Autograph letter, signed. Walter C. Preston to his uncle, John M. Preston. 1861 April 29.

In this letter, Walter C. Preston, a student from Lewisburg, Virginia, describes the war fever that swept through the University in the spring of 1861. A new flag flew over the Rotunda and two student companies, the Sons of Liberty and the Southern Guard, soon left for Harper's Ferry. He relates how anxious all the students are for a "fight with Gen. Scotts collection from Yankeedom, Ireland, France, Spain, Germany &c, just merely to show that we boys are not afraid to shed our blood, or get a scratch or so for the honor of the Old Dominion....We expect...that we will have to fight a good many battles, but not hard ones; as yankees consider man's first duty to be taking care of himself; & they will in all probability find that the cheapest & surest way to secure that desirable end-- self preservation--when an army of Virginians come to the charge, is to drop their arms & get out of the way as fast as possible."  Preston rose to the rank of Captain in the Confederate Army and afterwards farmed near Culpeper, Virginia.