Conflicts & Resolutions · Battle

Battle of Sullivan's Island

28 June 1776 · 18th century · Part of the American Revolutionary War

The Battle of Sullivan's Island was fought on 28 June 1776, when a British fleet under Sir Peter Parker attacked the unfinished palmetto-log fort on Sullivan's Island guarding Charleston harbour. The spongy palmetto logs absorbed the cannon fire, and the defenders under William Moultrie badly damaged the ships, forcing the British to withdraw. The fort was renamed Fort Moultrie, and the palmetto became a symbol of South Carolina.

Battle of Sullivan's Island
Image: Johannes Oertel · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Province of South Carolina

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Battle of Sullivan's Island. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/battle-of-sullivans-island
MLA
“Battle of Sullivan's Island.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/battle-of-sullivans-island. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Battle of Sullivan's Island.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/battle-of-sullivans-island.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Battle of Sullivan's Island’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/battle-of-sullivans-island (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