History of Randolph-Macon College, Virginia / The Oldest Incorporated Methodist College in America

by Richard Irby

COLLEGE HISTORY AFTER THE WAR.

THE period immediately succeeding the surrender of the Confederate army at Appomatox was one of the darkest and most discouraging that any civilized people was ever called to face. Virginia had been for four years the battle-ground over which great armies had marched and counter-marched and fought. Every home had felt the torture that "tried men's souls." Widows gathered their fatherless children around them to share the last crust of bread together, not knowing whether even that much could be found to-morrow. For miles along the highways over which the armies had marched, the bare chimneys only, marked the sites where comfortable houses had sheltered happy households. The farmer had his land left—that could not be carried away; but few had any teams to break the ground, and many had not the seed needed to sow the fields. The last cow was in many cases driven away or killed. A noted Federal general had boastfully reported to the general-in-chief that so completely had he devastated the fairest and most fertile section of the State that a crow could not travel over it without carrying his rations with him.

Richmond, the capital city, after withstanding two sieges successfully, had been, in large part, made a bank of ashes. Petersburg, beleaguered so long, was a scarred and battered wreck. Fredericksburg, Winchester, Norfolk, and many other towns, were little better off. Some of the railroads were stripped of their rails—all of them in bad plight and almost without any equipment for business, if any business were to be found. The labor system, which had for centuries been used to cultivate the land and gather the crops, had been at one stroke subverted, and virtually destroyed. None had been found for months afterward to take its place. With the people at large it was a struggle for existence and a fight with famine.

One of the saddest scenes this writer ever witnessed was at Nottoway courthouse. A few days after the surrender at Appomattoax, he was summoned with other citizens of the county to attend a meeting called to confer with the military officers as to the best plans to be devised to prevent suffering among the people. Just as he entered the courthouse, where a number of people were assembled, he saw a venerable man of more than three-score years and ten standing before the officer, with tears streaming down his furrowed cheeks, and heard him say: "Every scrap of meat, every grain of corn, everything in the way of food I had, has been taken from me. I know not where I shall get my meat or bread to-morrow." This man had been for many years one of the foremost men in the county, a Senator in the General Assembly of Virginia, and for many years a Trustee of Randolph-Macon College.

But poverty and penury were not all. The people were humiliated and despondent. Their State, "the mother of States and statesmen," had now the tyrant's heel upon her neck, and was styled "District" (No. 1), a "conquered province"—her governor, first a refugee, then a prisoner. Military satraps filled the seats of judges and magistrates. The ignorant slave was often shown more deference than his former cultured master. Most of the flower of the manhood of the State had died by the sword or disease. The boys and girls of the next generation were growing up without the means of education, and helping to eak out a living for their widowed mothers.

Such, in brief, was the condition of Virginia in the period succeeding the close of the war.

What could the Trustees of the College do under such circumstances as now surrounded them? The endowment gathered at such an expenditure of time and labor was in large part lost. The investments made were in bonds and stocks of more than uncertain value, some not worth the paper on which they were printed. The College buildings, libraries and laboratories had all been impaired and damaged by non-use or abuse. There was no money in hand to repair and refit them. Our own people were too poor to furnish it. Those who had devastated the property, and added injury to insult, could not be expected to restore what they had destroyed.

Nevertheless, it had been but a few months after the surrender before a meeting of the Board was called to be held in Petersburg, August 23, 1865.

At this meeting a quorum was lacking, and the Board adjourned to meet on
September 13 following, at the residence of Richard Irby, in Nottoway.
This adjourned meeting was held, and a quorum was present.

One of the first matters attended to was the appointment of a committee consisting of President W. A. Smith and four others "to estimate the damage to the College incurred by the occupation of it by the United States troops after the surrender, and in behalf of the Trustees to make application to the proper authorities of the government for payment."

On motion of D'Arcy Paul it was—

Resolved, That all the Professor's chairs be declared vacant.

A provisional arrangement was made to open the College for school purposes, but this arrangement was not carried out.

A further plan was provided for taking care of the College property, and the Board adjourned.

The next meeting of the Board was held at the College July 11, 1866, with eighteen members in attendance. The chairman of the committee appointed at the last meeting to assess and press claim for damages to College, reported that the committee had not been encouraged in their efforts by the military authorities in Virginia.

Judge E. R. Chambers was appointed to prosecute the claim.

It may save time here to say, as has been said before, that this claim was never recognized by the government.

The Finance Committee made a report of the Endowment fund and liabilities of the College:

Bonds of the city of Petersburg and interest, . . . . . . $19,000
Bonds of the State of Virginia, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3,000
———-
(Classed available),. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $22,000

Bonds Southside Railroad Company, guaranteed
by city of Petersburg,. . . . . . .$15,800
Stock Petersburg Railroad Company, 8,000
———-
$23,800
———-
$45,800
———-
Private or personal Endowment bonds, . . . . . . . . . . .$24,900
Legacy of W. B. Jones, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .500
———-
$25,400
=======
Confederate bonds, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $37,000
Confederate currency, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7,536
———-
$44,536
=======

Leaving out the Confederate bonds, which were worthless, the balance
of available and possible assets were $71,200
Liabilities as far as known, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8,854
———-
Net assets, . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . $62,346

This, under all the circumstances, might be considered a favorable showing, and the credit of it is due to the faithful Investing Agent, who also showed his skill and faithfulness by bringing through the war the "Savings and Insurance Company," of which he was president, free from wreck.

