SOUTH CAROLINA HALL OF FAME Teacher Guide Brig. General William Moultrie South Carolina Social Studies Standards Brig. General William Moultrie The American Revolution (all 3) Topics include: Rice & Indigo farmer, SC Legislative Assembly, SC Militia, Battle of Sullivan's Island/Fort Moultrie, Governor of SC, Moving of the capital, Design of the state flag 3-3: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the American Revolution and South Carolina's role in the development of the new American nation. 3-3.3 - Summarize the course of the American Revolution in South Carolina, including the role of William Jasper and Fort Moultrie, the occupation of Charles Town by the British, the partisan warfare of Thomas Sumter, Andrew Pickens, and Francis Marion, and the battles of Cowpens, Kings Mountain, and Eutaw Springs. 3-3.4 - Summarize the effects of the American Revolution, including the establishment of state and national governments. Standard 8-2:. The student will demonstrate an understanding of the causes of the American Revolution and the beginnings of the new nation, with an emphasis on South Carolina's role in the development of that nation. 8-2.5 - Summarize the role of South Carolinians in the course of the American Revolution, including the use of partisan warfare and the battles of Charleston, Camden, Cowpens, Kings Mountain, and Eutaw Springs. 8-2.6 - Explain the role of South Carolinians in the establishment of their new state government and the national government after the American Revolution. Standard 8-3: The student will demonstrate an understanding of South Carolina's role in the development of the new national government. 8-3.1 - Explain the tensions between the Upcountry and the Lowcountry of South Carolina, including their economic struggles after the Revolutionary War, their disagreement over representation in the General Assembly, the location of the new capital, and the transformation of the state's economy. 2 Biographies Brig. General William Moultrie “William Moultrie (November 23, 1730 – September 27, 1805) was a planter and politician who became a general from South Carolina in the American Revolutionary War. As colonel leading a state militia, in 1776 he prevented the British from taking Charleston, andFort Moultrie was named in his honor. After independence, he advanced as a politician; Moultrie was elected by the legislature twice over a period of years as Governor of South Carolina (1785–87, 1792– 94), serving two terms. (The state constitution kept power in the hands of the legislature and prohibited governors' serving two terms in succession.)” From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Moultri e Early Life: 1730-1776 William Moultrie was born in Charleston, South Carolina on November 23, 1730. His father, a prominant physician, had come from England in 1728. He lived on a plantation in St. John's Berkeley County. In 1749, he married Elizabeth Demaris de St. Julien. After her death, he would marry Hannah Motte Lynch. Moultrie rose to prominance after serving as a militia Captain in the Cherokee expedition under Lt. Colonel James Grant in 1761. Even though William Moultrie was a political moderate, when the Revolution came, he joined the rebellion. He was elected to the 1st Continental Congress in 3 1774, but did not serve. On June 17, 1775, he was given the commission of Colonel in the 2nd South Carolina Regiment. Fort Sullivan: June 28, 1776 In 1776, William Moultrie was second-in-command of Charleston, South Carolina's defenses. He was charged with construction of Fort Sullivan, which had been planned out in January 1776. Moultrie did not have stone available to construct the walls, so he used palmetto logs to build two parallel walls sixteen feet apart and filled in the gap with sand. At the time of the British arrival on June 2nd, only the south and east walls were complete. The new Southern Department Commander, Maj. General Charles Leearrived a couple of days later on June 4th. General Lee inspected the incomplete fort and felt that it should not be defended, but South Carolina Governor John Rutledge overruled him. Moultrie himself was also confident in the fort's capability. Meanwhile, Maj. General Henry Clinton landed on the adjacent Long Island, planning to ford the two islands and attack Fort Sullivan from that direction, but he was having difficulty crossing over. Moultrie ordered fortifications built there, so that even sending troops across by the few boats he had was now out of the question. At 11:00 A.M., on June 28, 1776, Commodore Peter Parker began his bombardment of the fort with around 100 guns and the Battle of Fort Sullivan had begun. When three ships attempted to move into the harbor west of the fort, they got stuck on a shoal. Moultrie began a steady reply with his guns. The fort itself withstood the assault thanks to