College students have been ditching classes for centuries, but rarely in such numbers as to affect the educational institution. Even the most casual observer would have known that this was no ordinary skipping of classes at the University of Mississippi in May 1861. Out of the 139 students enrolled, 135 left the school on May 4 to enlist with the Confederacy to fight in the Civil War. With such a mass exodus of students, the University was forced to temporarily close its doors.
Any hopes of seeing these students-turned-soldiers return to their studies were disappointing. The classmates enlisted in Company A of the 11th Mississippi and became known as the University Greys. They fought together for two years until the Battle of Gettysburg. As key participants in Pickett’s Charge, the Greys penetrated further into the Union position than any other unit, and they paid an extremely heavy price. Every soldier in the Greys was either killed or wounded, leaving the University Greys with a 100% casualty rate.
The Tragic and Largely-Forgotten Story of the Worst Maritime Disaster in U.S. History
There is much about the worst maritime disaster in United States history that is counter-intuitive. For one thing, the story is largely forgotten. It has been overshadowed by events that were smaller in scale and with fewer casualties. Even at the time, it didn’t receive nearly the attention one would expect. Although it can be…
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The First Turkey Pardoned By a President
The U.S. Constitution gives the President virtually unlimited authority to grant pardons to anyone facing federal charges. Except for William Henry Harrison and James Garfield, all of the nation’s chief executives have exercised that privilege. Each time the President intervenes and wipes someone’s record clean, it has generated controversy and accusations of playing politics. Well,…
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The Unexpected Hero Found in an Unmarked Grave
He was known to be a hooligan. Technically, he was a “Hooligan” with a capital H. Known by the locals as Happy Hooligan, Fred was one of the more colorful characters of Washington, Missouri. He lived in a vacant building just outside town. You could easily identify him by his long, scraggly hair and beard.…
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