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From: DC0339s (Finding Aid)
Transcript
D College N.C[1] Oct 1 1873[2]
Dear Parents:[3]
Yours of Sept 22 int came to hand last eve also a few days since one from Mrs. Gatewood[4] which I will answer soon. I get letters from Charlie[5] too and three times a week.
Everything is going on very smoothly this evening. I am doing very well got straightened in very well and am very well pleased with my choice of college. I am needing money some but the faculty are willing to wait on me so you need not be in too big a strain to get money for me.
I am looking for a student from milford, Texas, but I have almost given him out now. his name is Smylie.[6]
I know you enjoyed your Danville trip.[7] Oh your picture, ma, makes you look ten years younger than you did when I saw you. do you really look so? I will have some photographs taken when I go Charlotte again. There is no artist here.[8] I don’t think you will see so much change in me as I do in you. I dont think I have changed a bit. I weigh exactly the same I did a year ago.
I don’t know whether I can stand as high in my class as I thought I could, there are so many that are a great deal better prepared. Some are studying the same they had last year and of course they can stand higher than me. but I am going to push some of them to do it.
Dr Philips has not arrived yet from Washinton. He went up there about two months since and took sick.[9] looking for him this evening. I don’t want to stand head much. because the biggest fools generally do that and it looks reasonable too as they are generally very smart in textbooks and nothing else. There is an instance of it in the Junior Class here and we have some right smart fellows in our class.
You didn’t tell me about how you thought that situation would suit me there at home if I had to come home next year. If I do have it to do I would like to get a position that would yield me enough in a year or two to take me through my college course. If I could stay here two years after this one I would be all right I could make enough to send me to the W. & L. for two years in one year and in two years I could get the degree of master of Arts.[10] It would not take more than $600 to send me two years after I graduate here.
When you write advise me what course you think best, and don’t let it be long before you write.
Your son
W. B. Leverett
I commenced on the page I ought have ended on. W
To be good and do good is the chief end of man
Jamestown Texas[11] October 26th 1873[12]
be not deceived God in not mocked as ye sow so shall ye reap. Surely gooness and mercy have followed all the days of my life. Commit thy way unto the Lord trust also in him and he shall give thee the desires of thy heart. Fret not thy self because of evil doers Bless the Lord O my soul and all that is in me bless his holy name Bless bless Come then fount of every blessing tune my heart come thou fount of Every blessing tune I love thy kingdom Lord the [eligible] house of [eligible]
Why art thou cast down O my soul and why why o my soul why art thou cast down. and why art thou disquieted within me. trust in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God. Why art thou cast down o my soul and why art thou disquieted within me. hope in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health my countenance and my God and God. Praise come thou fount of enemy blessing tune my heart. Time my heart h h heart heart heart to to sing I am bound for the the promise land land land I am bound the promised land land land compliments compliments and the call them compliments to my compliments[13]
Walter B. Leverett[14]
Original
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Annotations
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[1] Davidson College is a liberal arts college in Mecklenburg County, North Carolina and is located twenty-three miles north of Charlotte. It was founded in 1837. It was founded in 1837. More information about the college can be found in the Davidson Encyclopedia at https://davidsonarchivesandspecialcollections.org/archives/college/encyclopedia (DE).
[2] Oct. 1st, 1873 was near the beginning of Walter’s first term at Davidson College. The term began September 25, 1873 and ended December 22, 1873. There was no college catalog from 1873-1874, but 1872-1873 figures are very similar. There were 113 students and 11 faculty members from 1872-1873 and the courses offered for sophomore include: the Bible, English, English Literature, French, Latin, Greek, and Mathematics. Walter attended Washington and Lee University as a freshman from 1872-1873, but transferred to Davidson College as a sophomore (Fac. Min. and DCC 1872-1873).
[3] Walter’s father and mother were Marshall Duncan Leverett and Eliza Ann Patterson. Marshall was born in Georgia in 1815 and Eliza was born in North Carolina in 1826. They were married on September 29, 1851 in Rusk County, Texas. They had seven children: Walter, Charlie, Alice, Howard, Lebron, Caroline, and Alfred Henry. Both Alfred and Caroline died when they were two years old (Rodriguez).
[4] No records were found to indicate who Mrs. Gatewood was.
