Since it’s founding in 1842 Citadel cadets have fought in every U.S. war starting with the Mexican War of 1846, which established the fledgling academy's reputation for military instruction. During the Civil War, the Corps of Cadets became part of the state troops and fought in several battles defending Charleston. On January 9, 1861, Citadel Cadets manning an artillery battery on Morris Island fired the first hostile shots of the Civil War, repulsing the federal steamship Star of the West, carrying supplies and two hundred federal troops dispatched to reinforce Union Forces garrisoned at Fort Sumter.