Fort Moultrie

Rodman Guns
These post-Civil War cannon in
Fort Moultrie remind visitors that
the fort was an important part of
America's coastal defenses from
1775 to 1945.

Where the Civil War Began
Originally planned to assist each
other, Forts Moultrie and Sumter
fought it out across the entrance
to Charleston Harbor in the first
battle of the Civil War.

There are few places in America
with the historic significance of old
Fort Moultrie.

Numerous forts have stood on this
site, but perhaps the most
significant was a seemingly frail
half-finished wall of palmetto logs
and sand built here at the
beginning of the American
Revolution. Attacked by the British
in 1775, the fort proved stronger
than steel when the enemy cannon
balls sank into the soft palmetto
logs instead of splintering them.

The British finally gave up and sailed away and a South Carolina legend was born.
To this day, the state's flag still bears the symbol of the palmetto emblazoned on the
blue banner and crescent of the original Fort Moultrie flag.

The fort also played a significant role during the Civil War, when Confederate
gunners here took part in the first battle of the war by engaging Union soldiers in
nearby Fort Sumter. The two forts are today part of the same national park and both
can be toured year-round.

Fort Moultrie preserves the remains of fortifications dating from the American
Revolution through World War II. The fort is on Sullivan's Island at the entrance to
Charleston Harbor.