THE BOTANISTS OF THILADELPHIA. 305 



JOSEPH TRIMBLE ROTHROCK. 



Joseph Trimble Rothrock, son of Dr. Abraham and 

 Phoebe Brinton Rothrock, was born April 9, 1839, in the 

 little village of McVeytown, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania, 

 where his father was for half a century and more the 

 leading physician. He traces his fondness for botany to 

 his mother, who was distantly related to the late Dr. 

 William Darlington, long the most famous botanist in 

 eastern Pennsylvania. 



The subject of this sketch received his earliest educa- 

 tion in the public schools of McVeytown. Later he studied 

 at Freeland Seminary (now Ursinus College) in Montgomery 

 County. Leaving this he prepared for Harvard University, 

 at Academia, a thriving, successful school in Juniata 

 County. He was graduated from the Law^rence Scientific 

 School, of Harvard, in the summer of 1864, receiving the 

 degree of Bachelor of Science. 



Like many another youth in those stirring times, his 

 patriotism got the better of even his desire for knowledge, and 

 soon after entering Harvard he left to join the army, wdiere 

 he served two years, until it was plain that the back-bone 

 of the Rebellion had been broken. His first term of service 

 was as a private soldier in Company D, 131st Regiment, 

 Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry. He was wounded through 

 the thigh in the first battle of Fredericksburg, where his 

 company, when participating in the celebrated charge of 

 General Humphrey, had killed or w^ounded thirty-four out 

 of forty-two men. His second term of service was as Captain 

 of Company E, 20th Regiment, Pennsylvania Volunteer 

 Cavalry. During the second term he saw much hard 



