The Men of Randolph-Macon College and the Civil War

In 1861, talk of secession transformed into armed conflict. Many of the men educated at Randolph-Macon College in the preceding 29 years immediately responded to the calls of their state militias to serve, while others later enlisted or were conscripted into the Confederate or Union armies. Others served in public office, or were ultimately drawn into the conflict in the last days in reserve units in local defense. These are their stories.

Friday, October 21, 2011

Adolphus Williamson (A.W.) Mangum, class of 1854 (A.B.) and 1857 (A.M.)

A.W. Mangum was a 27 year old Methodist minister in Salisbury, N.C., when he enlisted as a private in the 6th North Carolina Infantry in 1861. He served as chaplain for the unit but left the unit after the Battle of First Manassas, resigning on October 31, 1861. He returned to Salisbury, where he spent considerable time working with the Union prisoners at Salisbury Prison. In 1863, he moved to a church in Goldsboro, N.C., wher he remained for the duration of the war. After the war he served a number of churches and taught at the University of North Carolina from 1875-1890.