ns of influential men in the State,
and the mothers of the mutineers were encouraging them.

I asked if any of the Trustees or the Faculty wished me to resign and
was assured of the contrary. I then said that, but for one thing, I
should have no hesitation in resigning. The cadets, backed by their
families, had threatened to run me out of the State; I should put upon
them the responsibility of executing their threat; I should not resign.
I went back to camp and never heard anything more about the "mutiny."

I mention this incident only to show the feeling existing in an extreme
southern State at that time--less than two months before the election of
President Lincoln.

The story of the intended mutiny was well founded, and was only one
phase of the general feeling of unrest throughout Alabama. But, even at
that time, which was within six weeks of election day, the idea of
secession did not prevail. Probably had its people been called upon to
vote on the question, there would have been a very large majority
against secession. After the election in November the unrest manifestly
increased, and conservative men began to consider secession possible and
even probable.

At the University there was no excitement. Instruction went on as usual
and the era of orderly deportment, begun in camp, continued, much to the
satisfaction of every one and especially to the citizens of Tuscaloosa.
But military discipline, to which, as admitted by every one, the
improved deportment was due, added to the outgo of the University
without materially increasing its income, and the only hope of obtaining
money to meet the increased expenses was through an appropriation by the
Legislature. To secure this, President Garland proposed that the
battalion of Cadets--for so the students were called--should go to
Montgomery and be reviewed by the Governor and by the Legislature, which
was then in session.

This idea was strongly opposed not only by members of the Faculty but by
men whose sons were in the University. The fear prevailed that the
students would be unmanageable under the many temptations which
Montgomery would afford, and that even the well-meant hospitality of the
citizens, which was sure to be generous, would cause trouble. Whether to
make the trip or not was left to my decision. I decided without
hesitation in favor of the expedition, and arrangements were made for
two steamboats, one to take us down the Black Warrior, the other for t