Hampden Sydney College - Kaleidoscope Yearbook (Hampden Sydney, VA)

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at the weeks of delay in ordering us to Rielnnoud, and at the delay after reaching fliielnnond in being sent to the field. lit is pathetic now to colnparc our hopefulnrss and eagerness, and the final result--the liost Cause, our great expectations as a company, the clipping of our wings before we could soar to fame, and our inglorious surrender so soon after entering the field-inglorious only in the sense of engaging in no important battle-shattcred our hope of fame. lVhen a few companies had in front and rear an army of Federals, we made in vain a desperate effort to escape. lVhen there was nothing else left to do, our gallant commander, Clolonel l'egram, surrendered his command, and wi-'were marclu'd into prison. The unliindest cut of all was given hy an old l'nion farmer, who, standing hy the road, waved his hat as he saw us, and exclaimed: mllrue policy, gentlemen, true policy! Go home, and do not fight against the llnion any more. Could any pill he made more bitter for us in our youthful aspirations to swallow? Our feelings may be imagined, but no words can describe them. We had no opportunity to rival the glorious record of another company of Virginia hoys, the Virginia Military Tnstitute cadets. But it was not to hc. ive were the same material, Virginia College boys, and we have no reason to think that our conduct would have been less brilliant when tested hy battle. There was not a more gifted and brave officer defending the South than Colonel ljegram of Richmond. After defending Rich Mountain with a hand- ful of soldiers, against an army hcfore and behind, he tried to escape, carried on a litter, and in this condition surrendered. llc was idolized by his little command, and the company of Hanlpden-Sidney Boys was his pct. He lost no opportunity on the march and in the camp to compliment us. Tt was a great surprise and gratification to him to see hoys just from their hooks, after a few Weclcs of drilling, conduct themselves as veterans. After giving our captain some orders on the march, he said, Ry the way, Captain, T want to say that T never saw a regiment more steadily led than your company led it to-day.', Later on, when our career was nearly over, he told us that he had often to place us in responsible positions, and had never found us wanting. lVe valued rvcrv such commendation as priceless, and his influence over us is an instance of the magnetic power of a chivalrous eonnnander over his men. Our captain was equally beloved. He had much reputation as a theolo- gian, an aelinowledged leader in clmrch courts, an efficient professor of lan- guages and philosophy. Put one subject was too much for his metaphysical mind-military tactics. Report credits him with drilling grains of corn all night in order to master the situation in his new position as a military com- mander. but his lcnowlcdgc, if he acquired it, was never ready and availahlc for drilling hoys. Tfe would sometimes, after a vain effort to remember a military command, finally say 'Ttome this wayf' or Go that way, or, if near enough, in avoiding an ohstruetion, give a push or a pull to the man in front. In this Way our theologian drilled us: his life had been devoted to higher 30

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Dr. QYUIIN .ll,'l1'0 l'LEA.S'.-INYXS' .fl7'lx'lN.S'0N. Pwsliifflll QI' lhunpdcu--S'1ll'mr1' Collu,yu: 1857-1863, ami Captain 141' 7Wv llfzllrpilull-Sllilnqi' lfn,v.v.' From a 1I'u,u1n:rruuAvpn, .wmfu.mI' to lmru lwuu lllkifll Ill 1801. Hampclen-Sidney Boys in the Civil uWar Nl zu u ith nnneled Tuhnes of sadnc ss and iov, and often of llll1't11. The .L-pq.: Hmlipcleii-S1dney Boys, excluding our honored and revered Captain, Dr. J. M. P. Atkinson, who was the president of the college and also a dis- tinguished minister, was literally composed of boys. There was great grief on our arrival in Rielnnond ali ll report that the Governor of Virginia would not allow thc eoni mn if l o i i ' , li 'm me mustered in because the boys were too young. lVe sent El eoinnuitlee to the Governor 1'o plead our ouuse, and great were the Cll'lll0llSl'.l'2lll0llS of joy when the Governor consented to pass us into the ranks of C'onfedernle soldiers. lCX0ll'l'llll'lll was intense. These were our days of lmoyant youth and inurtial spirit. We knew nofliinfv' F' of The serious side of war. XVll2llUVl'l' others might Think, we feared onlv that Y the conflict might end before n e could gel' to the front. NVo were iinpslliienf 29 HAM.IJIJEN-SIDNEY boy ulxvuys recalls his experience of our Civil . ' D ' D' ' . f Qfaw n' K4 ' aa fx

