing, as usual, the basement of the Bap- tist church which then stood on the op- posite side of the green being used as school room.
 Some time ago the school manage ment was changed into an incorporated body for the purpose of taking adVan- tage of the offer of the government to ,,j1 1aI n outfit of government arms. On May the new arms were received; they are of the latest pattern, breech-loading cadet rifles. It was the generals ambi- tion to see us have government officer with government arms. He has lived to see all this change, and remarked as we were packing up the old state arms, T have had these for about thirty-f1ve years, and they look just as we'll as when they came, but it is time for a i change"
 He attended Captain Partridge's military academy In Middletown, and among his associates there were Thom- as R. Trowbridge and Harry Prescott of this city
 He was the founder of the Skull and Bones society of Yale, legally known as the Russell Trust association Gradu- ating from Yale college in 1883, Gen. eral Russell subsequently, manifested marked interest in all that pertained to the interests of the university, He was the valedictorian of his class, of which Professor James E. Dana and George F. Day, D. D., of this city, and ex-At- torney General Taft were members General Russell studied medicine in | 1S35-6 received a medical degree from Yale Medical school and practiced in New Haven for a short time. Tn 1S46 and 1S47 he represented New Haven in the lower house of the legislature. Hi December, 1868, he was appointed col lector of internal revenue for the Sec ond district. A professor of Yale col lege in speaking to one of the editors of the Reveille remarked that the general while holding this office would not use government gas for his own private use.
 First under appointment by Governor Buckingham, and subsequently, under appointment by the legislature, he held the office of major general of the militia of the state. In this position he gave much thought to working out the mili- tia problem, the true proportion of citizen soldiery to the population, and the best modes of raising, maintaining and disciplining such force. He be- lieved that there were some sound prin- ciples which could be made obvious to the people, on which permanent sys- tenn might be established, in opposition to the shifting, uncertain and ineifi- cient policy hitherto pursued by his own and other states. As a result the Connecticut system was much improv- ed and the Connecticut National Guard has become the model for other states | to follow. In the same office he was especially charged with supervision of various encampments of the volunteers of the war.
 He was once thought to have been elected mayor of New Haven, and re- sponded to a complimentary serenade | in honor of his election, but the next day it was found that New Haven had been true to her democratic instincts In politics he was republican, having been identified with the Whig party prior to the formation of the republi- can party. In the Fremont campaign he was an earnest and effective worker,
 
 parts of the state. His last public ap- pearance was as presiding officer of the mass meeting held at Carll's opera house in the late campaign, addressed by Carl Schurz.
 Among those who at different time.; have been under his instructions we find the chief justice of the United States, foreign ministers, senators and members of the house, officers of the army and navy and some of the lead ing bankers and merchants. in our cit ies; while from many a pulpit all over the country the gospel is preached by those who received their first instruc- tions from General Russell.
 Among those from New Haven who attended the school are the following, some of whom have passed away: Prof. D. Cady Eaton, James A. Austin, Rev. Leonard w. Bacon, Captain Theodore C. Bacon, Dr. Thomas R. Bacon, Major T. Attwater Barnes, George s. Barnum, Charles c. Bates, Frank W. Benedict, George ". L. Benedict, Thomas C. Ben nett, Frank L. Bigelow, Dr. Evelyn L. l Bissell, John T. Bradley, Franklin s. Bradley, Charles ". Bradley, Louis H. Bristol, Eugene s. Bristol. Samuel l., Bronson, Edward R. Bryan. Merritt W. Burwell. Robert N. BurwelI. John D. Darlington, John N. Champion. Will