President Brown refused to obey the summons of the new trustees, who expelled the old board by resolution.

Thereupon the old board brought suit against Woodward for the college seal and other property, and the case came on for trial in May, 1817.

Mr.Mason and Judge Smith appeared for the college, George Sullivan and Ichabod Bartlett for Woodward and the state board.

The case was argued and then went over to the September term of the same year, at Exeter, when Mason and Smith were joined by Mr.Webster.
The cause was then argued again on both sides and with signal ability.

In point of talent the counsel for the college were vastly superior to their opponents, but Sullivan and Bartlett were nevertheless strong men and thoroughly prepared.