Minuteman Minute | The Defense of Charleston Harbor

In 1776, the British set their sights on Fort Sullivan and Charleston’s Harbor. However, the South Carolina militia was there to stop them.

Hi, I’m Will Roulett, director of the National Guard Memorial Museum here in D.C., and this is your Minuteman Minute! In early 1776, British Major General Henry Clinton was ordered to leave Boston and establish a base of operations in the Southern colonies. By May, Clinton’s force had rendezvoused with that of Sir Peter Parker who had sailed from Ireland. The combined force set its sights on an unfinished fort on Sullivan’s Island in Charleston Harbor. Rumors that the British planned to attack Charleston ran rampant throughout South Carolina. Col. William Moultrie, commander of the garrison, ordered his soldiers to complete Fort Sullivan with palmetto logs and sand. On June 28, the British fleet attacked. Thankfully for the Americans, inlet waters were too shallow for ships, but too deep for wading red coats. Meanwhile, the fort’s spongy Palmetto logs absorbed heavy fire, sending cannon balls bouncing off or leaving them buried in the sand. During the battle, the new militia colors, an indigo blue flag with a gorget or protective steel collar in the upper-left corner, were knocked down. Sgt. William Jasper recovered the flag and raised it again, rallying the defenders to victory. Victory at Sullivan’s Island boosted the revolutionary cause in South Carolina, stalled the capture of Charleston for almost two years, and provided a new symbol for the state – the palmetto tree. The state seal includes the palmetto tree, representing South Carolina, standing over an uprooted oak, representing the Royal Navy. You can learn about this – and a whole lot more – at the South Carolina Military Museum. I’m Will Roulett, and that’s been your Minuteman Minute, brought to you by the National Guard Educational Foundation.