TUESDAY 16TH. Charlie came on the 3:45 train to-day. He brot packages from home for each of us--my linen coat & shaving tools & a letter. We took him into the Hist. Soc., then into the Assembly, & saw Mr. Bradford, who came to the University & took supper with us The Legislature held a session this evening which we all attended. A Banking law was passed a part of the debate on which we heard in the Senate.
WEDNESDAY 17. Charlie heard the Algebra & Geometry classes & we also went to Prof. Carr’s[23] room & heard part of his lecture on Coral. At noon John & I were excused from further recitations & went with C. down town. the Legislature had adjourned & gone home. We found that books had been opened in the Gov. Guards Armory in the City Hall for receiving enlistments for the Southern army & that about ½ a dozen of the Univ. boys had enlisted.
The city is in a great military excitement
THURSDAY, APRIL 18, 1861. Found that there were seven of the boys enlisted yesterday--Curtis, Frost, Wyse, High, Norcross, A. G. Miller & Reed & Bull[24]--but High was not accepted being under 17.
A meeting of citizens being called for tonight to provide for the maintenance of the families of those enlisting, we attended it at the Assembly Chamber, the chamber was crowded as full as they could stand, & the most enthusiastic meeting I ever attended. They commenced the meeting with singing the Star Spangled Banner, & then received subscriptions. Men would get up & offer various sums as they were able--$500, 400, 200, 100 50 25 & 10 $7,490 were subscribed altogether. The citizens then escorted the Gov. Guards to their Armory, under the marshalship of Gen. Atwood.[25]
FRIDAY 19. In the Prep. Rhetorical Exercises this P. M. I read a composition--“America & Italy”--John--“The Discovery of the Mississippi”--& Will a declamation--“The true vigor in government.” In the Hesperian Soc. tonight the question was, “Res. that expatriation is a natural right.” decided in the aff. While the Debate was going on, Curtis, Bull & Wyse, of the University Volunteers entered the room & were greeted with tremendous applause--After the Soc. had adjourned it was organized into a meeting, to express the feelings of the members on the war question,--Norcross having just entered was loudly called for & rec’d with uproarious cheering. The other volunteers, Bull, Curtis & Wyse also expressed their feelings in regard to the cause in which they had engaged, after which the principal members of the Society were called upon--Clawson, Allen, Ball, H. Vilas, M. Leahy, Parkinson Jr.,[26] two from town--Brush & Lockwood, Wallace,[27] and another volunteer belonging to the Atheneans--E. G. Miller--spoke, & the enthusiasm was roused to the highest pitch. Then went into the Athenean where the same kind of exercises were being held, & heard Bull, Leahy, Ball, Church & Silverthorne[28] speak after which the meeting adjourned at 12½ o’clock with three rousing cheers for the University Volunteers.