Mercer University, the Civil War, and Removal

By Jesse Harrison Campbell

The institution continued to grow in public favor and usefulness until the late war threw its shadow across its path. As nearly all our male colleges were suspending operations, the trustees of Mercer University met in Atlanta at an early period of the war, and resolved not to suspend. This was deemed the more necessary in order to afford oducational facilities to any young men who might have it in their power to prosecute their studies. At a later period of the war, a resolution was adopted, granting tuition gratis to all sick and wounded soldiers. Many of this class have availed themselves of this offer. The institution continued its operations throughout the war.

The College buildings consist of the President's house and office, chapel (above), a large building occupied by the family of one of the professors and by students, library and apparatus building, building for recitations, and two society halls—all spacious, and most of them of brick. They are situated in a beautiful campus of about four acres, which is well shaded by venerable oaks.

The College and society libraries contain about ten thousand volumes of well selected and standard literature.

The apparatus has cost about $3,000 00, and is ample for all purposes of illustration.

The grand purpose of the founders of Mercer University was the promotion of theological education—the improvement of the rising ministry of the State and of the South. But the theological department has been overshadowed by the literary. Very few have graduated in the theological department; yet God has accomplished the object for -which the institution was organized in another way—one hundred and nineteen of its pupils having engaged in the sacred calling, as the list of names appended to this sketch shows. No doubt many other sons of the University have become ministers of the gospel, whose names the author has not been able to procure. Why God has thus measurably diverted the University from the work it was originally designed to accomplish, is a question the present writer is willing to leave for the future historian. It is matter of profound gratitude to God that he has permitted the institution to be raised up, and that he has vouchsafed to it thus far so much prosperity and usefulness. It may be his will that it shall now start on a fresh career of glory. Or, as all the institutions of our country seem to be tottering to their base, it may be his will that Mercer University shall go down in the general wreck, and that her history shall close here.

The foregoing was written several years ago, and as some important things in the history of Mercer University have transpired of late, it is thought best they should be recorded. The denomination in the State have never been fully united as to the location of the University at Penfield. The consequence has been that the question of removal has been agitated in the papers and in the State Convention from time to time for years past. The advocates of removal gradually increased, until the session of the Convention in Newnan, April, 1870, on motion of Rev. C. M. Irvin, it was resolved, by a vote of seventy-one to sixteen, to remove the University from Penfield to such other location as might afterwards be selected. A committee was appointed to co-operate with the Trustees in selecting such location. A meeting of said committee and the Trustees jointly was held in Atlanta, (date not known,) and fixed upon Macon as the future home of the University. The citizens of Penfield instituted legal proceedings to prevent removal. The trustees suspended the exercises of the University, and the Faculty opened an institution in Macon, on their own account and at their own risk, which was styled Mercer College. The Trustees applied to Judge Cole of the Superior Court of Bibb county, for such an amendment of their charter as would authorize the removal, which was resisted by the citizens of Penfield. The application was granted, whereupon the citizens of Penfield appealed to the Supreme Court of the State.

Thus matters stood when the Convention met at Cartersville, in April, 1871. The report of the Trustees was referred to a special committee, which committee, in turn, reported, indorsing the action of the Trustees in deciding upon Macon as the future home of the University, and recommending, as a compromise with the people of Penfield, the establishment of a High School at that place by the Trustees of the University, on condition that they withdraw their opposition to removal and cease the litigation of the question in the Courts.

The Convention adjourned, sine die, at about ten o'clock at night, April 24th, after which a consultation was held between the Trustees of the University and the agents of the citizens of Penfield. After full and free discussion, the following preamble and resolution were offered by Dr. W. T. Brantly, seconded by Rev. M. J. Wellborn, and adopted:

"whereas, The Georgia Baptist Convention directed the Board of Trustees of Mercer University to establish an institution at Penfield, to be known as Mercer High School:

"Resolved, That such an institution be opened on the first Tuesday in February next, and that two teachers shall be employed at a salary of six hundred dollars a year each, and all the tuition money: Provided, the condition on which such school was to be established shall then exist."

