Faculty Minutes, February 19 1863

Title

Faculty Minutes, February 19 1863

Description

Transcribed faculty minutes from February 19, 1863.

Date

February 19, 1863

Text

The Faculty met at the call of the President, who stated that the subject of the meeting was to consider the following case:
Mr. W. H. Scott ( pupil in the preparatory department) had been seized by Messrs . Moore, Knox, Glover, Troy, and Watts, and blacked and otherwise insultingly treated by them, and Mr. H. W. Scott, brother of the aforesaid Scott, had been beaten by Mr. Troy for resenting the treatment that his brother had received.
The two Messrs. Scott being called before the Faculty, H. W. Soott was found to be very much bruised about the face, and had evidently been very seriously beaten. Mr. W. H. Scott testified that he went into Mr. Glover’s room on Wednesday night, and having been there a very few minutes, he was seized from behind by Mr. Moore, and thrown on the bed and held there by Moore, Knox, Watts and Glover, and that Mr. Troy blacked his face with soot
and tallow. That after he was released, an attempt was made by the same students to make a negro boy kiss him.
H. W. Scott, being asked the cause of the fight between himself and Mr. Troy, said that he was not present when his brother was so much insulted, but that he went to Mr. Gibson’s room immediately after he heard it, and that Mr. Troy was there; that Mr. Troy said to him ’’You ought to have been around to see us black Heathly", and that he replied that if he had been there it would not have been done without a fight, and that he would cut anyone with his knife who attempted to black him. That Mr. Troy then called him a "damned South Carolina son of a bitch", and that he (Scott) struck him, and the fight ensued.
Mr. Troy was called before the Faculty and frankly acknowledged all that he had done and said, which was substantially the same testimony given by the Scotts; and said moreover, that the Scotts had been guilty at various times of stealing wood and other things, and that the blacking was intended to drive them out of the West Wing. That he could prove that they had been guilty of theft, though he had not seen them himself in the act, that he could mention those who had, and that he was ready to prove it.
Several students were then called up who Mr. Troy said had seen the Scotts stealing. They gave conflicting evidence, though evidently there was an impression among the students that the Scotts had been stealing wood and other things.
After very carefully considering all the circumstances of the case, the Faculty adjourned to meet on the morrow.

Publisher

Davidson College

Language

English

Source

Alma