The Washington herald., 1914-10-25
CIVIL WAR DAY BY DAY
Fifty Years Ago
October 25 lsS4he Alumni Of Harvard Were Engaged Raising Fun
for the Erection of Fitting Memorial the Unvers Soldier Dead
Important Part Taken by College Men in the War the Union



Pennsylvania in July 1853. the college
was practically denuded of its student
body. There were no commencement eX-
ercises in 1853. and the graduating class
Of that year received their diplomas in
1854.
The feeling OF the North toward the
college men who served in the war was
summarized thus by an orator at Col
umbia:
The soldier students who fastened to
the held at the call OF President Lincoln
furnished an example of devotion 70
truth and honor and freedom and coun-
Try from which the wisest statesman
can draw lessons Of faith and heroism-''
Losses of William and Mary.
The devotion of Southern COLLEGE men
IN the war was no less than that of their
brothers in the North
Among them two Virginia institutiops 9
are conspicuous-william and Mary Col
lege at Williamsburg ana the Virginia
Military Institute at Lexington. Both
were in the ravaging track of contend
ing armies
William and Mary College early felt
the blight of the war. BY May, 1851 the
college doors were closed. The chief
building was thereafter used as barracks
and a hospital by the Confederates until
the beginning Of May 1862.
On May 5. 1852 occurred the bst+I. %
Williamsburg. between a portion of No
Clellan's advancing army and Confed-
crates under Gen. James Longstreet. The
latter retreated and William and Mary
College buildings became hospitals for
the Union army.
Williamsburg remained in the posses
sion OF the Union troops from that time
until the close OF the war. On Septem-
Der 3. 1852. however. the Union garrison
of the town was attacked and driven
out OF the place temporarily by Confed-
crate cavalry. During the attack the
college buildings were fired. They were
practically consumed. The work of de-
struction was substantially completed be-
fore the war ended. For fifteen wears
the trustees OF William ana Mary knock
ed al the doors of Congress for relief.
Finally on March l. 1895. a bill was
passed which gave to the college ss4 600
damage.
The college. which bears on the rolls
Of its graduates the names Of many dis
tinguished NirGiniars. has long since re-
sumed its functions as a seat Of learn
ing
'<f"nrwnll" JackSon's College.
The war history of the Virginia Mill
tary Institute. at Lexington. is especial
ly notable by the reason Of the connec-
ton Of Gen. Thomas J. C'StonewalI'p
jackson with its teaching faculty prior
to the war.
At this school, the West Point OF the
South the students were chiefly Viz
ginians. 1t is said that a tenth OF The
Confederate officers in the war were ed
ucated here.
In April, 1861, the cadets. under Prof
Jackson, were ordered to Richmond as
drill instructors in the military camps.
Many Of the cadets also voluntarily
served in the summer campaign of 1851
in West Virginia. Many others found
commissions in the various Virginia reg
iments. The most memorable event in
the war history of the cadets. as a body,
was their participation on May IL 1851.
in the battle Of New Market, in the Shan
andoah Valley. when $50 Federal. IN
der Gen. Franz Siegel, were defeated by
4,sO0 Confederates under John c. Brsck-
inridge. The cadets formed a battalion
o. four companies under the leadershrp
Of Lieut. Col s. Ship. The battalion pa
raded 223 strong. It was assigned a no.
sition on the battle line. The young SOL
diers in gray distinguished themselves
in a brilliant charge On a FEEDER al hat
tery. which was taken. They lost eIUht
killed and forty-eight wounded.
The buildings Of ne Virginia Military
Institute were burned Iby a Federal
army under Gen. David Hunter en- NAV
Il. 1854. The Institutes imperishabIe me-
mortal Of the war Is the grave OF the
great captain, "StonewalT' jackson. who
is buried at Lexington. in accordance
with his wish TO be laid at resi- "in the
Valley Of Virginia, which he loved SO
we'll"
(cOpyriEht. Isl4.l