North Carolina Military Institute was established in 1858.

Daniel Harvey Hill Lieutenant-General Daniel Harvey Hill (July 12, 1821 – September 24, 1889), commonly known as D. H. Hill, was a senior officer of the Confederate States Army who commanded infantry in the eastern and western theaters of the American Civil Wa ...

was made superintendent of the school in 1859 and James H. Lane taught

natural philosophy Natural philosophy or philosophy of nature (from Latin ''philosophia naturalis'') is the philosophical study of physics Physics is the natural science that studies matter, its fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior throu ...

(physics) at the Institute until the start of the

U.S. Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states t ...

.Eicher, p. 338. The school was later used by Charlotte Military Academy, which architect

Herbert B. Hunter Herbert B. Hunter (October 5, 1890 – March 31, 1976) was an architect in North Carolina. Early in his career he worked as a draughtsman for Leonard L. Hunter.Charlotte, North Carolina Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

. North Carolina Military Institute was established by Charlotte businessmen and Dr. Charles J. Fox. By April 1861 it had 150 students. During the start of the U.S. Civil War Governor

John Willis Ellis John Willis Ellis (November 23, 1820 – July 7, 1861) was the 35th Governor of the U.S. state of North Carolina from 1859 to 1861. He was born in Rowan County, North Carolina. Ellis attended the University of North Carolina, studied law under ...

ordered cadets from the school to Raleigh to serve as drill masters. The school closed during the war and the buildings were used as a Confederate hospital for part of it.

, who trained at

West Point The United States Military Academy (USMA), also known Metonymy, metonymically as West Point or simply as Army, is a United States service academies, United States service academy in West Point, New York. It was originally established as a f ...

was superintendent of the school at the start of the war and was elected colonel of the

1st North Carolina Volunteers First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

Charles C. Lee Martha Parmelee Rose (, Parmelee; pen name, Mrs. W. G. Rose and Charles C. Lee; March 5, 1834 – May 5, 1923) was an American journalist, social reformer, social leader, and philanthropist. Interested in the poor and destitute, especially the suff ...

was also teaching at the school at the start of the war. He became a lieutenant colonel of the 1st North Carolina Volunteers and then colonel after Hill's promotion. He also served as colonel of the

37th North Carolina Troops 37th may refer to: *37th (Howitzer) Brigade Royal Field Artillery, a brigade of the Royal Field Artillery which served in the First World War * 37th (North Hampshire) Regiment of Foot, raised in Ireland in February 1702 * 37th (Northern Ontario) Ba ...

and was killed at Frayser's Farm. He is interred in Charlotte. James H. Lane, who graduated from VMI, was also teaching at the North Carolina Military Institute. He was elected major and then lieutenant colonel of the 1st

North Carolina Volunteers North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography. Etymology The word ''north'' is ...

before being elected colonel of the 28th North Carolina Troops. According to an article in the ''

Charlotte Observer ''The Charlotte Observer'' is an American English-language newspaper serving Charlotte, North Carolina, and its metro area. The Observer was founded in 1886. As of 2020, it has the second-largest circulation of any newspaper in the Carolinas. I ...

'' from 1889: "As at first organized, the session lasted, without intermission, throughout the year, the months of August and September being spent campaigning in the mountains of North Carolina. At the end of the second year cadets received a furlough of months. There were a scientific and a primary department. In the former the West Point curriculum was closely followed, and the students were required to board in the buildings and to be under military discipline. There was a primary department, which aimed to prepare students for any college. Such of these students as boarded in the buildings were likewise under military discipline. The institute provide board, lodging, fuel, lights, washing, arms, equipment, medical attendance, uniforms and all clothing, except underclothes, for $200 per annum. No extra charges." A ''Charlotte Observer'' article from 1915 stated that the "first Confederate flag raised in the city was hoisted there when

Fort Sumter Fort Sumter is a sea fort built on an artificial island protecting Charleston, South Carolina from naval invasion. Its origin dates to the War of 1812 when the British invaded Washington by sea. It was still incomplete in 1861 when the Battl ...

fell by the students of the North Carolina Institute." After the war discussion of reopening the Military School took place but the building was used as a girls' school and from 1873 until 1882 for the Charlotte Military Academy. Later, it was used by the Charlotte Public School system before being torn down in 1954.North Carolina Military Institute
Michael Hardy June 14, 2010

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