Independent historian Chip Bragg commemorates the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Sullivan’s Island, where Maj. Gen. William Moultrie commanded a valiant defense of an unfinished log fort against a determined British naval attack at the entrance of Charleston harbor in South Carolina. Drawing from extensive research, this talk will provide an in-depth overview of the iconic battle—which occurred while the Continental Congress in Philadelphia considered a draft of the Declaration of Independence—and demonstrate how a garrison of South Carolinians proved that untested, but courageous, American soldiers could stand firm and prevail against British might at the outset of the American Revolution.
About the Speaker:
Chip Bragg, M.D., is a retired, board-certified anesthesiologist who resides in Thomasville, Georgia. He has authored several books, including: Crescent Moon over Carolina: William Moultrie and American Liberty (University of South Carolina Press, 2013), Martyr of the American Revolution: The Execution of Isaac Hayne, South Carolinian (University of South Carolina Press, 2017), Patriots in Exile: Charleston Rebels in St. Augustine during the American Revolution (University of South Carolina Press, 2020; coauthored with James Waring McCrady), along with numerous articles and chapters. He was the Carolina Day speaker in 2014 and 2020 and appeared on CSPAN’s Book TV in 2017 and 2018. Dr. Bragg has delivered presentations at Mount Vernon, in Washington, D.C., and various locations in South Carolina, including Charleston, Greenville, Columbia, Spartanburg, and Hilton Head. His Charleston venues include the Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park, the Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon, the Confederate Home, the Carolina Yacht Club for the Society of Colonial Wars, Hibernian Hall for the St. Andrew’s Society, and Middleton Place.