the spongy palmetto logs and the sand, which absorbed the cannon balls. Under his command that day were Lieutenant Thomas Sumter and Major Francis Marion. When General Lee visited the fort during the action, he was pleasantly surprised with how well the fort was withstanding the assault. The action ended at 9:30 P.M. and the beaten British ships slipped away at 11:00 P.M. Revolutionary War: 1776-1782 When word of Moultrie's stout defense of Charleston reached the other colonies, it gave the rebels new hope in their cause. Moultrie became a national hero. However, his easygoing manner allowed some criticism to begin that he had been somewhat derelict in his preparations. This criticism would continue. On September 16, 1777, Moultrie was commissioned a Brigadier General in the Continental Army. However, he did not participate in 4 any significant field opperations until after the British capture of Savannah, Georgia on December 29, 1778. Under Southern Commander Maj. General Benjamin Lincoln, Brig. General Moultrie was given a measure of independence of command. He commanded at Beaufort (Port Royal Island), South Carolina on February 3, 1779 where he defeated 200 British troops. This defeat discouraged Colonel (later Maj. General) Augustine Prevost from pursuing operations north into South Carolina until May 1779. Moultrie helped organize Charleston's defenses when General Prevost threatened the city on May 11-12, 1779. Moultrie was involved in the American defeat at Stono Ferry, South Carolina on June 20, 1779. He was again elected to the Continental Congress, but declined to serve. In 1780, Moultrie was captured following the Siege of Charleston on May 12, 1780 and remained imprisoned for the next two years. He was exchanged for Maj. General John Burgoyne in February 1782. On October 15, he was promoted to Major General, the last such appointment of the war to that grade. After the Revolutionary War (1782-1805) Following the war, Willliam Moultrie was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in 1783. In 1784, he served as Lieutenant Governor. He was then elected governor for a two-year term in 1785. While governor, he created the county court system and the capital was moved from Charleston to Columbia in 1786. He was elected to the State Senate in 1787. He was elected to his second two-year term as governor in 1792. He retired from public office 1794. In 1802, his Memoirs of the American Revolution were published in two volumes. Moultrie died in Charleston on September 27, 1805. He was interred at Windsor Hill Plantation. Fort Sullivan was renamed Fort Moultrie in his honor. From http://www.patriotresource.com/amerrev/people/patriots/moultrie.html William Moultrie was an American Revolutionary general, born in Charles Town, SC. He fought against the Native Americans (1761) and served in the colonial assembly before the advent of the American Revolution. In June of 1776, his gallant defense of a small fort on Sullivans Island (later named Fort Moultrie in his honor) prevented Sir Henry Clinton and Sir Peter Parker from taking Charlestown. Even Moultrie's skill failed to prevent the fall of Savannah, Georgia to the British in 1778. He was captured in the Fall of Charlestown to the British in May of 1780 and remained a prisoner until mid-1782. 5 After the war he served twice as governor of South Carolina (1785-1787 and 1795-1797). He wrote his "Memoirs of the Revolution as Far as It Related to the States of North and South Carolina" in 1802. From http://www.carolana.com/SC/Governors/wmoultrie.html 6 Timeline Brig. General William Moultrie 1730 (Birth) - William Moultrie was born in Charleston, South Carolina on November 23, 1730. His father, a prominent physician, had come from England in 1728. He lived on a plantation in St. John's Berkeley County. 1749 – 1761 - In 1749, he married Elizabeth Demaris de St. Julien. After her death, he would marry Hannah Motte Lynch. Moultrie rose to prominence after serving as a militia Captain in the Cherokee expedition under Lt. Colonel James Grant in 1761. 1774 – 1775 - Even though William Moultrie was a political moderate, when the Revolution came, he joined the rebellion. He was elected to the 1st Continental Congress in 1774, but did not serve. On June 17, 1775, he was given the commission of Colonel in the 2nd South Carolina Regiment. 1776 – 1782 - Fort Sullivan: June 28, 1776. In 1776, William Moultrie was second-in-command of Charleston, South Carolina's defenses. He was charged with construction of Fort Sullivan, which had been planned out in January 1776. Moultrie did not have stone available to construct the walls, so he used palmetto logs to build two parallel walls sixteen feet apart and filled in the gap with sand. When word of Moultrie's stout defense of Charleston reached the other colonies, it gave the rebels new hope in their cause.