First Day of Issue for the US Post Office stamp honoring General Sherman.

Campus Life this month features a story about the Notre Dame campus during the Civil War. (Courtesy of the Archives of the University of Notre Dame.)

The year 1863 was the beginning of a new period for Notre Dame. That year Fr. Sorin, on leaving for France, promised the students a grand dinner provided the attendance at the university on his return would be over two-hundred and fifty. That was Civil War times and opportunities for education in the South were at a low ebb. At least, thirty new boys were listed from that section, - one family sent three over a period of eight years. On Fr. Sorin’s return from France he was very much gratified and surprised to have three hundred greet him. The big dinner was promptly given and long remembered, -Fr. Sorin was noted for carrying out to the letter every agreement that he made with the students.

My first semester at Notre Dame all the furnishings were very simple, really crude. The real improvements took place during the second semester. Steam heat superceded wood fires, as no coal was used in that section. All the rooms and halls had individual stoves and it took the time of one brother to keep the fires alive. Cotton mattresses were introduced to take the place of ticking stuffed with straw or corn shucks. From then on the boys snored louder and longer. The students seemed happier, as they felt Notre Dame was considering their comfort as well as their education. Better living conditions brought about an increase of students each year during my time at Notre Dame so that beds had to be put in the galleries of Washington Hall to take care of the overflow.

Wednesday was the recreation day instead of Saturday. Life started every morning at half past five during my four years, but since then I have forgotten all about the rising sun. We went to mass on Wednesday mornings, -that was the only required church attendance during the week. The real work of the days started with a study hour at six o’clock, breakfast at seven, dinner at twelve and supper at six P.M. We returned to the study hall at seven and at eight we retired after a very short day that began at five thirty A.M. So far as living was concerned, the boys never had reason to complain. The food was plain but beautifully served. We had the usual supply of turkey and mince pie on holidays, -in fact, I can still taste the delicious pies and breads made by the good sisters of the Holy Cross.

The boys never saw South Bend except on arriving and departing from Notre Dame. The arrival of new students was considered an event worth the time of he president, Fr. Patrick Dillon, who was an extremely handsome man, to meet the trains at South Bend. He always had a fat, rosy cheeked boy accompany him, so that the parents of the new students were naturally much impressed by the Apollo appearance of the reception committee, -young or old Notre Dame produced them handsome.

Paper money, only, was in circulation. Five and ten cent certificates were known as “shin plasterers.” Our spending money ranged from twenty-five to fifty cents a week. In the spring the week’s allowance usually went for apples that the boys purchased from nearby farmers when taking long walks on Wednesdays. The boys were always anxious to make these walks and made them especially long if a new prefect was sent along; -their idea being to walk the prefect down and work up an appetite for the good hot ginger-bread and sweet milk that was served for supper on recreation days. It has always been a mystery to me how the sister were able to satisfy the demand for more and more hot ginger-bread.

The most colorful event at commencement time was the appearance on the campus of the zouave company in bright uniforms of red pantaloons and blue jackets, all trimmed in gold braid. The uniforms were the principal feature, as we did little drilling.

Washington’s birthday celebration included, in addition to a turkey dinner, the presentation of a Shakespearian play in Washington Hall by the senior class.

Most of the classes were taught by lay-men and brothers. There were very few priests at that time. Only two students in the seminary.

The late Jimmy Edwards was a student and one of my best friends. So far as I know, the boys I knew at Notre Dame are dead. The five Burns’ boys from Nashville attended Notre Dame for only one year. Their father requested special rates for them the second year but did not succeed in obtaining same, so put his boys to work.

Tom Flanigan, from Nashville, was the leading base ball player. There were also two boys from Nashville by the name of Pilcher.

I 1865, the Civil War being over, General Sherman came to Notre Dame to see his wife who was a guest at St. Mary’s Academy. Since he was at the University during commencement time he was asked to deliver the premiums. I was the fortunate recipient of the premium of honor conferred that year in the junior department. In handing me the premium he remarked: “I see you are from Nashville, Tennessee. I have been there too.” And I remarked: “Yes, sir, we all know you have been South.” Gen. Sherman had a son who became a priest. He and his brother John Sherman, Secty. of the U.S. Treasury during the war, were educated by the well known Ewing family of Ohio, who were always good friends of Notre Dame. [editor’s note: More on the Notre Dame-Ewing family connection in the Semper Victurus column by Dorothy Corson.]

Notre Dame furnished three chaplains to the Union Army, namely: Fr. James Dillon, Fr. Corby and Fr. Cooney. On account of bad health Fr. Dillon returned to Notre Dame and was succeeded by Fr. Corby as chaplain of the Army of the Potomac. Fr. Corby always had the soldiers kneel and receive absolution before a battle. Fr. Cooney was chaplain of the Army of the Cumberland, and was stationed in Nashville, Tenn. for a while.