Charleston History On this Day: Remembering the Battle of Sullivan’s Island – June 28, 1776

Overview and Summary of the Battle of Sullivan’s Island
The Battle of Sullivan’s Island took place on June 28, 1776 near Charleston, South Carolina when the British army and fleet attacked Charleston.  The entrance to Charleston Harbor was protected by sandbanks. A sandbank Is similar to a reef and a navigation, or grounding, hazard.  the channels through these sandbanks lead directly to the end of Sullivan’s Island. where the Americans had built a fort of 16 feet wide palmetto logs filled with sand. General William Moultrie commanded the fort and it was named in his honor, Fort Moultrie. The British fleet sailed into the harbor to attack the fort. The fleet consisted of 9 man-of-war ships carrying 300 heavy cannon. The cannons were fired but the balls from the ships’ guns were stopped by the soft sand-filled palmetto logs. During the conflict a flag commissioned by the colonial government and designed by William Moultrie was shot away and fell down outside the fort. A patriot called Sergeant Jasper rushed out, seized the broken flagstaff, and again set it up on the rampart. General Henry Clinton and his troops landed on an island and was trying to cross to the further end of Sullivan’s Island and were under fire from Americans on the beach. Unexpectedly the water deepened, and the British had to jump aboard their ships to save themselves from drowning. General Henry Clinton ordered a retreat and the fleet also sailed away from Charleston

Battle of Sullivan’s Island – The Liberty Flag aka the Moultrie Flag
The above pictures of the battle show the flag that was designed by Colonel William Moultrie. The flag was commissioned by the colonial government and the design was a blue flag with a white crescent saying LIBERTY on it. The flag became known as the Moultrie flag or the Liberty Flag. Later on during the Revolutionary War in the 1780 siege Charleston was taken by the British and the flag was taken. The ‘Liberty Flag’ was later reclaimed by American forces at the end of the war, the flag was returned to the city of Charleston by General Nathanael Greene.

The Importance and Significance of the Battle of Sullivan’s Island

Significance of the Battle of Sullivan’s Island: The significance of the conflict was that the small force of militia were able to force the retreat of 9 British ships – and the news was spread as propaganda for the Patriot cause.

*Courtesy of Land of the Brave Info