Being Positive About
Education by Thomas D. Perry
Last week I returned to Patrick County High School to
speak to the students of the 11th grade U. S. history
classes of Glenn Burnette and Shannon Brown. After several
years of not talking, I returned when I found out that
no one was talking to the classes. I brought my memory
stick with a PowerPoint presentation on Patrick County
in the Civil War back to the place I graduated thirty-one
years ago. I always hear people complaining about how
the kids are not taught this or that in school anymore,
but none of these complainers ever volunteer to go to
school and talk to the kids. So off I went back to school.
This program is about 2 individual soldiers William Dennis
Via and Rufus James Woolwine, who served in the 51st Virginia
Infantry, were messmates, and who rest today in adjoining
plots in the old Stuart Cemetery. The talk contained information
about the county before war and the election of 1860.
Discussion included the homefront during the war, Stoneman's
Raid at the end of the war and a year by year account
of the war on the battle lines and at home. There was
information on life for African-American slaves and free
people in Patrick County. Two brothers discussed were
R. J. and Abram D. Reynolds and their exploits during
the war. More
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