My Genealogy Hound

Daniel Harvey Hill, lieutenant-general in the Confederate States army, and president of the Arkansas Industrial University, was born July 12, 1821, at Hill’s Iron Works, In York District, S. C. His father was Solomon Hill, a slave holder, planter and Presbyterian elder; his mother was, before her marriage, Nancy Cabeen, the daughter of Sumpter’s scout, Thomas Cabeen, whom Sumpter declared to be “the bravest man in my command.” The Cabeens were from Scotland, and were strict Presbyterians and men of wealth and influence. Col. William Hill, the grandfather of General Hill, was an Irishman, he rose to the rank of colonel in the Revolutionary army, was badly wounded at Hanging Rock, and was at home recovering from it when the battle of King’s Mountain was fought. The battle-field was only a short distance from his iron works, which was the only furnace in that section of the country, and he made it so useful in manufacturing guns and other munitions of war that it was the daily prayer of his devout compatriots, “O Lord, protect us from the enemy and save Billy Hill’s Iron Works.” Although without his command, he volunteered for the battle and planned the attack on King’s Mountain, and served as a private in that great battle where the British met their first repulse in their southern campaign. Col. Hill was prominent in politics after the War of the Revolution closed, and represented his district in the State Senate for many years. He was an intimate friend of Patrick Calhoun, the father of John C. Calhoun. Two uncles of Gen. Hill, Robert and William Hill, distinguished themselves as soldiers, William Hill as an Indian fighter under Andrew Jackson, and Robert Hill as a major in the War of 1812. Gen. Hill’s mother was left a widow when the General, her youngest child, was only four years of age, and her husband having been careless in business matters, and having stood as surety for many friends, found that his estate was badly involved; she sold her negroes and put her sons at work until every claim against her husband, both just and unjust, was fully satisfied. She was a woman of remarkable intellect and learning, and as a girl was one of the beauties and belles of the State. She was noted for her piety and good works, was a Presbyterian, and reared her family in that faith and thoroughly indoctrinated them with the tenets of that church, and made them become thorough Bible students. She died at the residence of her eldest son, Col. W. R. Hill, at Canton, Miss., at the age of seventy-two. Gen. Hill received an appointment to West Point, and in 1838 entered the National Military Academy there. He was graduated in 1842, standing twenty­eighth in a class of about sixty. His class has been considered the ablest and strongest that ever graduated at West Point; among other distinguished and brilliant men who were members of it were Rosecrans, Pope, Sykes, Doubleday, Laidley, Longstreet, Stewart (A. P.), Van Dorn, G. W. Smith and R. H. Anderson. Grant, Stonewall Jackson and George B. McClellan were at the Point while he was there, but in different classes. After graduation he was appointed second lieutenant of artillery, and his first service was on the Canadian frontier, where trouble was anticipated over the boundary. He entered the Mexican War, and was successfully brevetted for gallant and meritorious conduct from second lieutenant to major, which rank he held at the close of the war; he acted and served as a captain almost continuously throughout the two years spent in Mexico. After the Close of the Mexican War the State of South Carolina presented him an elegant gold sword for the honor which his gallant conduct had brought upon his native State. After his service in Mexico he resigned from the army and was elected professor of mathematics in Washington College (now Washington and Lee University). Before going to Lexington to enter upon his college duties, he was married, at Cottage Home, Lincoln Co., N. C., to Miss Isabella, the eldest daughter of Rev. Dr. R. H. Morrison, the first president of Davidson College, and a distinguished Presbyterian divine. Mrs. Hill’s mother was, before her marriage to Dr. Morrison, Mary Graham, the daughter of Maj. Gen. Joseph Graham, who was distinguished in the wars of the Revolution and of 1812. Mrs. Hill made her debut in society at the executive mansion of North Carolina, when her uncle, William A. Graham, was governor. He was afterward United States Senator, Secretary of the Navy, candidate for Vice-President on the Whig ticket with Gen. Scott, and Confederate States Senator. Another uncle, James Graham, was a member of Congress from North Carolina for many years. Gen. Hill filled the chair of mathematics at Washington College until 1855, when he accepted the same chair in Davidson College, North Carolina, and filled that until 1859, when he was called to the superintendency of the North Carolina Military Institute, at Charlotte, which position he was occupying when the Civil War broke out. In the meantime he had published several works, besides contributing largely to the magazines and newspapers, generally writing on mathematical or theological subjects. His “Elements of Algebra,” was fast obtaining a hold in the leading colleges as a text-book when the war broke out. The preface to this work was written by his friend and brother-in-law, Thomas J. (Stonewall) Jackson. He also published “The Sermon on the Mount” and “Crucifixion of Christ,” works that were well received by the religious world. At the outbreak of the war Gen. Hill immediately tendered his services to his State. He organized the first camp of instruction at Raleigh, N. C., and when the First North Carolina Regiment was organized be was elected its colonel and immediately went to the front. He fought the first real battle of the war (Sumter being but a bombardment), the battle of Bethel, in which he defeated Gen. Benjamin F. Butler and a Massachusetts brigade. Immediately after Bethel he was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general, which was soon followed by that of major general, and as such commanded a division under Lee, which rank he held until a short time before the battle of