The foregoing resolution was indorsed as follows: " The within resolution having been passed by the Board of Trustees, the undersigned, on behalf of the citizens of Penfield, hereby pledge themselves to withdraw all litigation in reference to the removal of Mercer University, thus leaving no obstacle to the opening of said school at the specified time.

(Signed) "R. L. Mcwhorter,

" Thomas P. Janes, 
"james R. Sanders, 

" Committee."

At this consummation, a motion was made that Dr. Brantly lead in a prayer of thanksgiving. The motion was adopted, and all present knelt in devout prayer. The citizens of Penfield, in due time, ratified this compact in a public meeting; and, in July following, the Supreme Court announced the withdrawal of the case and the dismission thereof from its docket. Thus was the question of removal settled.

Mercer University, as such, was opened in Macon, in Johnston's building, in October, 1871. The present Faculty cousists of the following gentlemen :

A. J. Battle, D. D., President, and Professor of Moral Philosophy.

S. P. Sanford, A. M., Professor of Mathematies.

J. E. Willet, A. M., Professor of Natural Science.

W. G. Woodpin, A. M., Professor of Greek Language and Literature.

J. J. Brantly, D. D., Professor of Belles Letter.

E. A. Steed, A. M., Professor of Latin Language and Literature. f

Number of students on the catalogue in the early part of 1874, about one hundred and thirty.

Value of the property and assets of the University, $315,550 49. The Convention also owns a Permanent Fund for Education, $25,659 83. The main college building will cost, when completed, about one hundred thousand dollars.

MINISTERS OF THE GOSPEL

Who have been educated at Mercer Institute, or Mercer University:

W. D. Atkinson, T. S. Allen, T. C. Boykin, D. E. Butler, J. B. Bartlett, W. C. Boone, E. B. Barrett, C. B. Barrow, M. B. L. Binion, J. C. Binns, J. C. Brown, V. A. Bell, J. L.' Bliteh, A. Buckner, T. J. Beck, E. L. Compere, T. B. Cooper, William Cooper, W. H. Clarke, A. E. Cloud, J. T. Clarke, M. P. Cain, A. B. Campbell, C. D. Campbell, W. T. Chase, P. B. Chandler, A. R. Callaway, E. R. Carswell, E. J. Coats, J. R. Cowen, S. P. Callaway, G. M. Campbell, J. F. Dagg, W. H.Davis, W. O. Darsey, Lewis Everingham, T. J. Earle, S. D.Everett, J. W. Ellington, T. F. Faulkner, J. H. Fortson, V. A. Gaskill, John C. Gunn, W. W. Gwinn, J. A. Garrison, B. C. Greene, Noah P. Hill,

High tower, J. O. Hixon, J. P. Hilldrup, E. Hedden, J. Hedden, John Howell, John Harris, Jr., B. F. Jessup, Edgar Jewell, L. R. L. Jennings, J. C. Johnson, W. L. Kilpatrick, J. H. Kilpatriek, S. Landrum, T. W. Lanier, A. L. Moncrief, William Murrow, J. S. Murrow, G. R. McCall, M. N. McCall, A. M. Marshall, U. M. Mathews, George Mathews, T. D. Martin, T. J. Martin. A. S. Morall, J. G. McNorton, W. A. - Overton, O. C. Pope, S. D. Pasehall, J. H. Preston, J. W. Pullen, A. D. Phillips, R. AY. Phillips, J. G. Ryals, P. B. Robinson, T. A. Reid, S. W. Stephens, A. T.Spalding, J. H. Sullivan, J. Shackelford, W. T. H. Scott, M. H. Sanders, L. W. Smith, W. Singletion, J. M. Stillwell, T. F. Sturgiss, L. W. Stephens, Columbus Smith, T. H. Stout, E. A. Steed, Carlos W. Stevens, W. M. Tryon, B. F. Tharp, J. H. Toole, A. S. Tatum, A. E. Vandivere, J. B. Vaughn, Jesse M. Wood, A. S. Worrell, T. U. Wilkes, W. C. Wilkes, G. T. Willborn, Hillman Williams, W. J. Wootten, T. B. West, J. H. West, J. J. Wallace, C. C. White, J. F. Willson, J. G. Williams and J. H. Weaver.