The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1909-05-21
BURNSIDE ACADEMY
AND ITS FOUNDER
Col. C. A. Miles Conducted a Mill
tary School Years Ago.
BUILDING NOW LINDEN LODGE
Institution Founded in, 1859 and Drew
Students from All Parts of the Coun-
try-Strictest Discipline Maintained
Prominent Pupils.

try-Strictest Discipline Maintaine
Prominent Pupils.
Col Charles A. Miles founded the Burn
side military school for boys in. Brattle
boro in the year 1859. 1t derived it
name from Gen. Ambrose e. Burnside,
personal friend of the founder. This wa
one Of the earliest military schools in tn
| United States, and drew its students from
| all over the country, says the local CORE
spondent of the Springfield Republican
| In the catalog appear the names of stu
dents from more than dozen differen
states of the Union, as well as Cuba anC
South America. Colonel Miles was one
of the first educators to recognize physi
cal development as of primary importance
in the education of the young, and as al
important factor in their intellectual
growth, and, as may well be imagined
these ideals marked some startling limo
vations 80 years ago. The school was es
tablished in a spacious building about a
mile north of the village, on the West
Dummerston road. Since the close of the
school the property came into the hands
of the Vermont asylum, now known as
the Brattleboro Retreat for Insane. The
continuous piazza, is occupied as a sani-
tarium, and is called Linden Lodge; the
l. part was moved away, and is known as
the McVeigh homestead. Among those
who always manifested great interest in
the Burnside school were Governor Hol-
brook, President Walker of Harvard col
lege Colonel Miles's alma mater), Judge
Adds of Washington, Colonel Austine,
United States army and many others
more or less prominent Those familiar
with the location will appreciate its great
natural advantages and its adaptabllity as
healthful and slightly situation. The
exterior of the main building differs now
only by reason of the broad verandas, the
interior of course being much changed.
In those days a long corridor ran the
length of the building, and the cadets
room opened from it on each side. Colonel
Miles's room was at one end of the cor
ridor in full view of the large general
Mushroom las it was called, and he
could easily see that the boys did not neg
lect their morning additions. One of his
cadets during a visit years atterWard re-
called the time when the principal, lying
in bed, compelled the student to brush his
teeth three times in succession before he
was satisfied with his thoroughness. The
school was under very strict military dis
cipline in those days of 30 years ago, and
The discipline of that time implied much
more rigid regulations than at the pres
ent. Regular drill was part of each
lays schedule, and occupied full hour;
every Saturday bringing dress parade on
he drill ground. These occasions brought
of people of the town, and
strangers as well, to witness the dress
Jarade, always so fascinating.
The uniform of the cadets was navy
due, with red stripes, very similar to
hat worn by the Norwich university ca
lets at the present time, but differing |
widely of course in style. One of the pun
shments most dreaded was that of being |
placed at the extreme left of the column
t dress parade, and especially so as all
he young women understood perfectly |
yhat it meant. Through the kindness of
Dr. Rockwell, the founder of the Vermont
sylum for the insane, the students were
iven the freedom of the whole outlying
rounds belonging to the institution, with
ne sole provision that if the privilege was
bused it would be withdrawn. Rife
ractice and hunting were encouraged, and
any of the cadets became excellent
arksmen. The school year was divided
ITO two terms, beginning the lst of Jan
lry and July, with intervening vacations
six weeks. Camps were formed and
nts pitched for two weeks every sum
er at various places. One of the most
1pular locations was at Indian pond, on
mountain. With an at
ndance of from IS to 100 pupils, it was
)ssible to introduce company organlza-
on, with full equipment of officers and
ms; battalion drill was also conducted.
lrmishes and sham fights took place
and thus the cadets came in
to, |
hey also became very proficient in the
annual of arms, which, at that time, was
+ more comprehensive than at present,
I'd silent drills were frequently gone
trough in fine form. Exhibition drills
ere often given in Greenfield, and in
her towns in the vicinity. The roll of
lie drum at o'clock was the signal for
'ompt rising and dressing, after which
| stood outside their doors while their
oms were inspected. The roll was called
reveille, sunset and taps, which latter
cant for the younger boys $50 p. IN.
I'd for the older ones 9.30
A wellequipped gymnasium afforded the
,portunity for enforced physical culture,
lus insuring the health of the students.
hey were also taught fencing and boxing,
I'd baseball was constant source of re-
cation. Games of the latter were some
mes played with the village clubs. The
lseball of those days, however, would
1T recognize itself on the diamond of to- /,
~. Two courses of study were provided,
lie classical and the mathematical. The
rmer comprised Caesar, Aeneid, Virgil,
Zero, Livy, Horace, Xenophon, Homer,
erodotus and other Latin and Greek
assics The mathematical course, under
lie personal supervision of the principal,
cluded arithmetic, algebra, geometry,
igonometry (plane and spherical) and
her branches. These were very severe a
I'd comprehensive courses, and placed }
lie Burnside school far in advance of al T
ost all preparatory schools of that day, 5
this either, for that matter. None but $
lie best were allowed in the faculty, and e
ere was a wealth of teaching force ]
'ecial teachers for French, for German,
r classics, and Colonel Miles himself in v
large of mathematics with a woman in I
large of the younger lads. At the break Z
g out of the Civil war very few indeed b
the citizens of the state or country
new even the rudiments of military drill. j
I'd Colonel Miles and his cadets rendered :
service in drilling a company
raw recruits, with their officers as we'll I
Brattleboro and surrounding towns
ven the Second Vermont regiment was
debted to the same school for early
aiming, as was Colonel Hunts company
heavy artillery. Colonel Miles himself
Id seen service in the volunteer militia
Massachusetts, which was much farther
vanced than other states in their knowl-
ge of military tactics. Among the stu
nts of the school who have distinguished
emselves in public life may be men
Dned Prof. James A. Tufts, who served
ng at Phillips Exeter academy, Prof w.
Wheelock at Massachusetts, institute
technology, Hanson r. Tyler, United
ates navy, and J. A. Pitcher, United
ates army. a son of the Civil war Gen