Moultrie Flag

The Moultrie Flag, also known as the Liberty Flag, was a key flag flown in the American Revolutionary War.

Moultrie flag
NameLiberty flag
Proportion10:19
AdoptedDuring the American Revolution
DesignWhite crescent, and the word LIBERTY, in dark blue

History
The Liberty flag being raised over Fort Moultrie, during its successful defense against the British

The Liberty flag was designed, by commission, in 1775 by Colonel William Moultrie, to prepare for war with Great Britain.

It was flown by his troops in the successful defense of Sullivan's Island against the British fleet in June 1776.

Fighting back stridently during a ten-hour bombardment and siege, Moultrie's forces (primarily the 2nd South Carolina Regiment) eventually led the British to withdraw entirely, saving Charleston.

During the battle, the flag was actually shot away, but Sergeant William Jasper ran out in the open and hoisted it again, rallying the troops until a new stand could be provided. The story of this dramatic event, along with the pivotal role of the battle itself, earned the flag a place in the hearts of the people of South Carolina,[1] as well as cementing it as a symbol of liberty in the South, and the new confederacy in general.

It therefore became the standard of the South Carolina militia, and when the war officially ended with the liberation of Charleston, on December 14, 1782, it was presented by General Nathanael Greene's "Southern Continental & Militia Army," as the first American flag to be displayed in the South.[2]

The symbol in the top left corner of the flag is a crescent, some say it is a gorget, others say it is a crescent moon, but all texts from the time describe it as simply a "crescent".

Heritage
The 6-cent Fort Moultrie Flag stamp

Iconic to the state of South Carolina as a symbol of freedom and the Revolution, eventually this was used as the foundation for the state's own flag. The fort was renamed Fort Moultrie,[3] and the flag is sometimes referred to as the Fort Moultrie Flag. It is occasionally rendered with the word LIBERTY separately in white, along the lower center of the flag.

In addition to being the basis for South Carolina's flag, it is the official flag of Moultrie County, Illinois.[4]

The flag was featured on a 1968 US stamp. The reraising of the flag was commemorated on a 2016 quarter-dollar coin.

References
  1. "Flags of the American Revolution". www.foundingfathers.info. Retrieved Aug 7, 2020.
  2. "The Moultrie Flag Historical Marker". www.hmdb.org. Retrieved Aug 7, 2020.
  3. "Historical Flags of Our Ancestors - American Revolutionary War Flags". www.loeser.us. Retrieved Aug 7, 2020.
  4. http://www.fotw.net/flags/us-moul.html
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.