The Newberry herald. [volume] (Newberry, S.C.) 1865-1884, 1881-12-15
Miscel(a
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The Influence Of the Citadel
Academy.

! graduates, Of the South Carolina Mill
tary Academy have read with great
interest and pleasure the articles
which have lately appeared in the
Press Of the State advocating the re-
suscitatiou Of that useful institution.
The merits of the military system Of
education adopted there, and the ele-
vated morale infused into all who had
been connected with it, have been set
forth without ezaggeration but the
full extent of its influence has, as yet,
been understated. It should not be
forgotten that besides those brought
directly under its admirable training,
there have been large number, az.
gregating many hundreds Of youths in
South Carolina and other Southern
States, who were Immediately subjected
to the same training in other institu-
tions through the instrumentality Of
the Citadel graduates. Two members
of the eighth class of graduates, Messrs.
jenkins and Coward, convinced that
the great disproportion between the
number of matriculates and the num-
| ber of graduates was mainly due to
want of proper preparation on the
part Of the applicants, and believing
that the discipline and methods of in-
struceion of their Alma Mater could
be successfully used In a preparatory
high school, established in Yorkville,
S. G., in 1885, the Kings Mountain
Military School The Immediate and
almost phenomenal success of their
enterprise induced them to erect
substantial and com modious barracks,
and encouraged like ventures on the
part of others. Two years later Capt.
Tew, a graduate and then superin-
dent Of the Arsenal Academy, re-
signed and established similar insti-
tuition at Hillsboro', N. C. About
the same time. Messrs. Doyley and
Davis started one at Murfreesboro' ,
Tenn: Mangum, one at Aiken, S. c.,
and in 1859 E. N. Law, with his
brother, one at Tuskeegee, Alabama,
and other graduates we're called to the
control of or professorships in military
schools in other States.
All of these were graduates Of the
Citadel, and all enjoyed full meas
ure Of success until the rude blast Of
war Summoned them, with most Of
their pupils: to illustrate on sterner
fields the mettle Of their pasture.
The casualties of battle and the wreck
of State and fortunes, swept away the
mother institution and all, except one,
Of these her children.
The Kings Mountain Military
School, under its surviving principal,
raised its flag again in 1866 and still
keeps it flying.
In 1878, Col. J. P. Thomas, a
graduate and formerly superintendent
Of one branch Of the State Military
Academy, founded the Carolina Mil
itary Institute at Charlotte, n. G.,
and within the last three years Capt.
J..B Patrick, likewise graduate
and at one time a professor in the
Arsenal Academy, founded the Green
vile Military Institute. Thus it is
seen that the spirit Of the State Mill
tary Academy still survives; that she,
though dead, yet speaketh : and that
| her influence, through secondary yet
ever widening circles, is still felt
throughout the State.
That three institutions just named,
standing as they do upon the basis Of
private enterprise and dependent
wholly upon patronage for support,
have been able to compete success
fully With the well endowed colleges
of the South, demonstrates clearly
that the system Of training perpet'
uated by them still has hold on the
appreciation Of our people. 1t is nat.
ural that it should be so; for thought.
full men cannot fail to recognize the
fact that the maintenance of D repub
lican government and its materla
progress depend upon the existence
of certain public and private virtues
in its citizens, such as reverent re
spect for law, love of orde: aoc
system, the suhordipation of individ
uality to public good, devotion te
duty, high personal honor, and
manly disposition to 'scorD delights
and live laborious days These were
the virtues cultivated by the Citade
training. Would it not, then, be the
, policy of sound wisdom for the State