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things. Still our proachor-captain was ovory inch a solclior, loaving out tho tactics. llc was as bravc as Julius Va-sa r. llis natural intropitlity roinforcocl by his Prosbytorian faith would havo oausotl him to sacritioo ovory boy hc hail it occasion roquircd. Such worc his courago and his storn sonso of duty, that hc could have lookcrl into tho vory jaws of mloath without a trcmor. His care of us was, howcvcr, fathorly and fonrlor, ancl wo groatly lovod aml honourccl him. Whilc in prison, a Focloral otiiccr camo into our quartors, and asliofl with an oath, Xl'hcro is that old prcaclu-r?', proclaiming, ul will hang tho olcl traitor boforo thc sun sotsin two clicl not foar his throats, but to protiocf our captain from fho luuniliation ol' mooting suoh a ruflian, wo sont thc follow tho wrong way fo fintl tho ohl Doctor. Anothor inoiclont of our prison oxporionoo is much to tho oroflit of al. Fcrloral otlif-or. Ilo roflo up rapiflly to our quartors, salutofl us, anfl aslu-tl whcro was tho IIZUIll5fil'll-Sitllltf' Company. NVo ropliocl, UA part of it is boforo you. Ho sairl ho hasl hoarrl muoh about us antl fool: groat iutorost in us, aclfling that it was a. pity for us fo loavo coll:-go. llc ploasantly aslcocl why wc gavo up our stnclios and booamo solrliors. TVo ropliorl: To tight. For what othor roason shoulrl wo bo solfliors, do you supposo W llo soomofl amuscfl, and saicl: iVoll, boys, T will soncl you homo to your mothors in a fcw rlaysf, IIC was in ovcry way consixlorato anfl courtoous rluring fho intorvicw. Soon aftor, much to our mnazomont, wo lcaruocl that this otlicor was Gcn. Goorgc ll. McClollan. Tn a short whilo wo clirl soo our mofhcrs. V70 wore parolocl anrl sont to our linos. Othor prisonors woro oxchangofl, but wc woro not, for a yoar or more. Xvo spont a vacation at homo anfl a sossion at collogo. XVC havo a suspicion that this prolougocl parolo was arraugocl by Gouoral Mcfllcllan, and wc fm-lt that our last sossion at collogc was rluo to him. Such is tho briof history of our military caroor of a fow months as a company. 'Fixolurling arcluous marches, some sharp skirmishos, a numbor of cascs of illnoss, a littlo starving, anrl an imprisonmont ot' short cluration, wo saw only tho sunny siclcof war. Many of us aftorwarcls found out wc clicl not know what roal war Was. At railway stations from Riolnnonrl to Staunton, anfl on tho long march to the fiolrl, wo woro grootocl by rho bright oyos of boautiful girls boa ring rofrosh- monts. Many askocl ospocially for tho NTIS!!l1Dfl!'ll-Sifllltw Roysf' Thoso flays wc can novor forget, and flo not wish to forgot. ln somo instancos at boautiful and patriotic girl woulrl claim rolafiouship fiUV011i'!'fl so far as tho boy lmowl and tho parting woulrl bo with tho cousinly privilogo. Wo ask thc stuclonts of tho prosont rlay, if, barring ovon thc privilogo of flying for ono's country, tho Tlainpclou-Sifluoy Boysi' woro not amply ro- wardofl for thoir littlo ossay at solflioring? Vlar is slanclcrofl : thcro is a sunny side. In tho irllo minds of thc soldiors, young or olrl, it is astonishing how much mcrriment anything, tho most trivial, can arouso. Evory passcr-by on thc 31 i