XII. The Federal Army Arrives
While hostilities were going on, the University had, on
several occasions, been threatened with incursions of the
enemy. The Faculty on July, 1864, went so far as to
ask the Board of Visitors to authorize them to remove
the institution to a place of greater security whenever this
should be made necessary by the approach of Federal
raiders. At one time, there was reason to think that an
attack would be launched from the East, and all the professors
who were not either superannuated, or already
engaged in fighting at the front, took part with the home-guard
of boys and elderly men, with spade and shovel, in
throwing up breastworks, beyond the Rivanna, at a spot
which the foe would have to pass. This mixed contingent
remained in the field during three days and nights,
but returned without having seen the faces of the expected
invaders.
In March, 1865, the enemy, who had so often been expected
to come, actually arrived in the shadow of the Rotunda.
There were numerous persons, who, remembering
the burning of the barracks of the Virginia Military
Institute by General Hunter, were apprehensive lest the
pavilions, dormitories, and lecture-halls of the University
should be given over to the torch, applied either deliverately
by a military squad, or furtively by the hands of
camp-followers seeking plunder. The Faculty decided
that it would be wisest to appoint a committee, who
should, in person, solicit of the Federal commander a
promise to protect the buildings from his troops, if necessary,
as well as from irresponsible marauders, who were
the ones to be most feared. By March I, it was known,
through Confederate scouts, that Sheridan was rapidly
marching eastward, after dispersing Early's disorganized
forces in the Valley. It was thought that he would
reach Charlottesville certainly by the morning of the 3rd;
perhaps by the evening of the 2nd. Professors Maupin
and Minor, and Colonel Preston, the rector, were authorized
to meet him on the confines of the grounds.
The morning of the 3rd dawned; the day drew on to
ten o'clock; and yet the enemy had not been seen. In
reality, the roads had been made so heavy by rain and
the rivers had so overflowed their banks, that the progress
of the Federal troops had been delayed. Two Confederate
scouts rode by who said that they were going
as close to the enemy as the positions still held by the
Confederate pickets would allow. "I enjoined them,"
records Professor Minor in his diary, "to come by on
their return and let me hear definitely what was the situation.
I can only await the result with a trust in the
Divine Providence that has hitherto preserved me and
mine. I betook myself to the boys' room to hear their
lessons." One of the scouts entered the house, after
a short interval of absence, and informed him that the
vanguard of the Federal army would arrive within an
hour at the furthest. By this time, a committee of the
municipality of Charlottesville had hastened to the University,
and were ready to join with the Faculty's committee
in asking protection of the Federal commander
from the depredations of stragglers and camp-followers.
The two committees, grouped together near the site of the
present Gothic chapel, quietly awaited his arrival. A
flag of truce was held in hand by one of the party, to
be waived so soon as it was likely to become visible to
the enemy.
The first of the Federal troops to be observed were
scouts, who were seen making their way forward with
extraordinary caution. They had then reached the spot
where the toll-gate formerly stood. Videttes were soon
descried creeping up to every high position in the vicinity
of the highway. When the Federal advance guard
caught sight of the flag of truce, which was now held
up to view, they cast off their distrustfulness of movement,
and in a band of fifteen or more, put spurs to
their horses, and with cocked pistols presented, galloped
down into the little valley of the ice pond, and thence
up the hill to where the members of the two committees
were standing. Here they abruptly halted; and when
they were asked to detail some of their number to protect
the University buildings, they answered that General
Custer would soon pass; and that he would, no doubt,
set the solicited guard. Having been told that the town
had been evacuated by the Confederate forces, they
started off again at a gallop in that direction, and all further
parley with them came to an end.
They had vanished only a few minutes when the adjutant-general
of General Custer rode up, and in reply
to the same request, courteously promised that the required
guard should be granted, and that private property
would not be molested. Before this conversation
had terminated, Custer himself arrived, his progress emblazoned
with the display of three Confederate battleflags,
which had been captured from Early's scattered and
disheartened army. Two members of his staff left the
line of march to assure the University committee that
no damage to the buildings would be tolerated; and that
a squad would be assigned to furnish the amplest protection.
Professors Minor and Maupin decided that
it would be more prudent to accompany the town committee
to Charlottesville in order to obtain this squad
in person; but as they were about to leave on their mission,
Minor observed a couple of soldiers desert the
main road, and turn in towards the rear of his pavilion.
He hastened towards his home, and as he entered the
back-gate, was confronted by the two bluecoats, who had
dismounted, and were talking with his wife, who had
boldly stopped them. It seems that, when they first entered
the lot, they had questioned the negro servants
as to whether any silver plate was concealed on the
premises, but they pretended to Mrs. Minor to be in
search only of firearms. As soon as they were told that
a guard was to be stationed on the grounds, the two
men remounted their horses, and rode off.
