Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-20

tour OF duty, and ADra ham Lincoln visited
the place when he made his celebrated voy-
ages to New Orleans on flatboats. Gen.
Wilkinson. who was accused of conspiring
with Aaron Burr to set up an independent
republic in the southwest was once COM
mander here and was afterward succeeded
by Gaines. Jessup and Taylor, heroes of
the war of 1872. Here Winfield Scott saw
his first military service as a lieutenant of
artillery; here Lafayette was received by
the military ard citizens in 1924, and An
drew Jackson later.
And this was the home of Zachary Taylor
A white monument erected by the Baton
Rouge post OF Confederate Veterans marks
the spot where in 1S4S he was living as
commandant of this post when he was
nominated as candidate for President of
the United States Gen. Taylor was not
only poor man, but was very economical
tradition says that the letter notifying
him of his nomination lay in the post office
for several days because he refused to pay
the postage that was due upon it. He was
utterly indifferent as to the contents of the
communication, but some of his friends,
suspecting the momentous import, paid the
postage due, took the letter out and carried
1t to the future President
Grant and Lee. Sherman and Stonewall
jackson. Mcclellan and the two Johnstons,
Bragg and RosecranS Longstreet and Har-
ney, George II. Thomas and Beauregard
Forrest and Phil Sheridan, Hancock and
Hood, Bfshop-General Polk and many other
military heroes have done duty here, while
Clay, Calhoun, Jefferson Davis and other
famous civilians have strolled under the
avenues of oaks on many occasions
Foundation of the Institution,
The Louisiana State University was
founded as a military school In 1865, In
the pine woods three miles north of Alex
andrla and its first superintendent or presi-
dent was William Tecumseh Sherman, who
organized it after the United States Mill
tary. Academy at West Point Having re-.
signed from the army Sherman was living
at Lancaster, Ohio, and was on the look
out for job, Braxton, Bragg and Beau
regard, old comrades who had been with
him at West Point, recommended him for
the SUPPLEMENTARY of the Louisiana State
Seminary Of Learning and Military Acad-
envy as it was then known, and he was
elected by the board of trustees. He he
came very popular here; everybody liked
aim, and the students particularly. He was
mere when Sumter was fired upon and
when Louisiana seeded, and when the state
guard seized the arsenal and made prison
ers of the garrison of United States troops.
The trustees, the people and the faculty
tried TO induce him to stay, but his heart
was on the other side and he left the in
stltution in the spring of 1861 to offer his
services to President Lincoln. Several OF
the professors and the majority of the
cadets Joined the confederate army about
the same time.
The classes were kept up until General
Banks invaded the Red River valley in 1863,
and were resumed in October, 1863, under
the presidency of Col. David F. Boyd. The
school grew rapidly and was beginning TO
take nigh rank among the institutions of
the south, when the buildings were destroy
ed by fire in October, 1869. The cadets were
disbandcd and sent to their homes, but
were reassembled two weeks later and in
structon was resumed in the building of
the Deaf and Dumb Institute at Baton
Rouge, where they remained until 1856,
when they were given the use of the mill
tary barracks recently abandoned. Gen.
Sherman never lost his interest in the uni
versity, and 1t was largely through his in
ffuenCe that these buildings were obtained.
life would permit, and always enjoyed meet
ing the students and graduates here and
elsewhere.
Property Much Improved.
Since the property was donated 1t has
been greatly improved. Several new build
ings have been erected, including a beauti-
full library, erected by Mr.. Hill, a sugar
planter, memorial to his son, and the
alumni are now erecting an administration
building which will cost $4,000
Col Thomas D. Boyd, the president is a
man of great energy, and under his in
fiuence the legislature of Louisiana is do
ing a good deal for the institution 1t has
an income of $4,000 per year from the
state and $27 600 per year from land grants
of the national government. This year 1T
has 456 students, the largest number in its
history, representing eight states and six
foreign countries. The discipline is still
military and a large majority of the stu
dents are enrolled in battalion, but this
is not compulsory and those who do not de-
sire military training are allowed to board
in the town and take the usual studies in
the university.