On Saturday the 28
th of May [1842] I set out on my return to the
Hill
to attend commencement & receive my diploma.
Laura accompanied me, &
Fayette
also, as far as
Greensboro, where he is at s
chool. We
passed
the night in
G.
[Greensboro] at
Mrs Moring's, & after breakfast the next morning Jacob
drove us down to
Mr
Holt's
& we spent the remainder of the Sabbath & the night
following with Miss
Eliza Holt
. There we
found the
Dr
. &
Miss
Elizabeth
, at
Edwin
Holt's
. About 10 on Monday morning we all set out again, the
Dr
. having prevailed upon his brother
Edwin
to go with him to the
Hill.
We travelled in company, about 6 miles, to
Dr
Mike Holt's
, where we found
Dr
Saml Holt
who had also agreed to go to the
Hill.
There
Laura & I seperated from the rest, & went on
direct to the
Hill,
while the
Dr
& his company went on by
Hillsboro, where he had some business to transact.
Laura was invited to
Prof.
[James] Phillip's
, but she remained there for only a short time on
account of the severe sickness of Miss
Jane
Wilson
,
10
who was staying there.
Dr
[Elisha] Mitchell
invited her to his house & there she remained
during our stay at
C.
Hill. On Monday evening
Prof.
[William] Green
, who had been solicited by our class to deliver to us a
parting sermon, preached to us in the new chapel, from this text,=="Remember this & prove yourselves
men".==. On Tuesday morning our class was examined on Law by
Gov.
Swain
in the presence of
Charles
Manly
,
D.
M. Barringer
& several other highly intelligent gentlemen. In the
evening
Dr
Mitchell
who wished to have some amusement, called together the Seniors
& proposed that some of the class should take the
Page 132
"Nitrous Oxide" or exilarating gas. It was administered in
the grove just behind the
S. B. [South
Building] & students & visitors were all, there assembled. Those
of my class who took it were
Ashe
,
Morrisey
,
Mullins
,
Quince
&
Summerell
. All showed a disposition to fight
but
Morrisey
&
Summerell
—the former did nothing but walk about
& look as if he were searching for a stump upon which to mount to make a
speech, & the other jumped up, smacked his feet together & said he felt
glorious.
Ashe
was the
most pugnacious man of them all—he first jumped upon
J. P.
Irwin
& tore the skirt of his coat nearly off & he then threw
himself upon me so suddenly that I could not get out of his way & was
obliged to fight in self-defense. Neither of us were hurt for
Dick's
gas soon "–frez–z out" & then of
course the scuffle ended. That night the Fresh competitors declaimed. Also
about 4 that evening
Miss
Wilson
died.
Dr
Holt
reached the
Hill
also on that eve. Wednesday morning was set apart for the delivery of
Mr
Mason's
address but as that gentleman, on account of urgent business,
could not be present
Dr
Mitchell
devoted the time to a lecture & the exhibition of some
experiments, on Electro Magnetism. The evening of that day was devoted to the
interment of the body of
Miss
Wilson
. It was brought to the chapel where a long & very solemn
& impressive sermon was preached by
Prof.
Phillips
. Thence it was carried to the college burial place & there
interred. A numerous
Page 133
concourse of people
attended the body to the grave—the students behaved with becoming
solemnity & both they & the strangers who were present appeared to
sympathise deeply with the bereaved father & sister by
11
the solemn & respectful manner in which they performed the last sad rites
to the body of their beloved relative.
On Wed. night the Soph. comp
ets.
declaimed—
Fauks
was one of them. On Thursday morning the speakers
were
Bryan
, who spoke the Latin,
Summerell
,
Barringer
Haigh
&
Lewis
—in the evening
Bell
spoke first, a French speech—"
Elogé
Louis Phillipe." After him
Mullins
&
Marten
12
& then the degrees were conferred. A very neat
bible was given
to each member of the class together with his diploma.
13
R. Campbell
,
Dusenbery
&
Green
were called up & received their diploma's together. The
reports were read out before degrees were conferred—
Alfred Foster
&
Bellanfant
received 3
d in the Soph.
Morrisey
then delivered his valedictory &
Mr
Green
closed the exercises with prayer after a short speech
14
from
Gov.
Morehead
. At night the ball came off. Very few young ladies attended. I
went over & danced the first cotillion with
Augusta Rounsaville
who also was at Commencement. I paid
very little attention to the ladies. Once I walked with
Elizabeth
Holt
& once with
Miss Jackson from
Pittsboro. On Friday morning I left the
Hill
Page 134
bringing with me
McBee
&
Foster
.
Laura was very kindly treated at
Dr
Mitchell's
& on leaving I gave
Miss
Ellen all my plants.
Mr
[Charles] Phillips
kept my horses during my stay. [. . .]
15