Southern Algebra

One of the lesser-known generals of the Confederate States of America was Daniel Harvey Hill. Hill was born in South Carolina, the cradle of secession, and entered West Point to become an officer in the US Army. As an army officer Hill took part in the Mexican War, showing initiative and courage on several occasions, resulting in battlefield promotions to Major.

After the Mexican War Hill resigned his army commission and became a college teacher, first at Washington College (Now Washington & Lee University) and Davidson College here in the Charlotte, NC, area. During his time at Washington College Hill wrote and had published an algebra textbook that was unique at the time because of its southern perspective. Hill took delight in skewering Northern sensibilities in his textbook with word problem exercises such as these (taken from this website, as I wasn't about to root through Hill's textbook myself to find them):

1. Milk sells in the City of New York at 4 cents per quart. A milkman mixed some water with 50 gallons of milk, and sold the mixture at 3 cents per quart without sustaining any loss by the sale. How much water did he put in the milk?

7. In the year 1853, a number of persons in New England and New York, were sent to lunatic asylums in consequence of the Spiritual Rapping delusion. If 14 be added to the number of those who became insane, and the square root of the sum be taken, the root will be less than the number by 42. Required the number of victims.

8. A man in Cincinnati purchased 10,000 pounds of bad pork, at 1 cent per pound, and paid so much per pound to put it through a chemical process, by which it would appear sound, and then sold it at an advanced price, clearing $450 by the fraud. The price at which he sold the pork per pound, multiplied by the cost per pound of the chemical process, was 3 cents. Required the price which he sold it and the cost of the chemical process.

11.A northern railroad company is assessed $120,000 damages for the contusions and broken limbs, caused by a collision of cars. They pay $5000 for each contusion, and $6000 for each broken limb; and the entire amount paid for bruises and fractures is the same. How many persons received contusions, and how many had their limbs broken?

12.A Yankee mixes a certain quantity of wooden nutmegs, which cost him 1/4 cent apiece, with a quantity of real nutmegs, worth 4 cents apiece, and sells the whole assortment for $44; and gains $3.75 by the fraud. How many wooden nutmegs were there?

13.At the Women’s Rights Convention, held at Syracuse, New York, composed of 150 delegates, the old maids, childless-wives, and bedlamites were to each other as the numbers 5, 7, and 3. How many were there in each class?

When a friend pointed out that such disparaging examples would hurt sales of the textbook in the North, Hill replied with equanimity that it didn't much bother him if it did.

Hill, of course, went on to become a Major General for the Confederacy in the US Civil War, distinguishing himself in battles throughout the course of that conflict, but an unfortunate propensity to criticise his superior officers (he had harsh words for both Lee and Braxton Bragg, who were at various times in command over him)caused Jefferson Davis to sideline him in support roles for part of the war. After the conflict he again returned to teaching at various colleges throughout the south, until returning to Charlotte just before his death.

Here's a photo of Hill; he wore his hair and beard close-trimmed, so would not be out of place on a college campus even today:



Sara and I went up to Davidson today and I visited the General's grave:





The cemetery is a quiet, peaceful place, part of the Davidson College campus. Hill lies surrounded by his family.