Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1868-06-04

gt0fleSs on DIS cOnltaQeS, on tl6-OaAl6-uelQ. u ne
died Of Typhoid Fever, at Yorkyile, s. c., in A.
pril, 1860. ,..t .,ls... NJ -a,.--,l;.. "a
place upon the rol Of martyrs, while not few
were adorned with the WeIlearned titles Of regi-
mental commanders =
Thus was the brilliant promise Of the founders
of this School buried in the bitter sacrifices Of the
battle-felds of the Lost Cause. ~ Colonel Cow
ard survived the wal, and in 1856 announced the
reopening Of the Institution under his care as sur
viving Principal @7ila AZ; -. sy,'... as.: %.
For two years. and now entering upon the third,
he has been traning for the different Colleges, as
well as insructing independently; q few young men
whose parents have been fortunate enough to save
something out of the wreck of the past, for that
purpose. He has employed the services Of Lieut.
James A.Watson, as Assistant Instructors grad
uate of Davidson College, M G., and q thorough
scholar and gentleman. The commodious buildings
known years ago as ''the barracks, are still used
for the purposes Of the school.
One word more on the system Of instruction g.
dopted at this school. l.s.a ..,,, -,.a slg; F6'L
The military basis of this school is an important
adjunct to the plan of instruction. The great dit
culty heretofore experienced in Southern Colleges
was to preserve discipline in so far as discipline
was necessary to instruction. But thiscoud not be
easily accomplished under the ordinary methods Of
Collegiate government; Students did not respect
their Professors-obty yed NO directions that didnot
suit their incnations and recognized only one pen
atty for gross infraction Of rules that Of s1spen
sion 1t needs no logic to demonstrate the futihty
that must attend all efforts to instruct a youth,
who refuses to submit his conductto the contre Of
his instructors. If discipline. then is a necessary
ingredient of the plan Of instruction, how was the
fiery Southern youth to be brought under the con.
Il
the requirements in the recitation room? They
would not submit to what boys and youth are al
ways delighted to term the tyranny Of Professors
The question had found solution in the working
of the State Military Academies, where military
discipline had been resorted to-a form of diScip-
line which operated through the esprit du corps Of
the young men-which made disobedience dishon-
orable, because unsoldietly; and which taught ODE
dience as the highest duty OF, the soldier The
plan succeeded beyond all expectation the parent
school, and modification of this plan, in some un
important features, was that adopted at the Pre-
paratory School at Yorkville. This idea is still
acted upon in the conduct of the school. Although
the military pride and spirit of the people of the
South seems to have been utterly crushed, yet the
sagacious Principal Of this school still uses his
The school, rs now conducted, preserves! the
military feature just far enough to enable the
Principal to insure that amount of obedience and
subordination, that experience has demonstrated
to be necessary for imparting instruction. It en-
tails no hsrshness or severity upon the student;
but at the same time enforces order, punctuaity,i
and behavior. The military feature is, therefore,
secondary and subordinate. -, ..s[g..
The location is beautiful and healthy, being sit
uated upon the ridge dividing Broad and Catawba
Rivers, and swept by the balmy air from King s
Mountain. During the whole existence Of the
one death occurred among the students-that of
John Palmer, of Charleston. For beauty, health,
salubrity of climate, and exemption from immoral
associations the. location of this Institution is
unexcelled. ..'..''.'. 80 %: