I’d never heard of Carolina Day until I moved to South Carolina, and even then, I thought it commemorated South Carolina’s statehood. I didn’t give this much thought until this year, as I perused the events surrounding America’s 250th anniversary.
On June 28th, 1776, the American Revolutionary War was in full swing, having started with the battles at Lexington and Concord a year prior. Although June 28th, 1776, does not attract national attention, people have commemorated and venerated it every year on Sullivan’s Island, SC, since 1777 with good reason.
America had taken on Britain, a major player on the world stage. While Britain had a formidable military, America was birthing itself from the grassroots of its citizens and had yet to form a government, much less a trained military.
In 1775, South Carolina’s Provincial Congress ordered the raising of a militia. They decided to construct a fort on Sullivan’s Island to defend the coast from British attack. The construction began in January 1776. The plan was to build a temporary defense, then build a more permanent structure around it later.
Builders used the most plentiful materials available—palmetto logs and sand—to construct the fort. They had not finished the structure when nine British ships entered the harbor in June 1776. What a sight to see so many ships, knowing they were full of well-trained men bent on taking Charleston hostage. The ships were under the command of Commodore Peter Parker, and the troops were under the command of General Sir Henry Clinton.
The British determined Sullivan’s Island was weak enough to be taken and began firing on the log fort manned with 435 Patriots led by Colonel William Moultrie. The patriots knew the waters were uncertain because of sandbars in the area, and they used this to position the fort. Indeed, the British had trouble and miscalculated the high tide and topography. But to everyone’s surprise, the fort itself proved to be the ultimate defense. Instead of shattering the log fort with cannon-fire, the balls embedded into the walls of the fort and absorbed the fire.
William Moultrie ordered the return fire to concentrate on vulnerable parts of the British ships, and the tactics inflicted heavy damage. Fighting continued throughout the day, and nearly twelve hours after it had begun, the British withdrew. Their defeat became a celebrated Patriot victory and remains an important day of remembrance in South Carolina.
If you find yourself in the Charleston area, you should visit Fort Moultrie on Sullivan’s Island. The site is managed by the National Park Service and is open for visitors to discover its fascinating history.
Sources:
- National Park Service, “Battle of Sullivan’s Island,” accessed July 11, 2026, nps.gov
- South Carolina Encyclopedia, “Sullivan’s Island, Battle of,: published August 24, 2022, accessed July 11, 2026, scencyclopedia.org
- American Battlefield Trust, “Sullivan’s Island June 28, 1776,” accessed July 11, 2026, battlefields.org
- National Park Service, “William Moultrie,” accessed July 11, 2026, nps.gov.