On June 28,1776, Commodore Sir Peter Parker and his nine Royal Navy war ships opened fire on a fort made of palmetto logs and sand located at the tip of Sullivan’s Island. These shots started of the Battle of Sullivan’s Island.
By midday, seeing that the bombardment was not affecting the palmetto fort, Parker ordered three frigates, Actaeon, Sphinx, and Syren, to swing behind the island and bombard the unprotected rear of the fort with crossfire. However, all three ships ran aground on a shoal where Fort Sumter would later be built. The Sphinx and Syren were able to free themselves when the tide came back in, but the Actaeon remained stuck.
The fight continued for several hours until the late afternoon. At that time, Colonel William Moultrie’s unit was running dangerously low on gunpowder and he ordered his men to slow their firing. Despite the decrease in patriot cannon fire, Parker’s fleet continued their bombardment with gusto.
One of the British cannonballs hit the flagstaff inside the fort and snapped it in half, bringing the all-blue flag with a single white crescent in the upper left corner down. It fell over the fort’s wall onto the sand and rocks.
Sergeant William Jasper, risking himself to enemy fire, jumped down and retrieved the fallen flag. He cut it from the broken flagstaff and tied it to a sponge rammer. Still under enemy cannon fire, he worked his way back to the fort and planted the flag on the fort wall for the Royal Navy to see.
With the delivery of more black powder, Moultrie’s mens' rate of fire increased and the battle raged on. Around 9 p.m., Parker ordered his fleet to withdraw. Many of the British ships were badly damaged, and the Actaeon was burned by the British to prevent it from falling into Moultrie’s hands.
Join us in June for the final installment in this series!
#battleofsullivansisland #250th #americanrevolution #nationalparkservice
Image: Colored painting depicting Sergeant William Jasper retreiving an all-blue flag with a white crescent in the upper left-hand corner
Image: Colorized photo of an all-blue flag with a white crescent in the upper left-hand corner back and a palmetto tree to the left.
In 1862, Robert Smalls and fifteen others got on the Planter in the Charleston harbor and sailed to freedom. Today, Ranger Eric shares the story of that night from the shores of Fort Moultrie. Learn more on our website, linked in the bio.
Join us at Fort Moultrie for a fee-free weekend commemorating the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Sullivan’s Island!
📅 Saturday, June 27 & Sunday, June 28
📍 Fort Moultrie (1214 Middle Street, Sullivan’s Island)
Step back to June 1776, when patriot forces defended an unassuming palmetto log fort against the Royal Navy at the entrance to Charleston Harbor—just days before the Declaration of Independence was signed.
Visitors of all ages can enjoy historic weapons demonstrations, living history programs and ranger talks, colonial games and hands-on activities, and demonstrations like brick making, indigo dyeing, and colonial cooking.
🕘 Events begin at 9:30 AM both days. Saturday ends at 4:30 PM. Sunday ends at 5:00 PM.
On Sunday, June 28, join us for a special 250th anniversary ceremony from 10:00 AM–12:00 PM.
We hope you’ll join us for this milestone event!
Image: Living historians in period dress fire a historic artillery piece. NPS/S. Scott
#CarolinaDay #250thAnniversary #americanrevolution #nationalparkservice
May is historic preservation month and today we want to highlight our cannon cleaning crew.
Every couple of months, our cannons need a little love. March 25th was cannon preservation day at Fort Sumter! Our cannons all got a much-needed wash with water and gentle detergent, before reinforcing their coatings with a fresh coat of wax. Implementing these measures regularly will help extend their lifespan and protect them against the salt in our sea air.
Interested in getting involved with cannon preservation? Email [email protected] to join our volunteer email list.
#historicpreservation #cannoncleaning #nationalparkservice #volunteer
Images: Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie's resource management staff and volunteers cleaning and preserving the cannons at Fort Sumter NPS photos/K. Williams
This isn’t just a history lesson. It’s an experience.
Carolina Day 2026 commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Sullivan’s Island — right where it happened.
Bring the kids. Hear the cannons. Meet living historians. Stand where history was made.
June 27–28 at Fort Moultrie. Let’s raise the next generation of park lovers.
#CarolinaDay #FamilyFun #SC250 #CharlestonWithKids
Park preservationists and our new volunteer, a student at the American College of Building Arts, are preparing to work on the historic powder magazine at Fort Moultrie.
This large powder magazine is part of the original 1809 construction. It held hundreds of barrels of gun powder, which needed special care to remain useable in the humid conditions on Sullivan’s Island. The Preservation team is currently in the process of preparing a fresh coat of protective sealing for the historic bricks. This will protect the bricks and keep the area looking sharp!
#historicpreservation #acba #nationalparkservice @acba_charleston
Images: On a bright sunny day, smiling park staff and a volunteer wearing an American College of Building Arts t shirt apply coatings to light colored bricks to prepare the walls for painting. NPS/ K. Roberson
We have the high ground! Well, maybe we don't.
