Unknown County GaArchives Church Records.....Georgia Baptists Cherokee Baptist College Copyright Date 1874
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CHEROKEE BAPTIST COLLEGE.

  The project for establishing this school originated with General John H. Rice,
a lawyer of considerable talents and prominence. Having made good progress in
raising subscriptions for the object, he brought the matter to the attention of
the Middle Cherokee Association, which body entered heartily into the project.
It was not until the first College building (which was destroyed by fire,) had
been commenced, that the Cherokee Baptist Convention was formed, which
afterwards had the power of appointing its Board of Trustees, and which adopted
the enterprise as its own. I am indebted for these facts to Rev. A. W. Buford.
The following facts are gathered from the records of the Trustees:

  The charter of this institution before me is not dated, though, it is supposed
to have been granted in 1853. The names of the corporators, or first Board of
Trustees, are: John Crawford, John H. Rice, T. J. Wofford, R. W. Young, D. B.
Conyers, G. W. Tumlin, L. Tumlin, Z. Edwards, W. T. Wofford, W. C. Wylly, Elisha
King, M. A. Cooper, J. W. Lewis, T. G. Barren, J. Milner, J. Boyle, Ira R.
Foster, Farish Carter, E. M. Gault, E. Dyer, G. W. Selvidge, L. W. Cook, W.
Martin, S. S. Bailey and William Peck, any seven of whom were to constitute a
quorum for the transaction of ordinary business. It provides "that the College
buildings and grounds on which it stands shall never be subject to levy and sale
under and by virtue of any contract, agreement or promise that said Trustees may
make; and if at any time said College shall be abandoned for the space of three
years as a male college, then it shall revert to and become the property of the
contributors in proportion to the amount they subscribed."

  A new Board of Trustees was elected by the Cherokee Baptist Convention in
1856, and again in 1859, and it is inferred their election was intended to take
place triennially, though nothing definite is said on the subject in the records
of the College.

  The first Board was organized at Cassville, December 22d, 1853, by electing
John Crawford, President, John H. Rice, Secretary, and James Milner, Treasurer.
A comniittee was appointed to contract for a college building, the cost of which
was not to exceed ten thousand dollars.

  In March, 1854, it was announced that Dr. R. H. Patton's farm, adjoining
Cassville, containing two hundred and seven acres, had been purchased, for which
it was agreed to pay him $4,500 00. Thirty acres were reserved for college
purposes, and the balance was laid off in lots and offered for sale. How far
they were successful in selling these lots, and what amount was realized on
them, are not matters of record.

  In June following, a contract for the erection of a College building had been
made with Joseph Chapman and Thomas Hawkins, said building to be completed by
the 1st of October, 1855, the price to be paid $9,500 00. The Masonic fraternity
of Cassville were invited to lay the corner-stone of said building the 4th of
July following.

  Rev. N. M. Crawford was elected to the presidency of the College, who finally
declined the appointment. In August following, Rev. Thomas Rambant was elected
Professor of Languages, Rev. W. H. Robert, Professor of Mathematics, and Rev. B.
W. Whilden. Adjunct Professor, all of whom accepted, and commenced operations
February 6, 1856, with forty students.

  On the night of January 4th, 1856, the College building, in process of
erection, was entirely destroyed by fire. Whereupon the contractors were
conferred with and offered an extension of time for the fulfillment of their
contract, which was accepted by Mr. Chapman but declined by Mr. Hawkins, who
seems to have abandoned the contract. A building was rented in Cassville, in
which the College exercises should be conducted during the current year.

  Lots contiguous to the College site were donated to the Professors, on
conditions satisfactory to both parties.

  Rev. P. H. Mell was elected to the presidency of the institution in July,
1856, but declined the position. Rev. Thomas Rambant was acting as chairman of
the faculty.

  A plan of scholarship had been adopted, which seems not to have been very
successful. Several agents had been operating from the first for raising an
endowment, etc., whose success had not been commensurate with their efforts.
Rev. D. G. Daniell finally accepted an agency, and succeeded in raising, in
subscriptions, for the education of poor boys, $10,000 00, and for other
purposes, $1,560 00. His report to this effect is dated January 13th, 1860. In
July of that year it is stated that the assets amounted to $20,777 56, which
were in the form of bonds, subscriptions, pledges, etc. The building, land,
etc., appear to have been independent of this amount.

  Rev. Thomas Rambant was raised to the presidency in November, 1857, and was
the only acting president the institution has ever had. Messrs. Robert and
Whilden having resigned, their places were filled by Messrs. Collins and Devore,
and subsequently Rev. Mr. McBryde was connected with the instruction of the
College.

  The institution having become involved in debt, the Trustees found it
necessary to give a mortgage upon it. How they did so consistently with its
charter, is not apparent to the writer, though it is presumed to have been
really so. Want of a sufficient endowment was a continual source of
embarrassment and annoyance to both Trustees and Faculty in conducting the
institution. A college cannot be carried on successfully and efficiently without
ample funds.

  After adopting and then recinding resolutions on the subject repeatedly, it
was finally agreed, in May, 1861, "to procure suitable men to carry on the
College for the term of five years, who shall look to the tuition and assets
within the control of the Board for the payment of their salaries." President
Rambant and Professor Collins acceded to these terms, and the Trustees agreed
“to furnish two assistants" to aid them in their work.

  For aught that appears on .their records, this was about the last act of the
Board of Trustees, The storm of war had already burst upon our devoted and
unfortunate country, and it is presumed the institution, like most other male
colleges, was soon suspended for want of patronage. Our young men relinquished
the pursuit of literature and science, and went forth to fields of carnage and
death, for the protection of their parents and the homes of their childhood from
a cruel and unnatural foe. Many of them perished in the fratricidal strife, and
though it may seem otherwise to short-sighted mortals, they have not perished in
vain. "The blood of the martyrs was the seed of the church," and the blood of
these martyrs to liberty shall yet cause the tree thereof to grow with renewed
vigor and fruitfulness.

  Such an institution could not be permitted to stand within the track of
Sherman's conquering legions, and, like many of its sisters, the torch was
applied, and, with all its valuable contents, it was totally consumed. The
burning of literary institutions and churches was a common practice of our
enemies during the late war. It has been ascertained that more than one thousand
of the latter were destroyed in this way. History will consign the perpetrators
of these acts of heaven-daring impiety and vandalism to depths of infamy deeper
than human thought can fathom or language describe.


Additional Comments:
From:

GEORGIA BAPTISTS: HISTORICAL AND BIOGRAPHICAL
BY
J. H. CAMPBELL,
PERRY, GEORGIA.


MACON, GA.: J. W. BURKE & COMPANY. 1874.

Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, by
J. H. CAMPBELL,
In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington.




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