The Charleston Museum will display three rare Revolutionary War-era artifacts for one day only on June 27th (9:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.), in commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Sullivan’s Island, now known as Carolina Day. All three items are on loan from the South Carolina Department of Archives and History and are associated with the Battle of Sullivan’s Island. The items can be viewed with Museum admission.
The items include:
South Carolina State Seal, 1776: On April 2, 1776, the South Carolina General Assembly authorized the design of a “Great Seal” for the state, but it was not produced until the early fall of 1776. William Henry Drayton was responsible for the design on the obverse (front), inspired by the Patriot victory at the Battle of Sullivan’s Island. It depicts a palmetto on the shore, representing the fort, and a blasted oak, representing oak-timbered British ships. The reverse (back) of the seal, designed by Arthur Middleton, depicts the Roman goddess Spes (Hope) walking on the beach at dawn over discarded weapons with a laurel blossom in her hand.
Jacob Milligan. Account Audited (File No. 5259) of Claims Growing Out of the American Revolution, ca. 1788: In 1788, Jacob Milligan wrote to the legislature to request a position as either harbor master or lighthouse keeper, outlining his service as a naval captain during the Revolutionary War. During the Battle of Sullivan’s Island, he led a small crew aboard the British frigate Actaeon, firing her guns on other British ships and escaping with supplies before the ship was destroyed.
Rutledge Celebrates Victory at Sullivan’s Island, September 19, 1776: Following the British defeat at Sullivan’s Island, President John Rutledge issued a “Tribute of Applause” on September 19, 1776. In this speech, recorded in the Journal of the General Assembly, he celebrated the Patriots’ victory against the British and denounced the Cherokee attacks against settlers on the western frontier of the state, which came within days of the battle in Charleston Harbor.
The Charleston Museum is located at 360 Meeting Street.