During this year’s reunion weekend, a document from 1847 came back to the college – and unlike the visiting alumni – stayed. A member of the class of 1963 gifted the archives with pages from the diary of Albert Allison James, class of 1848.
First page of A. A. James’ diary – a little worse for age. Happily the rest of the pages are in fine condition.
The pages we have begin with April 5th 1847–which might sound like the end of the spring semester. But in 1846-47, the semester ran from October to February and March to August, making his entries early in the spring semester of his junior year.
His entries describe daily activities. Wonder what a student was doing in July 1847? Here are some entries for July 2- 4:
July 2nd 1847 Friday
After attending prayers, and recitation before breakfast, prepared for going to a picnic part at W. L. Davidson‘s Esq. given by the young ladies to the Senior and Junior classes, we walked out, and after drinking some fine cider we were invited to dinner at which we did our duty. As there was every thing good, that is, cakes, syllabub, raisons, almonds, and a great many other things. Returned at even, almost worn out from fatigue.
July 3rd 1847 Saturday
This day our class had nothing to do. I read during the most of the day finished reading the first vol of Mary Queen of Scots, and commenced the Second. Attended prayer meeting.
July 4th 1847 Sabbath
Read in confession of faith until 11, at which time the president, by request, preached a partriotick sermon from 147th psalm 20th verse which was very eloquent and appropriate for the occasion, a number of people attended. Sermon at night by Professor Wilson.
The picnic party was held at what we now know as Beaver Dam, the home of William Lee Davidson II. It’s now a short drive from campus, but in 1847, the Juniors and Seniors would have walked about 2 miles to get there (and would, no doubt be ready for some cider when they arrived). The young ladies of the town must have been very busy preparing food for 34 hungry young men. (14 seniors and 20 juniors).
Table of contents for Life of Mary, Queen of Scots with notations
The library may well still have the copy of the biography James was reading on July 3rd. We have a 1836 edition of a 2 volume edition of Henry Bell’s Life of Mary Queen of Scots that appears to have been part of the Eumenean Society‘s library (James was a member).
Penciled in the volume in the table of contents are 2 notations- one is Eumenean Society. The other is a variation of the William Trimmytoes counting game:
William a trimmety
He is a good fisherman
He catches hens
He puts them in pens
Some lay eggs
Some lay none
Wire brier limber lock
Three geese in a flock
One flew east
One flew west
& one flew over the old gooses nest
Clear out you dirty dishcloth
The handwriting in the diary and in the book don’t match, so we can’t blame James for marking up the book. Perhaps the scribbler found the book less interesting than James did.
We’ll be adding the diary to our transcription project pages. If you’re curious about what else is in his diary, you’ll be able to read it online and even have the fun of sharing what you find with others through transcription.
And if you’re wondering about Jame’s later life, he became a minister in 1851, married Sarah Collins in 1853 and served churches in South Carolina. Before his death in 1910, he married 670 couples.
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