MRS. MARGARET MCLEAN DALE COLUMBIA INSTITUTE CLASS OF 1861 (this was a speech delivered at the annual school banquet, May 30, 1930) "My dear friends and kind neighbors you would scarce expect one of my tender age to speak in public on the stage, so view me not with a critic's eye but pass my imperfections by, for I've been asked to represent the class of 1861 - the year that Abraham Lincoln , the Emancipator, was made president of the United States, and the civil war was proclaimed between the North and the South. "Dr. William Harden was principal at this time. I graduated in a class of 16 girls, about one-half living in Columbia. We received our diplomas on the 28th of June, 69 years ago. I was then 17 years old, girls, you may draw your own conclusions. "The address to the class was made by the fighting Bishop Leonidas Polk, he gave his life to the "Lost Cause", his widow afterward taught at the Institute. "Among the girls of the class of 1861 were Mrs. Jane Carpenter, Mrs. Henry Harlan, Miss Fannie Pillow, aunt of Mary Ridley, Lizzie and Margaret Pillow, daughters of Gen. Gideon Pillow, who fought in both the Mexican and Civil wars, the latter was the grandmother of Mrs. Rogers Caldwell of Nashville whom some of you know; Mrs. Thomas M. Gray and Antionette Polk, afterwards Madam Charette of France were past grads. Sallie and Fannie Polk (daughters of Lucious Polk) the litter would have been our Valedictorian, but left school the last term and was sent to a finishing school in Virginia, where, she married and I presume she lived happily ever afterward. "The Valedictorian was Bettie Weems of Centreville, a popular girl who won the honor by one vote, the defeated candidate positively refused to deliver the salutatory, and was very ugly, but girls she got married after the war to a poor Confederate soldier and I hear she lived a busy, happy life. I don't now recall her name, however, a funny thing happened when the class voted for the honors, there was great rivalry between the friends of the contesting nominees, the defeated party felt that the vote was unfair, the air was tense with excitement, war was in the air and fight was in the blood and they started battle with books and ink bottles; thrown at each other. Yes girls I witnessed a fight right up stairs in the old study hall, but 0! the teachers were so mortified, and the girls so angry - but what could they do, for "girls will be girls" you know. "In the spring of 1861 I remember hearing Gen. Zollicoffer and Col. Looney make eloquent - but fiery speeches from the porch of the old bank building on the corner of 7th and Garden streets, Col. Looney raised the 1st Tennessee Regiment and among them was a lad of 19 years, Will Dale whom I married five years later - after he had served his country thru the whole war and surrendered with Gen. Bedford Forest in May, 1865 at the close of the war. "The girls were thrilled when Col. Looney's regiment, with flying banners and martial music paraded thru the Institute yards we stood on the steps of the porch, and as the boys passed each gave her sweetheart a souvenir (a needle - book) with needles, pins and buttons to sew on - under leave of our teachers. Those times were chock-full of interesting events. Prof. Stracoch of New York came south aid brought his beautiful sister-in- law Adelina Patti who sang in the old "Hamners Hall", she was then 16 years old and we girls went to hear her, but no less interesting was her handsome brother Carlo Patti, who stayed in Columbia and joined the 1st regiment and fought for the South. He joined our music class taught by Professor Hoffman our German teacher, the girls were delighted to sing in the choruses with him and I had the honor of singing a duet with the brother of Adelina Patti, who became so famous, Oh Girls, those were glorious times, and we had many rich experiences. "When I entered the Institute the old Episcopal Church was located back of the Piggly Wiggly corner. We girls were distressed when the new church was built on 7th Street as we had less chance of meeting the boys on this shorter walk, so you can see sixty nine years don't make much difference in girls, they are the same in all ages; "I distinctly remember Bishop Otey, a large distinguished looking man. Dr. Pease was the rector and the rectory built for him is the present home of Mrs. Haskell. "The opportunity of reminiscing has given an octogenarian great pleasure and I thank you "After sixty nine years of pouting I have delivered my salutatory address to the class of 1930 of the Columbia Institute with malice toward none but a heart full of love and good wishes for every one of you. I thank you. Margaret (McLean) Dale,. May 30th 1930." Source was Volume 6, 1970, Source:"Historic Maury", Maury County Historical Society Quarterly, Page 79 had this extract. [WA 12/25/2001]