Fort Moultrie National Monument Lapel Pin

On June 28, 1776, nine British Royal Navy warships entered Charleston Harbor in an attempt to capture one of the wealthiest cities in the ''New World''. All that stood in their way was an incomplete fort built of palmetto tree logs. Colonel William Moultrie and his 400 men with only 30 cannons fought a day-long battle that ended with heavily damaged British ships being driven from the area. This decisive American victory galvanized the Patriot's cause for independence.

Fort Moultrie played a major role in the wars to come for a young United States of America. This fort played an important role in the first battle of the American Civil War and also the defense of Charleston Harbor during the rest of the Civil War. It was decommissioned in 1947, ending 171 years in the defense of Charleston Harbor.