Part 20 (1/2)

GEORGE W. ARMISTEAD, Va.

WILLIAM A. SHEPARD, Va.

JOHN L. GILLESPIE, Va.

COLLEGE YEAR 1860-'61.

This College year reached into the first year of the civil war. The matriculation at the opening was fairly good, but during the second term many of the young men left to enter the military service. The Commencement exercises were dispensed with, and the Board conferred only a few degrees. Those receiving them were--

A. M.

B. L. ARNOLD, Va.

B. J. HAWTHORNE, Va.

RICHARD B. HOLSTEAD, Va.

RICHARD O. WYATT, Va.

A. B.

JOHN THOMPSON BROWN, Va.

D. D

REV. JOHN C. BLACKWELL, A. M., Pres. Buckingham Female Inst.

Under the discouraging circ.u.mstances the Board determined to suspend the exercises of the College--a very wise move, but unfortunately it was countermanded at a subsequent meeting.

COLLEGE YEAR 1861-'62.

At a called meeting of the Board held August 29, 1861, the previous action of the Board was rescinded, and it was resolved, ”That the College be opened at the usual time under a complete system of military government, and Rev. Major William H. Wheelwright Was elected Professor of Military Tactics.”

At a subsequent meeting of the Board, Professor Lewis Turner was elected to the Chair of Mathematics, vacated by the resignation of Professor Ma.s.sie, who had entered the military service; Professor W. A. Shepard had also entered the service, but his place was not filled.

At a meeting held in Norfolk, Va., November 22, 1861, a committee was appointed to secure a change in the charter, authorizing the military feature proposed for the College.

At a meeting of the Board held January 20, 1862, J. E. Blankens.h.i.+p was elected Professor in place of Major Wheelwright, who declined to accept the position offered him. On the 20th February the military organization was completed by the action of the Executive Committee. It was as follows, viz.:

REV. WM. A. SMITH, D. D., _Col. Commanding Corps Cadets_.

J. E. BLANKENs.h.i.+P, Major, _Professor Mathematics and Military Science_.

BENNETT PURYEAR, Captain. _Professor Chemistry_. WILLIAM B. CARR, Captain, _Professor Ancient Languages_.

G. STAUBLY, Captain, _Professor Modern Languages_.

A long schedule of military rules was adopted--too long for their insertion here, and much longer than their existence would have justified.

Those who reversed the deliberate action of the Board at the annual meeting, carried away with the excitement of the times, thought they were doing the best, but, as we look at it now, it appears a solemn farce. It was also an expensive one.

At the close of the year, June, 1862, the following received degrees:

A. M.

WILLIAM A. ARCHER, Va.