Well, that is the problem, the source I first used was "The romance of Tulip Ridge". by Jonathan Kennon Smith but I cannot find a copy to go back and check his sources. I want to think I saw it at the Ark Hist Comm but not sure. The book has endnotes in it and he stated that Alexander left in 1856 to pursue farming and Benton returned to Lousiana. It stated the school remained in use but only as a boys school and not a military school and all equipment was returned to arsenal. I can't say with 100% accuracy that it did or didn't due to lack of a copy to check his sources. I was hoping someone had the book or access to it to determine if the school did indeed cease to be a military academy in 1856. I always see where it is stated it existed to 1861 but I never see the primary source documention to back it. Only some modern news article or website that do not provide documentation either.

It was interesting to note a relic hunter found an AMI button at the Richmond, KY battlefield identified as the Ark Mil Institute so we know some of the students retained their uniforms or the uniforming was redistributed at some point.

Hopefully will run across it again to verify information one way or the other.