[5] Charlie was Walter’s older brother (2 years older) who was born in 1853 in Leverett’s Chapel, Rusk County, Texas. Charlie attended Washington and Lee University from 1872 to 1874 where he studied Greek, French, Mathematics, and Latin. Greta Munger, a professor who currently teaches at Davidson, is the great granddaughter of Howard Leverett, Walter and Charlie’s brother. Walter was unable to send his brother money because he had to save all his money for his expenses at Davidson (Leverett Family).
[6] There are no records of a student named Smylie during Walter’s time at Davidson. However, there is a John Addison Smylie from Milford, Texas who was a pastor during Walter’s time at Davidson. Perhaps this pastor’s son was the person who Walter was referring to (Ministerial Directory).
[7] Though there are several towns named Danville in the US, it is likely that the town Walter’s parents went to was Danville, Virginia because their son, Charlie Leverett, attended Washington & Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. More information about this town can be found in http://www.danville-va.gov/ (Virginia).
[8] During the time that Walter was here, there were no photographers in town. First known photographer was Mr. Valentine Stirewalt, member of the class of 1884 (Locals).
[9] It is recorded in the Davidson College Faculty Minutes that Professor Phillips was unable to meet with his class during the first six weeks of school because he was sick (Faculty Minutes).
[10] Walter wanted to graduate from Davidson College, but only stayed for one term and thus could not finish his Degree of Arts (Fall 1873). Walter had to go home to help his family and could not afford to stay at Davidson (Leverett Family).
[11] Jamestown, Texas was the city from where Walter was from. It is now not shown in the map, and called “Old Jamestown.” More information can be found on https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hnj03 (Jamestown).
[12] The date shows that this was a reply (presumably from his father) to Water’s letter (Leverett).
[13] We believe that this portion of the letter was written by another person, most likely his father (Leverett).
[14] Walter B. Leverett was born in 1855 in Jamestown, Texas. He was born to Marshall Duncan Leverett and Eliza Ann Patterson. He was the second of seven children and lived with his family on a plantation in Leverett’s Chapel, Texas. He began college in 1872 at Washington and Lee University and transferred to Davidson College in 1873 before the fall of his sophomore year. While he was at Davidson, he belonged to the Philanthropic society and was conditioned in French. His classes for the fall of 1873 were Logic and Rhetoric, Greek, Latin, Modern Languages, Mathematics, On Composition, and Declamation. He left Davidson after his first semester. Walter remained a farmer for the rest of his life but moved away from the family farm to San Saba, Texas with his wife Addie (Leverett Family).
Works cited
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Davidson College Catalog, 1872-1873. Davidson: Davidson College Office of Communications. [1982].
Davidson College Catalog, 1874-1875. Davidson: Davidson College Office of Communications. [1875].
“Davidson Encyclopedia.” Davidson Encyclopedia. Davidson College Archives, Aug. 2003. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. <https://davidsonarchivesandspecialcollections.org/archives/college/encyclopedia>.
DC0339s. Leverett Family Papers. Davidson College Archives, Davidson, N.C.
Faculty Minutes – 3 October 1873. RG 2/3. 2. President’s Office. Davidson College Archives, Davidson, N.C.
“JAMESTOWN, TX (SMITH COUNTY).” MCCROSKEY, VISTA K. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2014. <https://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/hnj03>.
“Locals.” Davidson College Magazine Mar. 1903: 258. Web.
Rodriguez, Donna McCreary. “Captain Marshall Duncan Leverett and Eliza Ann Patterson.” Gone to Texas. Millennia, 26 Mar. 2011. Web. 30 Apr. 2014. <http://gonetotexasgtt.com/f2102.htm#f234>.
Scott, E. C. Ministerial Directory of the Presbyterian Church, U.S., 1861-1941. Austin, TX: Press of Von Boeckmann-Jones, 1942. Print.
“Town of Danville.” Town of Danville. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2014. <http://www.danville.ca.gov/>”.
“Walter Leverett’s Letter of Oct. 1, 1873.” Personal interview. 29 Apr. 2014.
“Welcome to an Engaged Community.” Danville, VA. N.p., n.d. Web. 01 May 2014. <http://www.danville-va.gov/>.
Transcription and annotation author: Judith Rosales Rivas.
Date: May 2014.
Cite as: Rosales Rivas, Judith, annotator. 1 October 1873 Walter B. Leverett Letter to Parents. DC0339s.
Available: https://davidsonarchivesandspecialcollections.org/archives/digital-collections/walter-b-leverett-letter-1-oct-1873.
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