Page:Encyclopedia of Virginia Biography volume 4.djvu/545

 VIRGINIA BIOGRAPHY

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at Liberty, Virginia. lie was one of the founders and first president of the Norfolk ^^ledical Society and was at one time vice- president of the Medical Society of Virginia. Dr. Selden died in Norfolk, November 7, 1887.

In 1836 Dr. Selden married Lucinda Pope Wilson, daughter of Dr. Daniel Wilson, of Louisville, Kentucky. William Boswell Sel- den. oldest of their nine children, was born in 1837 and graduated as a Civil Engineer from the Virginia Military Institute. At the outbreak of the civil war he was ap- pointed first lieutenant of engineers in the Confederate army and was assigned to the construction of the fortifications around Norfolk and later had charge of the build- ing of the fortifications on Roanoke Island. On February 7, 1862, the Federal army began an attack at this point. As the Con- federate army was short of artillery officers, Lieutenant Selden volunteered his services and was given charge of one of the guns. For four hours he held back the Federal advance, but was finally shot by sharp- shooters detailed for that purpose. Colonel Shaw, his commanding officer, wrote to Dr. Selden "from the commencement of the action to the moment of his fall he handled his gun with a skill and intrepid spirit, which enlisted the admiration of all who witnessed his conduct ; for hours, calm and undaunted amid the storm of deadly missiles, he stood by his piece until at length the fatal ball was sped, which deprived you of a son, of whom you may well have been proud, and the country of a brave and patriotic soldier." The other children of Dr. and Mrs. Selden were : Henrietta Wilson, Julia Smith, Char- lotte Colgate, Mary, Louisa, Thomas Wil- son. Caroline and Lucy. Mary, the only one of Dr. Selden's children to marry, became the wife of Cyrus Wiley Grandy, a banker and merchant of Norfolk. Their children, of whom the first and third died in infancy, are: William Selden, Charles Rollin, Julia Selden, \\'illiam Boswell Selden, Cyrus Wiley and ^lary Selden.

General Edward West Nichols. A gradu- ate of the Virginia ^lilitary Institute, Gen- eral Edward W. Nichols, in the position of superintendent of that institution, to which place he was raised after a long term of service upon the faculty, finds in his labors in the institute occupation involving not

only his talents as an educator and a leader but calling upon the greatest depths of sen- timent. To no educational institution does the traditional love of graduates attach more strongly than to the Virginia Military Insti- tute, and to one of her sons the opportunity of her service is an envied privilege. So it is that as superintendent of the institute General Edward W. Nichols is enabled, more than any other, to foster and cherish, to guard and protect, the name and repu- tation of the school than which none stands fairer in the history of Virginia institutions, or of the country. To this end have his efiforts ever been directed, with redoubled energy since his election to the superintend- ency, and the fruits of his service have been good.

General Edward W. Nichols is a descend- ant of an English family of Staffordshire, the first of his line in America having been Francis Nichols, of Connecticut. New Eng- land and New York state history contains numerous mention of those of the name whose activities in service and achievement were worthy, and in Virginia the family record is a proud one, this state having been the home of Francis N. Nichols, grandfather of General Edward W. Nichols. Francis N. Nichols married Susan, daughter of James Anderson, of Sussex county, Vir- ginia, their son, Captain James N. Nichols, father of General Nichols. Captain James N. Nichols was a prominent merchant and business man of Petersburg. Virginia, being president of the Petersburg Gas Company, and in that place passed a busy and useful life, venerated and esteemed by his fellows. Fie and his wife, Anne (Wynn) Nichols, were the parents of a number of children, one of their sons, Edward W^est, of whom further.

General Edward West Nichols, son of Captain James N. and Anne (Wynn) Nichols, was born in Petersburg, X^irginia. June 2/, 1858. He prepared for. advanced studies in McCabe's University School, maintained by Captain William Gordon Mc- Cabe. From here he entered the Virginia Military Institute, and was graduated with high honors in the class of 1878, afterward taking post-graduate courses in engineer- ing at the Institute. While connected with his alma mater as assistant professor of mathematics, from 1878 to 1881, General Nichols studied law under special instruc-