The Charleston Museum will unveil a remarkable Revolutionary War document for the first time as part of its major special exhibition, Ringleaders of Rebellion: Charleston in Revolt, 1775–1783, on view now through September 20, 2026. Among the exhibition’s highlights is the original logbook of the HMS Bristol, which will be displayed publicly for the first time in Charleston from June 13 through Sept. 20, 2026, on loan from the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London.
The logbook offers a rare, firsthand account of life aboard one of the British Royal Navy’s most significant ships during the American Revolutionary War. Often described as a ship’s diary, such logbooks documented daily voyages, conditions at sea, and notable events, frequently including personal observations by officers and, at times, charts or illustrations.
Commissioned in 1768 and constructed between 1771-75, the Bristol was a 50-gun fourth-rate warship built as part of the Royal Navy’s effort to project power across the Atlantic. During the Battle of Sullivan’s Island, the Bristol served as the flagship of Commodore Sir Peter Parker and played a central role in the British assault. The ship endured heavy fire from the American fort on Sullivan’s Island during the battle, and every man serving on the quarterdeck was either killed or wounded, including Captain John Morris, who died a few days after. The logbook recorded “Captain Morris lost his right arm in the engagement.”
The failed British attack on Sullivan’s Island on June 28, 1776—a pivotal moment in the war— is now commemorated annually as Carolina Day. The American victory marked a significant early turning point in the war in the south and helped secure Charleston’s place in the Revolutionary story.
“Pieces like the HMS Bristol logbook help make the Revolutionary era tangible and immediate for modern audiences,” said Carl Borick, director of The Charleston Museum. “It is an honor to present an object so closely tied to one of the most defining moments in Charleston’s history. This logbook has not been in Charleston’s waters since the Royal Navy warships that participated in the Battle of Sullivan’s Island sailed away 250 years ago this August so it is particularly significant to now include it in this exhibition.”
Ringleaders of Rebellion explores Charleston and the Lowcountry’s pivotal role in the American Revolution, tracing the region’s transformation from early resistance to British authority through the trials of occupation and ultimately to the triumph of independence. Through compelling artifacts, immersive storytelling, and fresh scholarship, the exhibition highlights the individuals, events, and ideas that made Charleston a center of revolutionary activity and shaped the course of the nation’s founding.
“Because the HMS Bristol was directly involved in the 1776 attack on Sullivan’s Island, this logbook is deeply connected to Charleston’s story,” said British Consul General, Rachel Galloway. “There is no better place to debut the logbook in Charleston than at America’s First Museum. As stewards of this remarkable document, we believe its greatest value lies in allowing people to encounter the Revolutionary era through the words recorded at the moment events unfolded.”
Ringleaders of Rebellion is sponsored by the South Carolina American Revolution Sestercentennial Commission, the Therblig Foundation, the Post and Courier Foundation, the John M. Rivers, Jr. Foundation, and the Henry & Sylvia Yaschik Foundation.
The exhibit is included with admission to the Museum. For professional photographs of the logbook to use commercially, reach out to images@rmg.co.uk or (+44) (0) 2083126631 / 6704.