Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 12.djvu/145

Rh regiments composed of just as good material, and volumes could be filled with the heroic deeds of men of every State, illustrating the morale of the Confederate armies. I cull further from my ample material only a few individual illustrations. In September, 1859, there came to Washington college at Lexington, Va., a young man who walked from near Clarksburg, in northwestern Virginia, the neighborhood in which Stonewall Jackson was born, and, appearing before the president, said: "I want an education. I have no money, but I am willing to saw wood or do any work to meet my expenses." He was received into the college, and though imperfectly prepared, soon showed real genius and by hard study took a high stand in all of his classes. When the war broke out he at once enlisted in an artillery company, displayed the highest qualities as a soldier, and became especially distinguished as a gunner for the quickness, accuracy and cool courage with which he handled his piece. He was made sergeant, refusing higher promotion because he would not leave his loved gun. He carried his Greek classics and his books on higher mathematics in his haversack, and studied them around the camp-fires, frequently teaching classes of his comrades when in camp. At the close of the war he went back to Washington college, of which his great chief, R. E. Lee, was now president, sustained himself at the head of his classes, won the "Cincinnati" prize for best scholarship, was made adjunct professor and given leave of absence to go to Europe; won at a German university his degree and the highest honor ever won there by an American student; was made professor of Greek in Vanderbilt university and then in the university of Lexington, and is now professor of Greek in the university of Virginia. It is conceded by scholars generally that this ex-Confederate soldier, Prof. N. W. Humphries, is beyond question one of the very first Grecians and one of the most thorough scholars in this country.