Clover Hill High School - Ducemus Yearbook (Midlothian, VA)

Page 24 text:

Civil War Flashback Did you Know?... In this Ducemus anniversary issue, we have been examining issues and events that comprise ten years of CHHS history. However, we would be remiss in believing that only the occurences of these ten years have a bearing on our Cavalier heritatge. Other occurences, though they may have taken place years before this school was even built, deserve nevertheless to be noted here, as they add luster to an already brilliant past. One such event occured over a hundred years ago, in fact. The time was early April, 7865. On April 1st, the Confederate defense lines around Petersburg were broken by Union tropps troops at Dinwiddie County. Lee, realizing that Petersburg was doomed, ordered its evacuation and advised President Jefferson Davis that Richmond must also be abonded as well. During the night of April 2nd the massive retreat began. The army retreated in two columns. Generals Lee and Longstreet retrated through southeastern Chesterfield County. Meanwhile the Richmond garrision under General Ewell headed toward Manchester over the Richmond- Amelia Road, later remaned Hull Street Road. Both were to converge in Chesterfield and then head south to N.C., where they would hopefully meet up with other Confederate forces and then continue the war. Judge James Cox who lived nearby, heard of the presence of General Lee. Judge Cox was one of the county’s leading citizens, having presided on the Virginia seccion convention and served as Speaker of the House of Delagates. He sent one of his sons to the Confederate encampment to invite Lee and his staff to luncheon. The General accepted, and his party arrived at Judge Cox’s statly English style mansion that afternoon. The officers were met by Kate Cox, the judges daughter, who ushered them inside. She spoke briefly with Lee as the midday meal was prepared. “General”, she said, “we will win. you will join general Johnston in North Carolina, and together you will win.” Lee smiled and said “Whatever happens, no men ever fought better than mine.” With that they were summoned to dinner. Despite the food shortages plaguing the south, the judge laid an abundant table. Meats, vegetables, fruits and jellies were plentiful. Throughout the meal Kate kept close by General Longstreet. He had suffered a painful arm wound and had yet to regain the full use of it. As a result Kate had to cut his meat for him. When the meal was finished, Lee, Longstreet and their staffs bid the Cox family farewell and mounted their horses. Kate, in her book My Confederate Girlhood, later noted “General Lee on horseback was a most wonderful sight .. . going down the lane, his gray cape lined with red, thrown back from his shoulders.” The next day Lee’s army decamped and headed for Amelia Station, on a journey that would bring them to Appomattox, and final surrender, five days later. Many events have combined to comprise our Cavalier heritage. Some are readily rememberable: dances, athletic events, theatrical productions, etc--. Others-are-not-so easily recalled, though, such as an obscure dinner held in the midst of a nations dying days, at a plantation in Chesterfield County, a plantation named Clover Hill. 20 History lesson

Page 23 text:

VALLEY PEOPLE ON THE HILL?”’ Even before Frank Zappa released his daughter, The Valley Girl, a metamorphisis was becoming evident at Clover Hill. The coming of the PUNKS. Now “Punk” in a literal sense is a young ruffian — of course we are talking about the strange attire prevalent in the halls of our aging institution. “Punkers” wear strange colors like orange and pink at the same time. They favor sunglasses that - make it impossible to see what in the world is going on around them. Accesories such as headbands or bandanas are prominent. These punkrock freaks are harmless enough — unless they try to sell you a wardrobe.

Page 25 text:

Mrs. Julia Bowman, now in her second year of teaching here at Clover Hill started a tradition that will go down in our history as one of the most embrasing things that could ever happen to a geometery student. The dreded Easter Hat con- test. It counts as a test grade — and the “winner” in each class gets lots of unwanted recognition from the yearbook cam- v7 TitT AQTIN TY CHESTERF 1ELD COUNT) eras. And the worst part of all is the shamefull-parade through the halls of the math science area. The georetry, students of the future will be thankfull of the closed in-elassrooms this April. VIRGINIA LIBRA} Easter Hats 21