The resolution of the Virginia Conference in regard to the removal of the College had been allowed to sleep since the committee's report, in March, 1864. It was again brought forward by the following resolution, offered by Richard M. Smith, Esq.:

"Resolved, That a committee of ——— be appointed to ascertain what accommodations and on what terms and what inducements generally can be obtained for transferring Randolph-Macon College to Petersburg, Richmond, Lynchburg, or any other place, and also the earliest day at which accommodations can be at command, and report to an adjourned meeting of this Board."

This resolution was defeated by a vote of 12 to 6.

The following, offered by Judge E. R. Chambers, was then adopted:

"Resolved, That it is inexpedient and injudicious to change the location of the College."

The ayes and noes on this were recorded, as follows:

Ayes.—William Townes, Sr., C. S. Hutcheson, W. B. Rowzie, William Townes, Jr., William Carter, T. P. Jerman, R. B. Baptist, N. Head. J. P. Moore, O. H. P. Corprew, N. Alexander, E. R. Chambers, L. M. Wilson—13.

Noes.—Richard Irby, D. S. Doggett, R. M. Smith, J. C. Granbery, T. S. Campbell, J. C. Blackwell—6.

Dr. W. A. Smith, at his own request, was excused from voting.

It was resolved to take steps to re-open the College as soon as practicable.

The degree of A. M. was conferred, under the law, on the following: Leroy S. Edwards, Thomas J. Overby, and J. Davidson Blackwell, A. B.'s of former years.

Dr. William A. Smith tendered his resignation as President of the College, to take effect at once. The resignation was accepted by the Board, and resolutions were adopted expressing the high appreciation of him and his work, which had extended over a period of nearly twenty years.

The Board resolved to adjourn to meet again on the 18th of August following to elect a president and three professors. The salaries of these were fixed—Guaranteed, to the President, $1,000; to the professors, $750 each, and, in addition, the tuition fees of the students in attendance.

At the adjourned meeting, August 15, 1866, the following elections were made:

RICHARD W. JONES, A. M., Professor of Mathematics.
O. H. P. CORPREW, A. M., Professor of Ancient Languages.
Rev. JOHN C. BLACKWELL, A. M., D. D., Professor of Chemistry.
ERNEST LA GARDE, Professor of Modern Languages.

The election of a President was postponed to an adjourned meeting, and Dr. John C. Blackwell was appointed to act as President until a president should be elected.

At an adjourned meeting held October 16, 1866, on the nomination of William Townes, Sr., Col. Thomas Carter Johnson, A. M. (Class 1842), was elected President and Professor of Moral Philosophy.

The Board then adjourned to meet at the session of the Virginia Annual
Conference, November 22, 1866. Colonel Johnson was then a citizen of
Montgomery, Ala., practicing law. He accepted the office tendered,
but did not take the position until near the close of the year.

At the adjourned meeting held at Norfolk, November 22, 1866, the Board, on motion of Dr. William A. Smith, resolved to establish "The School of Commercial Science" in the College. This was never done.

At this meeting a representative from Ashland, Hanover county, Va., presented a communication from owners of property in that town offering to sell certain property in case the Board should determine to move the College. A committee, consisting of D'Arcy Paul, R. M. Smith and D. S. Doggett, were appointed to investigate and report in regard to the matter.

At the adjourned meeting in December, held at the College, President-elect Johnson appeared before the Board and was formally inducted into office. He was requested to visit the Baltimore Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, which had recently adhered to the Southern Church, and endeavor to secure the patronage and co-operation of that Conference; also, to visit Baltimore and other cities with a view to securing financial help for the College.

An overture was also made to the North Carolina Conference with a view to the restoration of former relations and the securing of its patronage.

President Johnson subsequently reported the result of his visit to the Baltimore Conference, and submitted the action of that body, which was as follows:

"BALTIMORE CONFERENCE, M. E. CHURCH, SOUTH.

"REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON COLLEGES.

"The Committee on Colleges submit the following report:

"Resolved, 1. That the Conference accepts the proposition of the Board of Trustees of Randolph-Macon College to give its patronage to said institution and to participate equally with the other patronizing Conferences in its government and privileges, and we hereby nominate four suitable persons to be elected Trustees from this Conference to represent our interests on said Board.

"Resolved, 2. That when a Trustee shall locate, it shall be his duty to resign.

"Resolved, 3. That we will give the full weight of our influence in extending the patronage of Randolph-Macon College."

"(Signed) S. S. ROSZEL, Chairman."

These resolutions were adopted by the Conference March, 1867.

On the recommendation of the Baltimore Conference the following
gentlemen were elected Trustees of Randolph-Macon College, viz.: Rev. S.
S. Roszel, Rev. John Poisal, Rev. S. S. Register, and Rev. John
Landstreet.

At the first annual meeting of the Trustees held at the College, June 25, 1867, after President Johnson had assumed control, eleven Trustees were in attendance.

Ex-President W. A. Smith had gone to Central College, Fayette, Missouri, of which he had been elected President.

The President's report stated that the attendance for the session of 1866-'67 had been in all forty-five students; a large proportion of them were on scholarships. The net receipts from fees were necessarily very small.

The degree of D. D. was conferred on the following: Rev. Nelson Head,
Rev. John E. Edwards, and Rev. W. W. Bennett, of the Virginia
Conference; Rev. Samuel S. Register, Rev. S. S. Roszel, Rev. John
Poisal, and Rev. John S. Martin, of the Baltimore Conference; Bishop
Enoch M. Marvin, of the M. E. Church, South, and Rev. Smith W. Moore, of
the Tennessee Conference.

The degree of LL. D. was conferred on Bishop George F. Pierce, M. E.
Church, South, and Hon. James F. Dowdell and William F. Samford, of
Alabama.

The degree of A. M. was conferred on Thomas J. Jarvis, of North Carolina (class of 1860).