Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 01.djvu/248

 HATTLE.

BATTLE.

BATTLE, Archibald J., educator, was born at Pmvelton. HanciK-k rounty, Ga., Sept. 10, 1826, son of Dr. Cullen Battle, a prominent Baptist lay- man in Georgia, one of the founders of Mercer luiiversity, and widely known for his wealth and benefactions. The son was graduated from the University of Alabama in 184, and first en- g-aged in educational work as principal of the Eufaula academy. He was tutor of ancient lan- guages at the University of Alabama. lf?47-'52, and held a chair in the East Alabama female col- lege in 18o'2-'55. He entered the Raptist ministry in 1853 as minister of the Tu.skegee Baptist church, and in IS-'w assumed the pastorate of the Tusca- loosa Baptist church. In 18")6 educational work again claimed him. and he returned to the Uni- versity of Alabama to become professor of Greek. He f<iunded the Alabama Central female college, of which he was president in 1860. At the close of the civil war he re-estabhshed and became president of the Judson female institute, Marion, Ala., 1865-'? 1, after which he was president of Mercer university from 1871-89. In 1872 the doc- torate of divinity was conferred upon him by Howard college, Ala., and Columbian college, Washington. D. C, and by the University of Georgia in 1873. In 1883 Mississippi college con- ferred on him the degree of LL.D. He published "The Human Will," "Lectures on Memory," " Imagination," " Man the Image of God," " The Sun," and "The Sabbath of Creation." In 1890 he left Macon to accept the presidency of Shorter college. Rome. Ga.

BATTLE, Kemp Plummer, educator, was born near Loui.sburg. Franklin county, N. C, Dec. 19, 1831, son of William Horn and Lucy (Plummer) Battle. He was graduated at the university of North Carolina in 1849, wath first honors in a class of distinguished graduates. Immediately there- after he was elected tutor in the university, but, on being admitted to the bar in 1854, he resigned, and sfK>n acquired an extensive legal practice. In jxjlitics he was an old-line Whig, and a decided friend of the union, and in con.sequence of his jHjwerf ul presentation of the dangers and disasters which would attend seceasion, he came, in 1860, •within only three votes of an election to the legis- lature in a strong Democratic county. A cam- paign document prepared by him was so highly approvetl by the Whig executive committee, that fifty thousand cojties of it were printed and cir- culated; but when President Lincoln, in April, 1861, called upon North Carolina for her quota of the seventy-five thoasand men to as-sist in coer- cing the seceding states, Dr. Battle, in common with nearly all the Whig leaders, cast his lot with the southern Confederacy. He was elected to the secession convention of North Carolina, and signed the ordinance just below the name of

George E. Badger. In lH(i6 he was elected treas- urer of the state, and again in 1867; and in 1876 he was chosen president of tiie University of North Carolina, filling the office with great ability until June, 1891, when he resigned it to take the more congenial po.sition of professor of history. In 1870 he was appointed state superintendent of public instruction. He also filled the office of director of the insane asylum and president of the state agricultural society. As a delegate to the general convention of the Episcopal church in 1865, he aided in reuniting that denomination throughout the United States. He was for many years treas- urer and trustee of the St. Augustine normal school for the colored race. The degree of LL.D. was awarded him by Davidson college. N. C. Dr. Battle is the author of various historical monographs, among which are: "History of the Supreme Court of North Carolina" (1883); "History of the City of Raleigh" (1893); " His- tory of the University of North Carolina," " Trials and Judicial Proceedings in the New Testament," "The Colonial Laymen of the Church of England in North Carolina," and " Fifty Years' History of the Episcopal Church in North Carolina."

BATTLE, William Horn, jurist, was born in Edgecombe countj, >. C, Oct. 17, 1802, son of Joel and Mary (Johnston) Battle. He was grad- uated at the University of North Carolina at the age of eighteen; then began the study of law under Chief Justice Henderson, and at the age of twenty-one was admitted to the bar. He repre- sented Franklin county in the legislature in 1833 and 1834, and, associated with Mr. Devereux, re- ported the decisions of the supreme court of N. C, from 1834 to 1840. In 1835 he was ap- pointed one of the commissioners to revise the statutes of the state. He was appointed a judge of the superior court in 1840; in 1843 was elected professor of law in the University of N. C, and in 1848 was appointed associate justice of the supreme court, but failing an election by the legis- lature at the next se.ssion, was by it elected a judge of the superior court. In 1852 he was again elevated to the supreme bench, which dis- tinguished position lie held with great credit until a new court was established in 1868. In 1873 Judge Battle, by selection of the legislature, again collated the statute law under the title of "Battle's Revisal." He ranked very liigh as a jurist, and is said to have had a most reten- tive memory, being able to recall in a moment the names of all the leading cases in England and the United States. He was married June 4, 1825, to Lucy Martin, daughter of Kemp Plummer, who was descended from Col. Nicholas Long, com- missary-general of N. C. in the revolutionary war. He died at Chapel Hill, N. C, March 14. 1879.