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Page 33 text:
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Hn 1f3t8torical Shctcb. X thf L ' ur 1732, making his way down the x ' alle) ' of X ' irginia towards tlic mountains, whose rugged outHnes reminded liim of his native hmd, a strange figure might have been seen. He is tall, well built, stern of countenance, and is clad in a buckskin suit. Across his back is Hung a long rifle, in his right hand is clasped the sword of justice, in his left is the Bible and on his brow is the cap of mercy placed there by the wrongs he has suf fered across the waters. Scotch Irish is his name. Before this figure ' s resolute tread every thing gives way and before long the curling smoke tells of the cabin ' s site. Xow in this cabin every evening, when the day ' s work is over the children are gathered to learn from their parents such rudiments of education as is possible. Their fathers were imbued with the doctrine of John Knox, who taught that the way to perpetuate Christianity was to foster it in the rising genera- tion. The fireside school did very well for a while, but it was not long before some method of obtaining a more e.xtensive knowledge was needed ; so in 1749, two miles southwest of the site of Greenville, in Augusta County, and near the interlacings of the head springs of the Shenandoah on the eastward and of the James river on the westward, under the direction of Robert Alexander, M. A., of Trinity College, Dublin, Augusta Academy sprung into existence and became the foundation stone for Washington and Lee University, thus making this honored institution next to the oldest in Virginia. It is an instance worthy of note that within a few miles of this little school the Father of his Country was about this time, busily engaged in surveying, little think- ing that the time would come when the offspring of the log cabin academy would do honor to his name. It was under its very walls that Washington developed into a man. . However the time came when it was found necessary to change its location, and in 1774 it was moved to Mt. Pleasant, near h ' airheld in Rockbridoe Countw Here it lost its old name and
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Page 34 text:
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adopted the appellation of its site. School life then was very different from that of modern times. The students attended, clad in buckskin, with their rifles across their arms. The building was used for nothing except to recite in and the shade of the surrounding trees gave shelter to those wishing to study between recitations, while the stump of a fallen monarch of the forest would serve as a desk. Mt. Pleasant Academy under the circumstances became very well provided for. It is interesting to note with what small advantages our forefathers attained such excellent educa- tions. The apparatus consisted of a small telescope, a twelve inch globe, a solar microscope, an air pump, an electrical machine, a barometer, a Hadley quadrant, and surveying instruments. The library consisted of two hundred and ninety volumes. This was absolutely all they had, yet some of the students managed to learn enough to enable them to hold with honor places of prominence in afterlife. Two of them became judges of the Supreme Court, four were members of the State Legislature, four entered the Cf)ngress of the United States while one was sent as minister to Prance. On Ma)- 6, 1776, two months before the Declaration of Independence, at their first meeting after the battle of Lexington the Board of Trustees renamed the academy Liberty Hall, and gave it the right to call itself the ' child of Freedom. However, again in 1777 it was seen fit to move and eighty acres of land near Old Timber Ridge Church were selected for its use. Here, under the guidance of William Graham, in a building twenty-eight by twenty-four feet and a story and a half high, it prospered for a while. The tuition exclusive of books and clothing was lo, 10 shillings — not much less than it is to-day. But the war of the Revolution was having its effect on the people and affairs finally becann ' in such condition that in i 7S0 the school had to suspend. When freedom was to be struggled for, the sons of Liberty Hall could not be idle. They would attend to tht ' P ritisli, then would it be time to consider themselves. When Tarlton with his victorious forces was making his way to Rockhsh Gap to invade the Valley, we hear of Mr. 28
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