the duties devolving upon him with talent and fidelity.
But the great mission of his life is the restoration of the university of the state. It is his alma mater in very truth, from which heimbibed the knowledge and usefulness he had taught in her halls, and to build up the broken walls of this literary Zion, he has devoted his time, all his attention, and his private fortune. He was elected a trustee of the university in 1862, and served on the executive committee until 1868; he made an elaborate and exhaustive report of a plan to reorganize the university. This plan was not completed in consequence of a change in the board, but when the appointment of trustees became vested in the legislature, he was elected one of the trustees, and at the first meeting of the board was unanimously chosen secretary and treasurer. Here was a field of labor demanding coustant exertion, unflinching zeal, and intelligence. All kinds of legal obstructions presented themselves, and the destitution of all financial measures seemed to render the mission well nigh hopeless. But Mr. Battle seemed a very Hercules in this work, and threw himself with such devotion into the cause, that success smiled on his efforts. The payment of interest on the land scrip by the state, his eloquent appeals to the Alumni and others for aid, the attendance of a goodly number of pupils, prove his work to have been successful. He is now the president of the university, and we trust, under his guidance and his able corps of co-adjutors, its usefulness and fame will rival its former renown. Mr. Battle married, in 1855, Martha, daughter of James S. Battle. Three of his sons have been students in the classes of the university--the fourth generation of this family who have joined this institution.
The genealogy of the Battle family:
Elisha Battle, born January 9, 1723, died March 6, 1799, married Elizabeth Summer 1742, had eight children, to-wit: Sarah, John, Elizabeth, Elisha, William, Dempsey, Jacob and Jethro.
I. Sarah married (first) Jacob Hilliard, and had Elizabeth Hilliard, (who married Wm. Fort, and had Sarah who was married to Orren Battle;) also Jacob, James, Mary and Jeremiah; and to Sarah and Jacob Hilliard were also born Jeremiah, who married Nancy Hilliard. Sarah also married (second) Henry Horn, and had Piety, Charity, who married Burwell Bunn, to whom were born Jeremiah, William, Henry and Celia Bunn, who was married (first) to Sugg, and (second) Doctor Fort; to Sarah and Henry Horn were born (their last child) Henry.
II. John (died 1796,) married Frances Davis, to whom were born Mary, married to Allen Andrews, to whom were born Elizabeth Andrews, married to John Cotten; John married Miss Pope and Jesse married Miss Battle.
III. Elizabeth married to Josiah Crudup, member of Congress, 1821,-'23, to whom were born George, married Leah Ellis; Josiah married Ann Davis, who had Martha, Archibald Davis, James, Edward, Alston, and Cullen married Miss Jones; to Elizabeth and Josiah Crudup were born two more children, Chloe, (married Joseph B. Lee, their daughter Elizabeth married Cullen Andrews,) and Bethesda married to Fowler.
IV. Elisha Battle, Junior, born 1749, married Mary, daughter of Benjamin Bunn, had Amelia, married Ross, Doctor Jeremiah, died 1824, William married Lamond, Jesse married Vick, Bennett married Hinton, and Sarah married Andrews.
V. William, died 1781, married Charity Horn, had Isaac, married Mary; Ann married Ross, (to whom were born William, James B., and Charity who married Hines;) Joel born 1779, died 1829, married Mary, daughter of Amos Johnson. These last had Laura married to Phillips, Susan married to McKee, Christopher
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