Battle of Sullivan's Island
- When
- 1776
- Where
- Long Island and Sullivan's Island, South Carolina; Northern Sullivan's Island and Haddrell's Point; Fort Sullivan, Sullivan's Island
- Episodes
- 3
On June 28, 1776, South Carolina forces under Colonel William Moultrie repelled a British naval assault on Fort Sullivan at Sullivan's Island near Charleston, forcing the expedition to withdraw and delaying Britain's return until 1780.
Episodes
- British Approach and Landing
The delayed British expedition reached the Carolina coast in May 1776, landing troops on Long Island near Sullivan's Island in early June.
- American Defensive Preparations
Americans entrenched Sullivan's Island's northern end with over 750 men and three cannons, and fortified Haddrell's Point on the mainland.
- Battle of Fort Sullivan
On June 28, 1776, Moultrie's 435 defenders withstood a day-long British bombardment, inflicting extensive damage that forced the fleet to withdraw.
Background and detail
Background. Charlestown was a commercial center of southern North America whose citizens opposed British taxation, and militia recruitment rose after Lexington and Concord. Through 1775 and into 1776 recruits arrived from the backcountry, manufacturers produced war material, and fortifications took shape around the city.
British Expedition. With forces tied up at Boston, the British planned a southern expedition seeking bases they controlled. The Irish expedition, delayed by logistics, departed February 13, 1776 with 2,500 troops escorted by eleven warships under Admiral Sir Peter Parker, reaching the North Carolina coast in May.
Fortification of Sullivan's Island. John Rutledge organized a defense under Colonel William Moultrie, whose 2nd South Carolina Regiment began building a palmetto-log fortress on Sullivan's Island in March 1776. Continental regiments from North Carolina and Virginia and 2,700 militia augmented the garrison.
Aftermath and Commemoration. Fort Sullivan was renamed Fort Moultrie to honor Moultrie's successful defense. A palmetto on South Carolina's flag commemorates the trees that enabled the fortress to withstand British cannon fire, and Carolina Day has been celebrated annually since 1777.
People involved
- Colonel William Moultrie · American commander defending Fort Sullivan
- Admiral Sir Peter Parker · Commander of the British naval escort
- John Rutledge · President of South Carolina's revolutionary general assembly
Sources
- Battle of Sullivan's Island Wikipedia, revision of 2026-09-24
Machine-drafted from the cited Wikipedia passages and checked by a reviewing model, not by a human editor. Every passage cites the revision it was written from; dates and places follow those passages.