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.

Thursday, October 13, 2011

Benjamin Lee Arnold, class of 1862

Benjamin Lee Arnold, Randolph-Macon class of 1862, enlisted as captain on November 18, 1862 at Drewry's Bluff overlooking the James River south of Richmond, Virginia. Serving in the 14th Virginia Infantry, Arnold survived Pickett's Charge at Gettysburg, along with his classmate, Benjamin James Hawthorne who attended Randolph-Macon College from 1858 to 1861. The two survived the War and went west to Oregon in 1874. There, Arnold served as President of Corvallis College, what is today Oregon State University.

-Contributed by Matthew Guillen '14