Deciding on Dickinson College
Clay MacCauley entered the Dickinson College as a sophomore in 1859. His mother, Elizabeth Maxwell, was like any other anxious mom sending her son off to college. In fact, she was instrumental in sending MacCauley to the nearby Dickinson College. According to MacCauley in Memories and Memorials:
My Father 's intention had been to send me to Princeton; but the mother, on the plea that it was too soon to send her only child to a college so far from home prevailed upon the father to start my college career at this excellent Methodist institution, which is only an hour's ride from Chambersburg.
College Life Amidst Civil War
Clay MacCauley had the same fears that many college students today face. It was his first time away from home and his first time in an entirely different environment. Imagine having the anxiety of starting a new chapter of your life mixed with the anxiety of an upcoming civil war. That was the enviroment surrounding Clay MacCauley's college experience. The war was constantly on MacCauley's mind. He wrote:
" I thought far more of the coming sectional struggle among the States of our Union than anything else"
Clay MacCauley joined a student militia during his time at Dickinson and even traveled to see Abraham Lincoln speak in Harrisburg. The climate of the Civil War was clearly a looming threat on the student body of Dickinson College. Despite this, MacCauley still had warm memories at Dickinson College. He never lost sight of his faith, and he had plans to one day become a minister. MacCauley allowed himself to enjoy the college life along with his classmates. In Memories and Memorials, MacCauley recalls going on a festival trip to see King Edward VII in Harrisburg. MacCauley described King Edward VII as "a boy very much like ourselves". Clay MacCauley was also a member of the Union Philosophical Society literary society and Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity.
" I thought far more of the coming sectional struggle among the States of our Union than anything else"
Clay MacCauley joined a student militia during his time at Dickinson and even traveled to see Abraham Lincoln speak in Harrisburg. The climate of the Civil War was clearly a looming threat on the student body of Dickinson College. Despite this, MacCauley still had warm memories at Dickinson College. He never lost sight of his faith, and he had plans to one day become a minister. MacCauley allowed himself to enjoy the college life along with his classmates. In Memories and Memorials, MacCauley recalls going on a festival trip to see King Edward VII in Harrisburg. MacCauley described King Edward VII as "a boy very much like ourselves". Clay MacCauley was also a member of the Union Philosophical Society literary society and Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity.
A troubled Class
Clay MacCauley was a member of the class of 1862. There were 57 members of the class of 1862 in total, but only 13 students ended up graduated. That is a graduation rate of approximately 22.8%. Many students left the College in order to fight in the Civil War. This was not unique to Dickinson College. It was common for students and even teachers to leave the education system to fight in the war. According to Historian Peter Wallenstein, “Students often left their school books behind to carry a weapon off to war. In school after school, the number of enrolled students dropped sharply.”
One can only imagine how divided the class of 1862 was during this time. The geographic demographics of the class had significant populations of students from union, confederate, and border states. Of all graduating and non-graduating members of the class of 1862:
One can only imagine how divided the class of 1862 was during this time. The geographic demographics of the class had significant populations of students from union, confederate, and border states. Of all graduating and non-graduating members of the class of 1862:
- 10 students were from Confederate states.
- 29 students were from Union states.
- 15 students were from border states.
Reflecting on dickinson
Clay MacCauley had a positive experience at Dickinson. He credits Dickinson College in simultaneously maintaing his religious devotion and his intellectual spirit. In his memoir, MacCauley stated:
The stay at Dickinson enlarged my mental horizon enough to disclose a somewhat wider intellectual domain than that of which I had perception in the closing years of my childhood.
Clay MacCauley's education at Dickinson came to an end when he attempted to enlist in the Union Army. However, that was not the end of his higher education. MacCauley completed his college career at Princeton University.
Experience at Princeton
Clay MacCauley began his studies at Princeton University in 1861. This was a time of much spiritual and intellectual growth for MacCauley. He further pursued his path of becoming a minister. However, he put his studies on hold in 1862 to enlist in the Union Army. MacCauley completed his education at Princeton in 1864 after he returned from the war.
Sources
Clay MacCauley. Memories and Memorials; Gatherings from an Eventful Life. Tokyo, Japan: Printed by the Fukuin Printing, 1914.
Thomas E. Graham. “MacCauley, Clay.” American National Biography Online. Oxford University Press, Feb.
2000. http://www.anb.org (accessed November 19, 2016).
Peter Wallenstein. "Higher Education in Civil War Virginia." Speech, Civil War Weekend, Campus of Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, March 10, 2007.
http://blogs.dickinson.edu/archive/?p=8797
Thomas E. Graham. “MacCauley, Clay.” American National Biography Online. Oxford University Press, Feb.
2000. http://www.anb.org (accessed November 19, 2016).
Peter Wallenstein. "Higher Education in Civil War Virginia." Speech, Civil War Weekend, Campus of Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia, March 10, 2007.
http://blogs.dickinson.edu/archive/?p=8797