Charleston Tours and That Crescent on the State Flag –What’s That All About?

When visitors tour Charleston, there is always an interest in our beautiful South Carolina state flag. On my Charleston walking tours, I always point out the flag and use it as a teaching tool.

Its Palmetto tree and crescent moon look like a designer logo welcoming visitors to beautiful sandy beaches and nights with dreamy Carolina moons. Visitors love learning that palmetto logs were purposely used to erect a harbor defense during the Revolutionary War. Dubbed Fort Sullivan, our Patriots won the day on June 28,1776 because the palmetto log walls absorbed the powerful onslaught of the British navy. The cannon balls were absorbed or deflected by the spongy wood which held through the battle. This gave the Patriots, under command of Major William Moultrie, the decisive edge needed  to repulse the enemy. This victory was the first decisive victory in the Revolutionary War of an American force over  a British land and sea force. At a time when the War was at a standstill in the north, victory at Charles Towne was huge. The battle standard that flew over the fort was a deep blue field with a crescent in the top left corner, and the word Liberty splayed boldly across the center.

The Moultrie Flag

For this reason , the palmetto tree emerged as the symbol of liberty in South Carolina.  In 1832 South Carolina first attempted to leave the Union, an event called the Nullification Crisis. Caroline Gilman, wife of the Unitarian minister and a noted author, wrote a friend in Philadelphia that Palmetto trees were being planted up and down the streets!  The state flag continues Moultrie’s theme of the blue background and the crescent, but replaced the “Liberty” with the Palmetto tree. Adopted in 1860, the flag has remained essentially the same over time

But the crescent is a constant. Chosen by William Moultrie for his battle standard, there is an old story that goes with it. The fanciful story goes that Moultrie was challenged to a duel as a young man, and the choice of weapons was swords. Prepared for battle, Moultrie wore a gorget plate that literally saved his neck when his opponent went to slice off his head. Forever his lucky charm, he placed the gorget on his flag.

A gorget is a metal plate  worn around the neck as a defensive armor piece. It is  designed to deflect sword blows to the neck and shoulder. Never manipulated by hand or used to attack an enemy, its purpose comes into play only when the enemy has bested you to the point of having an opening to take your head. One might think that William Moultrie would play down this scenario if such were the case. No, I modestly put forth that the crescent  has a different meaning.

After all, the crescent was adopted by no less than five South Carolina Patriot militia units in 1775 well before the Battle of Fort Moultrie and the Moultrie flag. Moultrie’s use of the crescent joined his unit with others that had previously chosen it as the Revolution ramped up.

What made the crescent so special to rally the troops? Some might claim that Moultrie was so popular and famous that his symbol carried over. But this symbol was adopted before Moultrie by other militias. Was Moultrie that famous by 1775? Colonial militias units often designed their flags with elements of English heraldry including shields, broad axes, bundled arrows and the mace. Armored helmets and eagles also figure prominently. They depict  offensive weapons or chivalric symbols of bravery and aggression. These were largely abandoned by Patriot militia and Continental Army units. Yet the crescent is unique to our flag and unique to our state.

Many assert that the crescent symbolizes a gorget. Webster defines the gorget as

1

:  a piece of armor protecting the throat

2

a :  an ornamental collar

b :  a part of a wimple covering the throat and shoulders

c :  a specially colored patch on the throat

Gorget as body armor

This illustration of a medieval gorget in no way resembles the crescent found on the state flag. It is a a piece of body armor worn by knights of old, appropriate for a jousting tournament. The crescent does resemble the necklace/ ornamental collar worn by George Washington as part of a formal dress uniform. Here we see George Washington  depicted wearing a gorget.

Washington in formal dress uniform after French and Indian War

So I ask the question, why was this crescent symbol chosen to rally the troops? Flags are designed to rally the troops to acts of bravery and patriotism. Spears and  arrows, of course, but a necklace???? Why the gorget?

I put forth the idea that the gorget as we know it is a symbol from English Heraldry. It is the symbol of the second sons. The probable explanation why we find George Washington sporting the gorget is that his grandfather, Lawrence Washington, was the first of his family to settle in Virginia. He was the second son of Lawrence Washington, an Anglican vicar.

In English Heraldry, the symbol of the Second Sons is the Crescent. Adopted at the time of the Crusades, the eldest son stayed home and oversaw his holdings while the Second Sons ventured to Palestine seeking glory and treasure. They brought back the Islamic Crescent as their proud symbol. A simple Google search for “English Heraldry second sons” immediately brings up the gorget as worn by George Washington .  http://www.rarebooks.nd.edu/digital/heraldry/cadency.html

Similarly, many early settlers to South Carolina were second and third sons. The Law of Primogenitor left entire estates to the eldest sons. Younger siblings might practice law, enter the military or engage in trade. For those who loved the land, their destiny would be planting. Huge fortunes were made in one generation off tobacco in Virginia and sugar cane in the West Indies. It was possible for a young adventurer with a passion for planting to establish himself in the New World as landed gentry with an estate sometimes equal or greater than that of his elder brother. Generous land grants attracted second sons to Carolina.

It is the same symbol used by South Carolina militias by 1775 and later adopted by Moultrie.  So we can put this argument to rest. South Carolina was settled by second sons who prospered, fought and died while  establishing their legacy in the rich lands of Carolina. Their symbol displays prominently on our flag along with the symbol of South Carolina Liberty, the Palmetto tree.

She’s a grand old flag!

Charleston Old Walled City Tours offers guided tours  daily and by appointment. Check out our webpage at www.walledcitytours.com or call us at 843 343 4851.