FRIDAY 12. is the day for the Prep. Rhetorical Exercises but our
division does not come on this time. The declamations & compositions
were very good. At 4 o’clock went down town. In the Assembly they were
talking on the Normal School Fund bill--which was passed. Several
bills were ordered to third reading. Went into the City Hall tower &
saw the clock, which struck while we were there. The view of the city
from this tower is the finest I have yet seen.
In the Hesp. Soc. the question, “Res. that the U. S. ought to coërce
the seceding states,” was decided in the neg. Hostilities in the South
comc’d at 4 this morning.
SATURDAY 13. Visited this P. M. the Mendota Foundry, but there was
nothing interesting going on. Went to the Capitol & found the Assembly
taking an informal recess waiting for absentees. Mr. Bradford said he
could go to the University now. We first went into the State
Treasurer’s room saw Mr. Hastings--went also into the Secretary of
State’s office, & into the State Journal office where they were
printing by steam machinery.
Mr. Bradford visited our rooms & also saw Mr. Muir’s clocks & other
curiosities.
MONDAY, APRIL 15, 1861. Went to hear Mr. Taylor[22] the new Cong.
minister, yesterday. He is a good preacher but preached a doctrinal
sermon from Heb. II. 12. Learned in Prof. C’s Bible class that Spirit
in the original means wind. Wrote a letter home for Mr. Bradford to
carry.
In the Geometry recitation to-day the door of the recitation room
opened and an old man entered whom I immediately recognized as Uncle
Thompson. He said they had brought him over from the asylum to go home
with Mr. B. but the Legislature had been reconvened by the Governor on
acct. of the war news & Mr. B. could not go & he wished to go to
Clinton to see Mr. Tinker, before he went home & would like to go
right along I obtained permission to leave the class & accompanied him
down town--sold my $5 bill for .65 cts. (but afterwards saw Mr. B. &
bowd $3). carried his trunk to the depot and saw him safely off. Went
with John into the country & got his straw bed filled & helped him
carry it home, as we expected Charlie W. to-night. Went to the depot
at 10½ P. M. but he did not come.
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.