William Bernard Harrell, student 1839-1840

Harrell's unpublished autobiographical notes place him and his brother James at R-MC in January,1839 although the dates in the college records, 1834-1835, don't coincide. The earlier dates in the College's records may indicate attendance in one of the preparatory schools and the lack of signatures in the matriculation book may be due to the timing when the brothers arrived at the College. The Harrell brothers were dismissed from the College when they were caught with several others attending a circus in Clarksville, VA. After his time at R-MC, Harrell became a doctor, receiving his medical degree from the University of Maryland in 1849. He was practicing medicine in North Carolina at the war's beginning, with his occupation in the 1860 census listed as instructor in Chapel Hill, NC, where he was probably teaching medicine. He served as Assistant Surgeon at the Camp of Instruction in Dublin, VA in 1863 and 1864. He was Assistant Surgeon for the Examining Board of the 11th Congressional district when he took the oath of allegiance on May 1, 1865 in NC.  In addition to his medical service, Harrell wrote the patriotic song "Ho! For Carolina!" in 1861, supposedly inspired by crowds cheering trains of soldiers leaving for war. He also wrote a ballad in 1863 dedicated to the 4th NC Infantry entitled "Up With the Flag." 

Harrell returned to NC after the war and was practicing medicine in Durham, NC in 1880. Sometime after the war, he had also become a Baptist minister. Harrell died in Dunn, NC on November 22, 1906.