Citizen Soldier Origins of The Citadel

The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina, was established in 1842 as the college of the citizen-soldier. The founding fathers of the United States envisioned a small federal army with a large militia provided by each state. Charleston, South Carolina, the home of The Citadel for over 165 years was one of the first to establish the citizen soldier concept in the new world.

Established in 1670, Charleston, South Carolina began as one of the first English colonies in the southeastern seaboard of what is now the United States. The original colony was comprised of less than 300 colonists from Great Britain. When the British soldiers and sailors returned back to England, the colonists were left alone to defend themselves against Indians, and Spanish settlers located in St Augustine, Florida. The citizen-soldier of the colonies was born.

Charles Town (as it was called then) became a walled fortress on a peninsula of land by 1702. Eventually the town outgrew the walls. The town needed additional protection and by the French and Indian War (1754-1763) a new series of fortifications were built. In 1758, John Wragg and Peter Manigault sold the future site of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina to the Commissioners of Fortifications. The British Colonial government and the Commissioners of Fortifications decided to build along the "neck" of the peninsula to protect the city. The purpose was to protect any attack on the city via land forces. These fortifications consisted of a wall that stretched from one side of the peninsula to the other with a citadel at the center of the peninsula. Known as "The Citadel," the old fortress was completed around 1763. Adjacent to "The Citadel" was a parade ground known as "The Citadel Green." The structures were made of a form of masonry known as "tabby" or "hornworks" that were made of oyster shells and a limestone mixture that was strong like concrete. A remnant of the "hornworks" can still be seen at Marion Square on the Old Citadel parade ground today.

During the Revolutionary War (1776-1783), South Carolina's heroic citizen-soldiers manned The Citadel and fought the onslaught of the British Army. Three of the four signers of the Declaration of Independence from South Carolina served at The Citadel during the Revolutionary War. They were: Thomas Heyward, Jr., Arthur Middleton, and Edward Rutledge. During the Siege of Charleston, March to May 1780, they fought British troops and heroically defended the city at The Citadel. Unfortunately, Charleston was captured by British troops and these three signers of the Declaration of Independence were imprisoned by the British Royal Army at St Augustine Florida. After the Revolutionary War, the old fortress and the adjoining parade ground were named Marion Square in honor of General Francis Marion, "the Swamp Fox," of South Carolina, a hero of the Revolutionary War. The movie The Patriot, starring Mel Gibson portrayed a fictional version based on the life of Francis Marion and was filmed in South Carolina. President George Washington reviewed a parade of South Carolina Militia in Charleston on The Citadel Green in 1791 and 1797.

The Marion Square parade ground (Citadel Green) continued to be used as militia training and muster ground, but the old fortress was converted into a building used for "Tobacco Inspection" in 1790. South Carolina troops prepared for the War of 1812 on the Citadel Green. The War of 1812 and the burning of Washington, D.C. by British Army troops in 1814 highlighted the lack of well trained and equipped troops. South Carolina was blockaded by the British Navy and some coastal plantations were destroyed by the British Army. After the War of 1812 ended in 1815, South Carolina decided that the tobacco inspection building needed to be converted back into a fortress for the militia. The war clearly showed that the state military needed additional training and equipment. During this period, the United States Military Academy at West Point became a four year college with the first 4-year class graduating in 1821. Established in 1802, West Point began as an 8 month academy to train military engineers and artillery officers. After West Point's conversion from an "academy" to a four year "military college" South Carolina began to take notice. In 1822, the State Legislature passed an act to create the South Carolina State Arsenal on the site of the "old Citadel" in Charleston. By 1829, the South Carolina State Arsenal was completed on the site. This building was designed to house the state's arms and also housed a contingent of state troops. Known as the "courtyard of a thousand arches" the open courtyard of the military barracks would eventually become the hallmark of The Citadel, The Military College of South Carolina.

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