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Davidson College
March 27th 1858[1]
Dear Pa,
I seat myself this evening for the purpose of answering your letter, which was received on last Saturday. I should have written you sooner, but owing to some circumstances, which I will mention, I have been deprived of an opportunity during the week. As I stated in my letter to Ma, the Sacrament was administered here last Sabbath, during which we were favoured with the Services of Mr. Penick (Junr).[2] There is at present, a considerable revival of Religion going on here. On last Monday, Mr. Penick intended returning home, but owing the feeling that was manifested among some of the Students concerning Religion, we all requested him to remain with us longer, which he willingly agreed to do. He has preached every night this week, and is still here, and I suppose will remain until next Monday or Tuesday- During this time he has preached some most excellent Sermons- just plain truths and sound doctrine such as I know you would be pleased with. He also held conversational meetings immediately after services, which I, with a number of others, have attended. Tonight there were between twenty and thirty at it. There is a revival of Religion
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now going on in many parts of the United States, which seems to be somewhat different from some revivals of past history.[3] The revival now going on, don’t appear to be characterized by the works of any renowned man, as some are, but by the working of the Spirit of God. It appears to me, that it would have been proper that the Faculty should have suspended, at least a part, of the regular College duties this week, when we had preaching every night, and many of the students were greatly concerned about their Souls. But I suppose They viewed the matter differently. Well, as it is about Twelve O’clock, I must stop writing and finish Monday morning.
I will not have time to write much as I have to attend to my studies, and I want to mail it this evening, in order that you may receive it Wednesday. Mr. Penick is still here, and it is Thought by some that he will remain until Thursday and preach every night. But I s’pose he will be compelled to leave Then, as Presbytery[4] will be held at his church, and will be opened on that day. It seems that you passed a great compliment on my Circular[5] – Well I don’t know what it contains, as I did not have an opportunity of seeing it- but I don’t think my next one will be quite so good. I have made a bad start in the way of demerits[6]
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We have had another little rebellion in our class- but we think we are right in doing what we did. On account of the preaching last week, we had no time to prepare a lesson for Monday morning, for we had a sermon Friday night, and three Saturday. Therefore each of the classes requested their respective Professors, to excuse them from their recitations- They were all excused except the Soph. Class. Professor Rockwell[7] , to whom we had to recite on being asked to excuse us, refused to do it. Then the members of our class, thinking it unkind and even unjust that the other classes could be exempted and we could not, determined to not go up to recitations. Consequently, after prayers, instead of going to recitation, we went to our rooms and left him there alone, and this morning, he reported the class for being absent. I presume the end of it will be that we will get about 8 demerits. I suppose you have heard that in all probability, Maj. Hill[8] will leave Davidson- He has received a call to the Military School in Charlotte, which I am told, he has accepted. Well, I must close, as I haven’t time to write any more at present. My health still continues to be good. Before closing, I will state that the money you sent me was received with many thanks. My love to Aunt Polly, Uncle Milton, family and all other friends
Yours in cincerity and affection,
W. W. Robinson[9]
N. B. Write Soon
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Original
[1] William Wallace Robinson wrote this letter in the second semester of his sophomore year. In 1857-1858, the college semester ran September 24th 1857 to February 19th 1858 and February 22nd 1858 to July 15th 1958. (Davidson College Catalog 1857-1858, 19)
[2] This is probably Daniel Allen Jr. Penick, brother of Peter Timley Penick who is on the Board of Examiners (College Catalog, 5). Daniel Allen Jr. Penick, a Davidson College graduate from 1850, served as a stated supply minister, or interim minister, for Poplar Tent Church approximately ten miles away from the college. However, there were three ministers with the last name Penick, all of whom were affiliated with Davidson College that lived in the surrounding area during the time of this letter. (Scott, E.C., com.)
[3] This most likely refers to the Prayer Meeting Revival of 1857-58. The newly circulating New York Herald and New York Tribune publicized the financial panic of 1857 tremendously, and accordingly many businessmen began seeking God’s help in their time of trouble. (McLoughlin, 141-142.)
