RICHMOND 43 RICHMOND COLLEGE posing structure, dating from 1785. In the Central Hall, surmounted by a dome, are a statue of Washington and bust of Lafayette, Gen. Fitzhugh Lee, and others. The Senate Chamber, to the right, was used as the Confederate House of Representatives during the Civil War. The House of Delegates, to the left, eon- tains portraits of Chatham and Jeffer- son, and was the scene of Aaron Burr's trial for high treason in 1807 and of the State Secession Convention in 1861. The executive mansion of the Confederate States, formerly the residence of Jeffer- son Davis, has been converted into a mu- seum which contains many relics of the Civil War. The other notable public buildings include the City Hall, State Library, State Penitentiary, almshouse, custom house, etc. The prominent edu- cational institutions are Richmond Col- lege (Bapt.), St. Joseph Female Acad- emy (R. C), the Medical College of Virginia, University College of Medicine, Women's College, and Mechanic's Insti- tute. History. — Richmond is said to have first been settled in 1609. Fort Charles was built as a defense against the Indians in 1644-1645. The city was incorporated in 1742, and became the capital of the State in 1779. In 1811 the burning of a theater destroyed the lives of 70 persons, including the governor of the State. In June, 1861, it was selected as the Con- federate capital, and from that period was the objective point of a series of formidable military expeditions for its capture, under Generals McDowell, Mc- Clellan, Burnside, Hooker, Meade, and Grant, and defended by Gen. Robert E. Lee, with a large army and formidable lines of fortifications. Pop. (1910) 127,628; (1920) 171,667. Battles around Richmond. — During the last three years of the Civil War (1862- 1865) battles raged all round Richmond, and remains of the fortified lines con- structed to protect the city are visible in various parts of the environs. Both the inner and outer fortifications may be seen from the Brook Road, which leads to the Lakeside Club House, with its golf links, bowling alleys and boating lake. The chief direct attack on Rich- mond was made on May 15, 1862, when the Union fleet attempted, without suc- cess, to force its way past the batteries at Drewry Bluff, on the James river, 7 miles below the city. Simultaneously General McClellan advanced with the land forces up the peninsula between the York and James rivers and invested Richmond on the E. and N. This led to the hardly contested but indecisive battle of Seven Pines or Fair Oaks (May 31, 1862), in which the Confederates under Gen. Joseph E. Johnson attacked McClellan's left wing, to the S. of the Chickahominy. Large cemeteries and a park now mark the spot, 7 miles to the E., reached by the West Point railroad. The district is swampy, and McClellan lost more men by pestilence than in fighting. Gen. Robert E. Lee now assumed command of the Confederate forces and made an attempt, in combination with Gen. "Stonewall" Jackson, to overwhelm McClellan's right wing, which was posted at Mechanics- ville, on the Chickahominy, 5% miles to the N. of Richmond, and thus began the famous Seven Days' Battle (June 28- July 2, 1862). Mechanicsville was fol- lowed by the battles of Gaines's Mill, Cold Harbor, Savage's Station, Frazier's Farm, and Malvern Hill. The upshot of this series of contests, in which 40,000 men fell, was the relief of Richmond, as the Union troops were compelled to retreat to Malvern Hill, 15 miles to the S. E., where they repelled the Confederates in their last attack but soon after withdrew to Harrison's Landing, on the James River. During 1863 there were no direct attacks on Richmond. In May, 1864, Gen- eral Grant marched down through the "Wilderness" and attacked Lee in his entrenched position at Cold Harbor (June 3, 1864), and lost 15,000 men without making much impression on the enemy. He then transferred his army to the S. side of the James; and the later stages of the war were rather a siege of Peters- burg (q. v.) than of Richmond. RICHMOND, a city in Victoria, Aus- tralia, constituting a suburb of the city of Melbourne. It is situated in Bourke co., and is one of the pleasantest of the metropolitan suburbs, having numerous parks and public gardens. There are a number of prosperous industries in the city. Pop. about 40,000. RICHMOND, CHARLES ALEXAN- DER, an American educator, born in New York City in 1862. He was edu- cated at the College of the City of New York, Princeton University, and Prince- ton Theological Seminary, and received honorary degrees from a number of American universities. In 1888 he was ordained Presbyterian minister. After serving as pastor of churches in East Aurora, N. Y., and Albany, N. Y., he be- came, in 1909, president of Union Col- lege and chancellor of Union University, Schenectady, N. Y. In 1916 he was presi- dent of the New York State College Presi- dents' Association. RICHMOND COLLEGE, a coeduca- tional institution in Richmond, Va.; founded in 1832, under the auspices of the Baptist Church ; reported at the close
