Charleston County, SC | Jun 28, 1776
In the summer of 1776, British General Henry Clinton attacked Fort Sullivan just outside the city of Charleston, South Carolina, defended by William Moultrie. In the resulting action, Moultrie successfully defended the fort and saved the city.
How It Ended
Patriot Victory. After his bombardment failed to force the fort's garrison into submission, Clinton realized that his attempt to capture the city of Charleston was over and decided to pull back his fleet into the Atlantic Ocean.
In Context
As the British evacuated Boston in March 1776 and regrouped along the coast, plans were made on what to do to curb the American rebellion. One such strategy was the possibility of sailing south, establishing a foothold in the southern colonies, and rallying loyalist support to retake the provincial governments that were being ousted by patriot forces. Royal governors put forth such claims of widespread loyalists eager to join the fight in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. The British commander-in-chief, Sir William Howe, sent his second-in-command, Sir Henry Clinton, with a detachment of troops to secure these claims and aid in the unfolding campaign of 1776. To help Clinton, Lord Cornwallis was called upon with his fleet to help serve the area and find the best spot to land the British army. Cornwallis staff soon selected Charleston, South Carolina, since they believed its defenses outside the city were no match for the British Navy.
Standing in the way of the British was the unfinished fort on Sullivan's Island and its commander, Colonel William Moultrie. Before the battle, Americans observed the importance of the island's location since any ship had to pass through its southern tip to enter Charleston. By February 1776, engineers began constructing a fort to defend the city. Using palmetto trees, the Americans built walls by placing two cut logs sixteen feet apart and filling the space with clay and sand. Unknown to the British was the unique durability of palmetto wood. Unlike other types, palmetto fiber absorbed impact like sponges, whereas other treed woods would splinter and shatter. The five-hundred-foot square fort with high, sixteen-foot-wide sides filled with sand and planked gun platforms, holding thirty-one assorted cannons, would be Charleston's first line of defense.
