The Citadel

In response to a slave rebellion plot, a municipal guard of 150 men was established in Charleston in 1822. Half the men were stationed in an arsenal called the citadel. Later, the South Carolina legislature replaced the expensive guardsmen with less expensive cadets and the arsenal was turned over to the newly established South Carolina Military Academy. On December 20, 1842, the South Carolina Legislature passed an Act "to convert the citadel and magazine in and near Charleston, into Military Schools.” The act specified:

That the students when admitted, shall be formed into a military corps, and shall constitute the public guard of the Citadel and Magazine in and near Charleston...to guard effectually, the public arms and other property at the places aforesaid...

The first 20 cadets reported to The Academy on March 20, 1843. The name of the college was officially changed in 1910 to "The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina". On January 9, 1861, SC Academy cadets George Edward Haynsworth and Samuel Bonneau Pickens were present when their unit fired two large cannon from their Morris Island station at the U.S. steamer, the Star of the West, preventing it from reaching Fort Sumter with troops and supplies and thus firing what are considered the first shots of the Civil War.

On January 28, 1861, the Corps of Cadets of The SC Academy was made part of the military organization of the state and named the Battalion of State Cadets. The Academy continued to operate as a military academy, but classes were often disrupted when the governor called the cadets into military service. Mounting and manning heavy guns, performing guard duty, providing security and escorting prisoners were among the services performed by the cadets. They were known as the Battalion of State Cadets and participated in the following engagements from 1861 to 1865. As a result of these services, The Citadel is authorized to carry nine Confederate battle streamers:

1. Confederate States Army (larger gray)
2. Star of the West, January 9, 1861
3. Wappoo Cut, November 1861
4. James Island, June 1862
5. Charleston and Vicinity, July–October 1863
6. James Island, June 1864
7. Tulifinny, December 1864
8. James Island, December 1864-February 1865
9. Williamston, May 1865

On February 18, 1865, the school ceased operation as a college when Union troops entered Charleston and occupied the site.

Following the war, the Board of Visitors eventually regained possession of The Citadel campus, and the South Carolina Legislature passed an act to reopen the college. The 1882 session began with an enrollment of 185 cadets.

In its Vision Statement, the Citadel Board of Visitors identifies the following as the school's "core values:"

• Honor: First and foremost honor includes adherence to the Honor Code of The Citadel. A cadet “will not lie, cheat or steal, nor tolerate those who do”. The commitment to honor extends beyond the gates of The Citadel and is a life-long obligation to moral and ethical behavior. In addition, honor includes integrity; “doing the right thing when no one is watching”. Finally, honorable behavior includes exercising the moral courage to “do the right thing when everyone is watching”. The Honor Code is the foundation of our academic enterprise.

• Duty: First and foremost duty means to accept and accomplish the responsibilities assigned to me. At The Citadel, my primary duty is to perform academically and then to perform as a member of the Corps of Cadets and the campus community. I accept the consequences associated with my performance and actions. Once I have held myself accountable for my actions, then I will hold others accountable for their actions. Finally, duty means that others can depend on me to complete my assignments and to assist them with their assignments. Duty is also a call to serve others before self.

• Respect: First and foremost respect means to treat other people with dignity and worth – the way you want others to treat you. Respect for others eliminates any form of prejudice, discrimination, or harassment (including but not limited to rank, position, age, race, color, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, physical attributes, etc.). In addition, respect for others means to respect the positions of those in authority which include faculty, staff, administrators, active duty personnel and the leadership of the Corps of Cadets. Finally, respect includes a healthy respect for one’s self.