Chickamauga. He participated in the battles of South Mountain, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Seven-days battle, Seven Pines, Petersburg, Cold Harbor, Chickamauga, Bentonville and many others. Just before Chickamauga, President Davis promoted him to the rank of lieutenant-general and sent him with a corps to re-enforce Bragg. In the great battle of Chickamauga he bore the brunt of the fighting. After this battle he was assigned to duty in eastern North Carolina, and did very effective service until the surrender. He was surrendered with Gen. Joseph E. Johnston. It would be impossible to give a history of his services to the Confederacy without giving a history of the operations of the Confederate armies. Probably his greatest service was at the battle of South Mountain, called “The Thermopylae of America” (Boonsboro), where, with little more than 8,000 men, he kept McClellan’s whole army at bay for over a day, saving Lee’s supply trains from capture and his army from being cut in two. Suffice it to say that the military record that he made has caused him to be ranked as one of the “great captains” of the Confederate armies. He served the “Lost Cause” without fear and without reproach. After the war he returned to Charlotte, and soon began the publication of a magazine, “The Land We Love.” He had the largest circulation ever obtained by any Southern magazine. He sold it in 1872, and from that date until 1877 edited the “Southern Home,” a weekly newspaper devoted to the agricultural and literary interests of North Carolina. In 1877 he was without his knowledge or consent, elected president of the Arkansas Industrial University, the State University of Arkansas, located at Fayetteville. He accepted, and when he took charge of it the attendance was but little over 200, largely made up of school children in the primary and preparatory departments from Fayetteville and surrounding country; within a few years he had increased the attendance to about 500 from all portions of the State, and raised the standard of the university until it became the first in the Southwest. He resigned in 1883, but was prevailed upon to withdraw it. He stayed until 1884, much to the detriment of his health; when he finally severed his connection with the Institution that he had done so much to build up. He carried away with him the loving regard of hundreds of his students, and the good will of the people of the State. He spent a year in Georgia in search of health, and being much improved in health he accepted the presidency of the Middle Georgia A. & M. College, at Milledgeville, a position which he still holds. This college has an attendance under his administration of over 500 students. Gen. Hill has always been a Democrat, as were his father and grandfather before him. While never a politician he has been a devoted and enthusiastic member of the great party which has produced Jefferson, Jackson, Calhoun and Cleveland. He never held civil office, always declining to be a candidate or accept one tendered by the appointing power. He has been an elder in the Presbyterian Church ever since he was twenty-five years old, and throughout his long and eventful life has been a pure-minded Christian gentleman. He has been a profound student of theology, mental and moral science and all scientific subjects bearing on Christianity, and is a constant contributor to religious periodicals. Gen. Hill has written several articles for the “Century” for its series of war papers. In 1885 he was the orator at the reunion of The Army of Northern Virginia, at Richmond, and delivered an address on the “Confederate Private;” in 1887 he was invited to address the Maryland division of the Army of Northern Virginia, and at Baltimore delivered an address on “The Old South;” in 1888 he delivered the university address at Austin, Tex., to the Texas University. Gen. Hill has always been received, when he appeared on the public platform, by large and enthusiastic audiences. In the three instances mentioned, his reception by the people amounted to ovations, such as would honor a conquering general returning from his conquests; how much greater is the honor, that they have been tendered to an aged veteran of a “Lost Cause!” Gen. Hill is very simple and domestic in his way of life; he is without ostentation or pride, and full of charity and help for the needy and the afflicted. Gen. and Mrs. Hill have had nine children, four of whom died before reaching the age of maturity. Their eldest, Eugenia, is married to Thomas Jackson Arnold (a nephew of Stonewall Jackson), formerly of West Virginia, now of San Diego, Cal. Mr. Arnold is a lawyer of excellent standing; he is now collector of the port of San Diego; they have three children. Dr. Randolph William Hill has recently been compelled, on account of poor health, to give up a lucrative practice in New York City, and is now living and practicing his profession at San Pedro, Cal. Miss Nannie Hill resides with her father; she is an artist of considerable talent. Daniel Harvey Hill, Jr., is professor of English literature in the college of which his father is the president; he was elected to this position soon after his graduation (in 1880) at Davidson College, North Carolina, and has acceptably filled it ever since. Joseph Morrison Hill is an attorney, and lives and practices his profession at Fort Smith, Ark. In personal appearance Gen. Hill was always of pleasing, but not handsome, address. He is about five feet ten inches in height, has large deep-blue eyes; his hair was light as a youth, but turned very black in manhood, as was his beard. Now both hair and beard are snowy white; he is erect in his bearing, and shows his military training even in his old age. This article could not be better concluded than was another of like character concerning Gen. Hill:
“This sketch is so true, just and unpretending that nothing more need be said to chronicle the career and noble character of this great soldier; spotless gentleman, and invaluable educator of the youth of the country. No man in the Confederate or any other army was regarded as more coolly brave-brave in every sense, in war and in peace-physically and morally courageous.”