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Univ. of Virginia Sept 18th, 1860.
Dear Sir,
I have had the honor to receive from you an invitation to be present at the ceremony of laying the corner stone of the main building of the University of the South, on the 10th day of October next. I sincerely regret that my duties here at that time will compel me to deny myself this gratification. Our session begins Oct 1st and the formation and arrangement of our classes requires the presence, during that month, of those Professors, especially, who, like my self, are without assistants. Under other circumstances, I should be delighted to attend the first ceremony connected with an Institution which has, I trust, as it certainly deserves to have, the good-wishes of all Southern people.
I am very respectfully Yr obt. servant. Francis G. Smith
R.Rev. Bishop Otey}