Medical College of Virginia - X Ray Yearbook (Richmond, VA)

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professional career we know comparatively little, as personal data is limited. There is, however, a record of his having received a Doctorate Degree from the Medical College of Virginia. Yet, in either case, we know that he benefited Ins co mmunity and country more substantially than others of possibly greater renown, being possessed with vision, energy and delicate perceptions. His undaunted courage, and alert mind compassionately tilled with deep regard for the dignity of wholesome living, made him a physician who. m reality, was a community institution himself. So solicitous, so eager for its welfare, its sanity, health and its propriety, and so willing was he to believe in what he hail been taught, that his career was un- doubtedly an ultimate success. Life for him never seemed to have lost its morning vigor and freshness, because he drew freely from the wells ol living and learning, and gave his best to those he knew and loved. The crucible of the War Between the States found our nation in a nebulous state of affairs. William Latane cast his lot with his native state, Virginia, and became Captain oi the Essex Guards, fie fought va- liantly until he was killed in action, June 13, 1862, on the road between Hanover Courthouse and Old Church, when Stuart ' s cavalry made a raid around MeClellan. This hero was the only man killed in the skirmish on the road, and was buried under an old cherry tree in the Page burial ground. Today he lies quiescent in the same spot, and a shaft has now been placed over his remains by the Daughters of the Confederacy, with the following inscription: William Latane Captain Co. F. Essex Troop 9th Va. Cavalry C. S. A.. killed in action June 1,1, 1862. A brother bore his body from the field, ami a woman ' s voice read over the hallowed dust the ritual of the dead. It is, therefore, the soldier that we know best, because of the recorded lads, and this is enough to make him an enviable personage in the great line ol ' characters whom the Medical College of Virginia has trained. Mis burial has been made famous by a painting of William D. Washington, himself a confederate soldier, in which he depicts the burial at eventide, the grave surrounded by the families, and slaves, returning to Mother Earth the remains of this young hero. From this picture was inspired the poem by John R. Thomp- son which we give in part: Bui woman ' s voice, with accents soil, ami low, Trembling with pity touched, with pathos— read Oxer his hallowed dust the ritual of the ik M . Tis sown in weakness, it is raised in power . . . Softly the promise floated on the air. While the low breathings of the sunset hour Came back responsive to the mourners ' prayer. Gently they laid him underneath the sod. And left him with his lame, his country, and his Cod. And so; Vitrix el Vidua, the conflict done. Thou the late lamented Latane 1 d fe! g -A2. OlU ' fljl rJU(llll]TuClt? 0 UK noise. - , „., ,„y,„„,., „„ ,»MA»« »«■ ;,„„„ , ,« ,„„,,„„ ,„, ,„„,, , , A v a ,„, „„,„ „„; ,., .„„,, „. I ik tum ujiliir cuT ., ., ni tv ' , , ■„,,„,„„ , rr nun. , ,,, , r fu ryrmuui. nm rw , , r s ,me,, m ejjr ,- . , - . ' .- ' ' „ ,„ ,,„ ,,y,,„r„.„., „„, ,WA, r ,„■ ,„ muKMUiS. ,,„„ „,„ , „ „„„,, iHrtyinj QoctdSo ivnftawnr , „ ; „, ,r , rmuir, m ' riAyui muwmairf ,„ „„„ ' „ :, a It I William Latane; Dodo, ate Degree.

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- SS! Jfareutorfc Til I a long span of gears tljat coucrs tlie distance from (Qursnay ' s Arademy to the uciuly opened IT tmcnty-story medical College of Uirginia Sjospital that mini dominates Arademy Square, iRirhmnnd. (Tlir location of this historir spot is tin- block lying between iiiroad and iflarsliall Streets and running cast from durlfth Street to College ( ' fourteenth) Street. (History trlls us that mithiu this area and near auirlfth Street on tlir 2ltli of 9nne, 17 C, the corner stone mas laid for a large frame building uitrirq mas to house tlie Academy, the dream of one Cbrnalicr Qlucsuay dc iTcnnrrpairr, an enthusiastic ifrrurh ueteran of tlir American iSeuolutton. Iflr. Qj)uesnag, in establishing the Academy of Sciences and jdine Arts of tlir United states of Aiurrira, haft hoped to deurlop it into a great uniurrsity of tlie arts and srirurrs. ttiouicucr, after tiuo gears tlir fouudcr-Urrsident returned to Jfrniirr and thr educational venture iianisbcd into thin air. Che romirution of 1788 uiliirh ratified thr Constitution of thr United States, finding tliat thr JJnhltr (Building located in thr lower part of (fapitol Square uias too small to accommodate tlir assemblage, arranged to adjourn to thr Academy (Building, and it uias tlirrr tliat thr liistorir eoent tool; plan . (The framr strurturr uiliirh had become tlir center of theatrical and historical interest mas destroyed hy fire in 1B02, and lo take its plarr a brick theatre mas built on thr southeast corner of thr square on the exact spot Itoui coucrrd by Etje monumental Ci ' hurrh, uihirb, sadly enough, met a similar get more trayir fate. ifroiu thr ashes of this rcnflagratinn rose a glorious monument uiliirh stands today as an emblem of flu- tragic mrnt, denoted to thr srmicr of huiuauity for thr gears to come, din thr day aftrr thr fire thr (Common (Tall, as thr (Richmond city council uias then called, ordered the city to purchase the theatre site, to be consecrated as the sarred deposit of the ashes of tlie utrtims and enclosed uiithiu suitable mails of hrirk; mliich became (The monumental Churrb to be forrurr kept sacred for thr purposr of diuiur uiorsbip. (The rhurrh uias finished in two gears and opened its doors for the first seruirr on may ' I, IBM. Co return to Arndrmy Square, uir find that tlir medical department of tljr (Itaiiipdcn-Sydncy College (some nine years later to he kmimu as the itfefiiral College of Uirginia) uias interested in this location, had arquired some of its property, and had erected its first building on the northeast corner of the Square. In 1843 the college tool- up its quarters in this new edifice uiliirh faced on College treet. (The beautiful building mas designed in (Egyptian architecture and had as its builder iflr. (Thomas . Stewart of Uhiladrlphia. ide by side tljcsc fmo buildings, (Thr monumental Cluirrl ' and the Egyptian (Building of trie iPrDliral College dominated the life of the Square, uiliirli had originally been dedirated to tlie art of learning. Stow these institutions mere dedicated to the art of healing, thr our to the healing of men ' s souls, the other to the healing of men ' s bodies. (Through these years the College has expanded on Academy Square with the erection of the Donley (Hospital for children and (fnbaniss (b ' all for nurses on (Broad Street. (Then some years later thr attrartiur tflinir (Building mas built on tbr corner of marshal and (Twelfth Streets, but it mas soon oucrshadonicd by tlir tall and magnificent hospital mliirh has just opened its doors to suffering humanity, With the erection of the hospital euery foot of Academy Square is owned and usrd by cither the Churrh or the medical College for the purpose of healing the souls and bodies of mankind.