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Title: Minutes of February 21-22, 1851 [An Account of Students Painting Caricatures of Professors on University Property, Setting Off Gunpowder Explosions, Making an Uproar on Campus and in the Village, and Assaulting the Faculty with Stones]: Electronic Edition.
Author: University of North Carolina (1793-1962). General Faculty
Funding from the University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill supported the electronic publication of this title.
Text transcribed by Bari Helms
Images scanned by Caitlin R. Donnelly
Text encoded by Stephanie Adamson
First Edition, 2007
Size of electronic edition: ca. 25K
Publisher: The University Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
2007

No Copyright in US

The electronic edition is a part of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill digital library, Documenting the American South.
Languages used in the text: English
Revision history:
2007-02-23, Stephanie Adamson finished TEI/XML encoding.
Source(s):
Title of collection: Records of the General Faculty and Faculty Council of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (#40106), University Archives, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Title of document: Minutes of February 21-22, 1851 [An Account of Students Painting Caricatures of Professors on University Property, Setting Off Gunpowder Explosions, Making an Uproar on Campus and in the Village, and Assaulting the Faculty with Stones]
Author: [University of North Carolina (1793-1962). General Faculty]
Description: 4 pages, 4 page images
Note: Call number 40106 (University Archives, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill)
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Minutes of February 21-22, 1851 [An Account of Students Painting Caricatures of Professors on University Property, Setting Off Gunpowder Explosions, Making an Uproar on Campus and in the Village, and Assaulting the Faculty with Stones]
University of North Carolina (1793-1962). General Faculty



Page 88
Friday. February 21st. 1851.
The Faculty met at nine o'clock in the Library, and proceeded to investigate the particulars of a riot which occurred the night before (Thursday 20th inst).
During the past fortnight, the following disorders have been perpetrated by some of the students. On two successive Saturday nights, the walls of the belfry, and in the second instance, the doors of the recitation-rooms also, have been defaced extensively by drawings and writings in black paint, by which the different members of the Faculty were caricatured and assailed with ridiculous or scandalous imputations, and the college property damaged to the amount of a considerable sum of money. Gunpowder explosions have been made repeatedly at night before the door of the Laboratory in the South Building , as if designed expressly to annoy the Professor of Chemistry within. One of these was calculated to endanger his person as well as the building itself. The powder being put in contact with the door, it was broken through, retorts and other vessels inside were shivered, and the whole room as well as the passage outside filled with smoke.
Disturbances were created Tuesday night and Wednesday night last by riding horses, blowing horns, ringing bells &c. Yesterday evening (Thursday 20th) an organized party of students, after much tumult in the campus, proceeded with instruments of this kind to the village, creating an uproar about the houses of the Professors, and assaulting one of them with stones. The Faculty now — 11 o'clock P.M. — repaired together to the college buildings, and took a memorandum of all who were found absent from their rooms without any known and satisfactory reason. This produced a temporary quietus, although the

Page 89
riot was not entirely suppressed until one o'clock in the night.
This morning, the following students were called before the Faculty to account for being absent from their rooms, while this disturbance was going on, and to say whether they had any and, if any, what participation in the riot: viz, of the Sophomore class, Messrs Cobb, DeRossett, P. Green, McClenahan, McIntyre, Marsh, J. T. Taylor, D. G. Worth , and A. E. Wright. Of the Freshman class, Messiers Brooks, Crumpler, Faison, E. Graham, Grimes, Long, Sawyer, Thompson, W. Thompson, Walker, Wright and J. Wright.
The statements of each were written down by the President at the time, and being read in their hearing before they retired, were acknowledged by themselves to be correct.
Messrs Taylor and Worth said they were in their rooms and had no connexion with the disorderly party. (These had been reported absent from their rooms by mistake).
Mr A. E. Wright said he was in Mr Lawrence's room near his own, and had no part in the disturbance.
Mr De—Rossett said he was not out of the campus, that he went from the West Building to the South and back twice, and did nothing more. Mr McIntyre admitted he was in the campus frequently, but denied ringing the bell or going into the village.
Mr Cobb said he slept with Mr Washington, but declined to answer whether he rung the bell, or went with the party into the village or was concerned in painting the belfry.
Messrs P. Green and McClenahan admitted they were in the campus, but declined to answer whether they rung the bell, or were of the party in the village.
Mr Marsh admitted he was in the campus,

Page 90
denied ringing the bell or blowing a horn, but declined to answer the question whether he played the fiddle or was one of the party in the village.
Messrs Brooks, Crumpler, W. Thompson, Walker, Wright, & J. Wright of the Freshman class admitted they were not in their rooms, when the Faculty visited them, but denied being of the party which went into the village, or that they had any part in the disturbances in the campus.
Messrs Faison, E. Graham, Grimes, Long Sawyer and Thompson admitted they were not in their room, and did not deny participating in the disturbances which took place in the campus and in the village.
Mr Graham disavowed any connexion with the explosion of gunpowder against the door of the laboratory.
The investigation being now concluded, a consultation ensued respecting the four Sophomores and the six Freshman last mentioned who did not deny their full participation in the riot. It was moved to postpone a decision of the punishment to be inflicted until the regular meeting of the Faculty this evening. The motion was carried and thereupon
The Faculty adjourned


Friday. February 21st. 1851
The regular meeting of the Faculty was opened with prayer by Rev Dr Mictchell . All the members were present.
The reports of absences from recitation and general deportment were next submitted.
Mr David S. Cowan then appeared at the instance of Prof Hubbard , who reported that Mr Cowan came to his recitation in the forenoon in a state of manifest intoxication, so that it was necessary to send him out of the room

Page 91
under the care of two of his classmates. Mr Cowan did not deny the charge and was suspended for three weeks.
It was now unanimously resolved that Messrs Cobb, P. Green, McClenahan, and Marsh of the Sophomore Class and Faison, E. Graham, Grimes, Long, Sawyer, and Thompson of the Freshman class, for participating in the disturbances of Thursday night be dismissed.
After this it was moved to inform these young men of their dismission tomorrow morning in presence of all the Faculty. The motion was adopted, and the Faculty then adjourned.

A. G. Brown — Clk.



Saturday. Feb. 22d. 9 o'clock A.M.
The Faculty met. All present.
The ten students above-mentioned were called before them.
As soon as they appeared, a Prayer was offered by Prof Phillips .
The President read to them once more the answers they made yesterday to the questions of the Faculty about their participation respectively in the late disturbances, and invited them to submit any correction they might think proper. None was suggested. He then addressed them in a most solemn manner about their past conduct and the precautions to be observed in their present situation, and then announced the sentence of dismission.
The Professors and Tutors immediately afterwards repaired to the house of Prof Phillips , and wrote the neccessary letters to the parents of those who were dismissed.