[4] Presbyteries provide care and oversight of a group of congregations. During 1858 Davidson was under the Concord Presbytery, which actually founded the college in 1837. Overtures, or meetings, are conducted to bring recommendations and matters of concern before the church. The Concord Presbytery dissolved in 1973. (Office of the General Assembly)
[5] “Circular” refers to a report card. During this time Davidson College sent grades directly to the parents of the students or to the sponsors of students who received scholarships. (Dr. Jan Blodgett)
[6] An accumulation of 100 demerits in a single term results in expulsion. Demerits can also subtract from the overall grades which appear on a student’s “Circular.” (Davidson College Catalog, 18)
[7] Rev. E. F. Rockwell, A. M. was a professor of Latin Language and Literature and Modern History(Davidson College Catalog 1857-1858, 6). Modern History at Davidson College in 1858 would cover the Renaissance and Europe post-Renaissance. For Professor Rockwell the sophomore class had to recite in Latin the works of Horace’s Satires and Epistles and Cicero’s De Amicitia, De Senectute, and De Officiis (Davidson College Catalog 1857-1858, 13).
[8] Major Daniel H. Hill was professor of Mathematics and Civil Engineering. He graduated from West Point in 1842 and was assigned to the First Artillery. The United States Government commended Hill for his battles in Mexico in 1847 and ultimately promoted Hill to Brevet-Major. In 1853 Hill joined the faculty at Davidson, and in 1859 Hill left Davidson to join the North Carolina Military Academy in Charlotte. President Jefferson Davis appointed Daniel Hill to Lieutenant-General July 10, 1863. (Semi-Centennial Catalog, 15)
[9] William Wallace Robinson (1835-1901) was originally from Bloomingdale, North Carolina. At Davidson, he was a member of the Eumenean society, studied medicine, and a graduated with the class of 1861. Robinson became permanently disabled in the Battle of Spotsylvania during the Civil War. In this 1864 battle, which began spanned May 8-24, resulted in 12,000 casualties for Lee and the Confederate Army and close to 20,000 casualties for Grant and the Union Army with many more injured on both sides, including Robinson. Following the war, Robinson returned to North Carolina, where he became the Superintendent of Public Instruction for Mecklenberg and Spapton Counties.(Davidson Catalog 1858-1859, 8; Semi-Centennial Catalogue of Davidson College, 77; Rickard, J.)
Bibliography
Blodgett, Jan. Personal interview. 25 February 2013.
Davidson College Catalog, 1857-1858. Davidson: Davidson College Office of Communications. [1857].
Davidson College Catalog, 1858-1859. Davidson: Davidson College Office of Communications. [1858].
McLoughlin, William. Revivals, Awakenings, and Reform: An Essay on Religion and Social Change in America, 1607-1977. Chicago, Illinois: The University of Chicago Press, 1978. 141-142. Print.
Office of the General Assembly. Links to Presbyteries and Synods. <http://oga.pcusa.org/section/departments/mid-councils/links/>.n.d. Web. 25 February 2013.
Rickard, J. “Battle of Spotsylvania, 8-21 May 1864.” <http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/battles_spotsylvania.html>. n.d. Web. 27 February 2013.
Robinson, W.W. Letter to Pa. 18 October 1858. William Robinson Letters. Davidson College Archives, Davidson College, NC.
Scott, E.C., com. Ministerial Directory of the Presbyterian Church, U.S., 1861-1941. Austin, Texas: Press of Von Boeckmann-Jones Co., 1942. 565. Print.
Semi-Centennial Catalogue of Davidson College. Raleigh: E.M. Uzzell, 1891.
Transcription and annotation author: Max Feinstein
Date: March 2013
From: DC0123s. Robinson, William Wallace, 1835-1901 (1860) Letters, 1857-1864 (View Finding Aid)
Cite as: Feinstein, Max, annotator. 27 March William Robinson Letter. DC0123s. <https://davidsonarchivesandspecialcollections.org/archives/digital-collections/william-w-robinson-letter-27-mar-1858>.
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