Jun 25, 2020
On this episode of the Resistance Library Podcast Dan and Sam
discuss the Moultrie Flag, more commonly referred to as the Liberty
Flag. It was an icon during the Revolutionary War and flew over
Sullivan Island in Charleston Harbor.
The Moultrie Flag, also known as the Liberty Flag, is a strong
symbol of the Southern role in the American Revolution. It’s also a
handsome flag with a simple design on a beautiful blue color. The
flag was developed specifically for the Battle of Sullivan’s
Island, a short but important engagement in the Southern theater of
battle during the American Revolutionary War.
In 1775, in the lead up to the American Revolution, Colonel William
Moultrie wanted a flag that represented the new American nation.
Moultrie was the commander of the 2nd South Carolina Regiment. He
commissioned a design based on the uniform of his soldiers. This
was the distinctive deep blue you see on the flag today. The
crescent moon might come from the caps of the soldiers, which
initially bore the legend
“Liberty
or Death.” Some historians believe that it’s instead a form of neck
armor. Whatever the symbol’s original, its message was eventually
simplified to
“liberty,”
which is either written within the crescent or in the center at the
bottom of the flag.
Fort Moultrie is the current name for several forts on Sullivan’s
Island in South Carolina. These forts were first built to defend
the city of Charleston, with the original built of palmetto logs.
On June 28, 1776, the flag was raised over the palmetto-log fort
now known as Fort Moultrie – which wasn’t armed or ready for the
attack by British forces that came. Nine British warships attacked
the fort for over 10 hours. However, because the palmetto logs were
still soft, they absorbed the array of cannon fire. Legend has it
that some of the cannonballs bounced off, rather than penetrating
the fort. Because of the successful defense, the British armada was
forced to retreat and could not take the city of Charleston. This
is now celebrated in Charleston as
“Carolina
Day,” though the fort and Charleston were later captured by British
forces.
During the first battle, the flag was shot away by British forces.
However, a Sergeant by the name of William Jasper recovered the
flag after it was shot down. He then hoisted the flag up again on a
temporary pole and held it up while taking fire, until a more
permanent structure could be erected. After the battle, South
Carolina’s governor, John Rutledge, gave his sword to Sgt. Jasper
in recognition of his exemplary bravery under fire. Sgt. Jasper
later died of wounds he received while trying to recapture
Savannah, Georgia, from the British. Several states have counties
and townships named after Jasper.
You can read the full article “The
Fort Moultrie Flag: Southern Liberty During the American
Revolution”
and get your own Fort Moultrie flag at Ammo.com.
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