If you're a South Carolinian, you probably already know the history of Fort Moultrie. Read on to find out how SC got the nickname "The Palmetto State" and where the inspiration for the state flag came from.
The first fort built to protect Charleston, SC was Fort Sullivan. Construction was started in early 1776 but was incomplete when the Revolutionary War kicked off. Sir Peter Parker of the Royal Navy led 9 warships to take siege on Charleston in June of 1776. Colonel William Moultrie was there with 400 troops to defend Fort Sullivan, and they were victorious after the 10-hour war day. The fort was even renamed Fort Moultrie to honor Colonel Moultrie.
The fort was constructed of palmetto logs. Instead of cracking under the pressure of bombardment, the logs would absorb the hits, and it was even said that the cannonballs bounced off of them thus leaving South Carolina victorious.
Colonel William Moultrie commissioned a special flag to be made in 1775. It was blue with a white gorget in the top left that read liberty. A gorget is a crescent-shaped plate of armor worn around the neck of a soldier to protect their throat in times of battle. The Moultrie Flag or Liberty Flag was flown during that battle on June 28, 1776. It was shot down, and Sergent William Jasper ran out into the open rallying the troops and hoisting the flag until a new stand could be built.
This flag is iconic to the state of South Carolina as a symbol of freedom and liberty and was the foundation of the state flag South Carolina currently has.
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