Citadel, The

The Civil War and Reconstruction

As South Carolina took on a prominent role in the crisis leading up the Civil War, the cadets at the South Carolina Military Academy came to the defense of their state. When Union major Robert Anderson and his troops moved to Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, Citadel cadets occupied a newly constructed fortification on Morris Island to keep close watch. On January 9, 1861, that vigilance paid off. Citadel cadets fired upon the U.S. steamer Star of the West, forcing it to turn back before resupplying the Union troops and leaving Anderson no choice but to surrender the fort. On January 28, the Corps of Cadets formally became part of the state military establishment known as The Battalion of State Cadets. In addition to tasks such as prisoner escort, [Page 119]basic training, funeral details, and garrison duty, the cadets took part in eight engagements in defense of Charleston and South Carolina. In February 1865 the South Carolina Military Academy ceased operation as a college when Union troops occupied The Citadel and burned The Arsenal in Columbia.

The contributions of Citadel cadets to the Confederate war effort undoubtedly influenced the state's decision to reopen the school. The school had provided 167 line officers for the Confederate Army, including 4 generals, 19 colonels, and 11 lieutenant colonels. Thanks in part to the efforts of Gov. Johnson Hagood (class of 1847), the school once again obtained state funding in 1882 as the Board of Visitors regained possession of The Citadel in Charleston. In 1910 the college's name was officially changed to The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina; the school continued its mission of educating young men under a military system, considering it the best preparation for the demands of citizens in both peace and war.

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