The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1905-04-30
F. MARTEL & SON,
SHREVEPORT LA.
Tsxas Both Phones 5t6.
Haze usR Received Shipment of
Corrugated Galvanized Roofing Iron
Also Full Line Of White Mountain Reigerators
and Ice Chests Gasoline and Oil Cooking
WATER COOLERS FILTERS ICE CREAM SIZES

around among the magnolias and elms
and oaks The former headquarters OF
the conmandant are now occupied by
the band: the powder magazine is now
stored with agricultural implements.
Other ancient buildings are used for
laboratories and similar purposes. The
government abandoned the past in 1880
and afterward leased it to the Univer-
sity. In 1902 Congress passed bill do
/ mating the property to the institution
outright, and President Boyd now signs
the diplomas of graduates with the pen
with which President Roosevelt used to
approve that act.
There is no more beautiful campus in
the country, and the avenue of venerable
live oaks festooned with moss, is unique.
Here, in 1879, Galvez, the Spanish gov
ernor general of Louisiana, after three
days battle captured the British garri-
son under General Dixon; here in 1910
Philemon Thomas, with his woodsmen
and boats1nen captured the Spanish post
and killed Grand Pre-. its commander,
Here almost every famous officer of the
i United States army has served a tour
of duty. and Abraham Lincoln when he
made his celebrated voyage to New Or
leans on fiat boats. visited the place.
General Wilkinson, who was accused of
conspiring with Aaron Burr to set up
an independent republic in the South
west was once commander here, and was
afterward succeeded by Gaines, Jessup
and Taylor heroes of the war of 1872.
Here Winfield Scott saw his first mill
tary service as lieutenant of artillery:
here Lafayette was received by the mil
itary and citizens in 1924, and Andrew
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 194S,
he was living as commandant of this
post, when he was nominated as can
didate for president of the United
States. General Taylor was not only
poor man, but was very economical.
Tradition says that the letter notifying
him of his nomination lay in the postof-
fee 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 communications but
some of his friends, suspecting the mo-
mentous import, paid the postage due
took the letter out and carried it to the
future president.
Grant and Lee, Sherman and Stone
wall Jackson, Mcclellan and the two
Johnstons. Bragg and Rosecrans, Long
. street and Harney, George H. Thomas
and Beauregard. Forrest and Phil Sher-
| idan. Hancock and Hood, Bishop-Gen-
eral Polk and many other military he
roes have done duty here, while Clay
, Calhoun, Jefferson Davis and other
civilians have strolled under the avenues
of oaks on many occasions.
The Louisiana State University was
founded as a military school in 1855 in the
pine woods three miles north of Alex
andria, and its first superintendent Or
president was William Tecumseh Sher-
man, who organized it after the United
! States Military Academy at West Point
,, Having resigned from the army, Sher-
man was living at Lancaster, Ohio, and
| was On the lookout for job. Braxton
Bragg and Beauregard. old comrades
who had been with him at West Point,
recommended him for the superintend-
ency of the Louisiana State Seminary
of Learning and Military Academy as
it was then known, and he was selected
by the board of trustees. He became
very popular here; everybody liked him,
and the students particularly. He was
here when Sumter was fired upon, when
Louisiana seeded and when the State
guard seized the arsenal and made pris-
oners 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 institution in the spring of 1861
to offer his services to President Lin.
coin. Several of the professors and the
majority of the cadets joineo the Con
federate army about the same time.
! The classes were kept up until Gen
eral Banks invaded the Red river valle,
in 1868, and were resumed in October
| 1865, under the presidency of Colone
Thomas D. Boyd. The school grew rap
idly, and was beginning to take high
rank among the institutions of the Soutl
when the buildings were destroyed b,
fire in 1860. The cadets were disbandet
land sent to their homes, but were re