Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 16.djvu/43

 Stonewall Jackson's Scabbard Speech. 37

" Mother of States " was doing all in her power to prevent the terri- ble strife which her breast was so soon to bear, there occurred at Lexington, Va., a little episode in the history of those momentous times, which, though nearly resulting in a horrible disaster, would hardly deserve narration now, but for its connection with one of the greatest heroes of the Civil War.

Up to the time of Lincoln's proclamation calling for seventy-five thousand men, the prevailing sentiment throughout Virginia was decidedly for the preservation of the Union. Notably was this the case in Rockbridge county, in which, at Lexington, the State Mili- tary School rears its imposing towers and embattled walls. In the election of members of the Convention, this county had given an overwhelming majority against Secession. Nor was this to be won- dered at, when one considers the conservatism of the sturdy Scotch- Irish population of that lovely portion of the Valley of Virginia.

In the town of Lexington there were many "conditional" Union men and some unconditional Secessionists. But Secession had then its strongest and rashest advocates amongst the students of Washing- ton College (now Washington and Lee University) and the cadets of the Virginia Military Institute. Whenever the seeds of revolution are floating in the political atmosphere, they generally find in the colleges and universities their most congenial soil. Lexington proved no exception to the rule.

At that time the president of Washington College was a Northern man by education and birth. He was an excellent scholar and an eminent divine. In politics he was a Unionist of the most pronounced and uncompromising type. He had boldly proclaimed from the pul- pit that he would rather have a negro in the Presidential chair than see the Union dissolved. For the cadets of the Institute he had no love. Whenever any deviltry was committed at night, particularly when some of his favorite fruit disappeared from his garden between two suns, the doer of the deed was, in his opinion, some " little bob- tailed cadet." The bitter Union spirit of the president of the Col- lege seemed to intensify and make more demonstrative the Secession spirit of the students. If the Secession flag, found in the morning floating from the cupola of the college, was removed by orders of the president during the day, it was sure to be replaced by deter- mined students during the night. Finally the students prevailed, and the president of the College resigned and returned to his native State.

At the Institute the sentiment of the cadets was generally for Seces-