We're actually in the Lowcountry, and our lack of high ground means we are prone to severe weather during hurricane season.
Come to the park side but be sure to be prepared for severe weather and other potential hazards this season.
Hurricane season starts on June 1st, so get prepared with these safety tips:
Stay safe and May the 4th be with you, always!
#Maythe4th #StarWars #NationalParkService #hurricaneseason #Cometotheparkside
Image: A flat hat rests on a stone wall with a galaxy image in the background NPS Image/R. Claussen
On June 28, 1776, British forces began their attack on the unfinished fort at Sullivan’s Island.
Nine Royal Navy ships, commanded by Commodore Sir Peter Parker, entered Charleston Harbor and opened fire around 10:30 am. Cannonballs rained down on the fort, where the 2nd and 4th South Carolina Infantries returned fire with just 31 cannons against more than 270 British guns. An 8 to 1 disadvantage!
Despite the intensity of the bombardment, the fort held—it's palmetto log walls absorbing the impact like a sponge. Many cannonballs either sank into the sand or bounced right off the logs.
At the same time, British General Henry Clinton attempted to advance from the southern end of present-day Isle of Palms. His troops crossed toward Sullivan’s Island in small boats but were met by Patriot forces under Colonel William “Danger” Thomson. After heavy resistance from nearly 800 defenders, Clinton’s men were forced to withdraw.
By the end of the day, the British had not taken the fort.
Stay tuned for Part IV of the Battle of Sullivan's Island series in May to learn how this historic battle concluded.
Photo Description: Colorized portrait Commodore Sir Peter Parker standing in front of a cannon. Portrait by Lemuel Francis Abbott 1799.
Photo Description: Painting depicting the Battle of Sullivan’s Island by James Peale. The British warships fire upon the unfinished fort made of palmetto logs and sand.
#battleofsullivansisland #americanrevolution #250thanniversary #nationalparkservice
Update: The closing date for this position has been extended to April 30, 2026. Good luck!
Do you have great organizational skills? 📝🖇
Want to work for the National Park Service? 🌞🌲
Join our team!
Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie is hiring a Seasonal Administrative Support Assistant. Candidate duties span a broad range of administrative work including greeting office visitors, preparing correspondence and completing time and attendance using software.
For more information and to apply, please visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/job/865454800
This position will close on April 23, 2026, get your application in now!
Image: A park ranger hat sits on a cement wall in front of a brick fort, grassy areas and large trees. NPS/S. Scott
#nationalparkservice #charleston #fortsumterandfortmoultrienationalhistoricalpark
On April 14, 1865, a celebration was planned at Fort Sumter.
People -- including US soldiers, abolitionist speakers, freedmen, and civilians – gathered to witness a ceremony, the raising of the US flag over the fort. Four years ago, the flag had been lowered as Confederates occupied the fort. The guest of honor was retired US Brevet Major General Robert Anderson who returned with the same flag from 1861 to raise it over the heavily damaged fort. At an evening dinner, Major General Anderson led a toast to the health of President Lincoln, who had sent one of his secretaries to the ceremony.
That very night at Ford’s Theater in Washington, President Lincoln was shot and mortally wounded by John Wilkes Booth, a supporter of the Confederacy. Anderson’s ceremonious return to Fort Sumter was overshadowed by this national tragedy.
Ford's Theatre National Historic Site
#FortSumter #OTD
Image: Historic print of the assassination of President Lincoln. The four seated figures in the image are Major Henry Rathbone, Lincoln, Mary Todd Lincoln, and Clara Harris, while assassin Booth fires a gun behind Lincoln’s chair. Courtesy of Library of Congress
#onthisday April 12, 1861, Confederate forces fired on #fortsumter in South Carolina’s Charleston Harbor, igniting the Civil War.
@ftsumternps historian Richard Hatcher talked about the battle in this portion of a 2011 @cspanhistory program.
#history #americanhistory #civilwar
On April 12, 1861, Confederate Captain George S. James had received orders to fire on the United States soldiers at Fort Sumter. Instead of taking the shot himself, James offered a visiting secessionist politician, Virginian Roger Pryor, the honor. Pryor’s response, however, was very simple: “I could not fire the first gun of the war.”
Despite being a committed secessionist, who hoped that his home state of Virginia would join in the new Confederacy, he could not bring himself to do it.
As a Virginian, Pryor was still a US citizen whose home state had not yet seceded. It wouldn’t be until 15 days after the first shot was fired at Fort Sumter that Virginia’s ordinance of secession would be approved. Pryor’s hesitation is a reminder that the decision to fire on Fort Sumter would soon change the lives of millions of people, North and South.
#FortSumter #OTD #CivilWar165
Image: Confederate forces bombard the US-held Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861. Harper's Weekly 1861, courtesy Library of Congress
