The Union times. [volume] (Union, S.C.) 1894-1918, 1899-03-24
tn; PALMETTO FLAG.
(Abbevi!!e Meiium.)

.... (ADDevl!le vi Mc1lum.
The recent attempt on the part of
Hoa. Thomas w. Bacut, of Charles
ton, to have the Culor OF the State flag
changed ftom blue to purple, 81 fortuu
ate conversation 1 mad about that time
with friend, AMI q personal Ielues;
from very charming Daughter Of
the R,volu.ion,' have, taken together,
determined me t. undertake sketco
Of our State flag.
The present State flag of South Car
olina was designed by Colocel VII
liam Moultric, aiterwN ris Major Gen
erai Moultrie. in l1I5. la the ii,s!
volume of his "Memoirs,' page 80,
General Moultrie says:
"a little time attcr we were in pos
session Of Fort johuson 1T was thought
necessary t, have flag for the puI-.
pose of signals, rs there was no natlon-I
al or state flag ut that time, | was
desired by the council ofsaiety to have
one made, upoa which, as the state
troops were clothed i'll blue, and the
fort was garrisoned by tie first regi-
meats, who wore Il silver crescent on
the front of their caps, |
IA | large blue flag made with a
crescent in the dexter corner, to be in
unfit rm with the troops. This was
the first american flag which was dis.
played in South Carolina
The following extract from Captain,
afterwards Brigadier General, Francis
Mar on's orderly book, l7715. viii be
found on page l04 of Gione's D3cu-
mentary History, l764 4-l116. and
shows that Colonel Moultrie had pre-
viousIy ordered his men OF the second
regiment to supply themselves with
blue uniforms:
"R gimenlaI orders by Col. Moul-
| tris
Livery officer TO provide himself
/ with Il blue coatee, faced and cufleu
! with scarlet, white buttons and white
! waistc"at anl breeches a pattern may
be seen at Mr.. Trezsyant's, also, Il cap
and black feather"
From The Flags Of the world
Their history, b'az>rry and Assnci
ations" by +. Edwlrt Huline, +. l..
5, f. 5. A, page So, we quote:
"Souh Carolina adopted the rattle
snake flag at the suggestion of one
Gadsden, delegate To the General
Congress Of the South Carolina Con-
vention in lT716. Ola yellow ground
was placed rattle snake, having
thirteen rattles, the reptile was coiled
ready to strike, and beneath was the
warning motto. "Don't tread on me-
The number thirteen had reference to
the thirteen revoited States, as it was
originally proposed that this nag
should be the navy flag Ter al the
states
AT the tmmenccment of any great
struggle by revolving people there is
often Il great variety ui uidcvi,ea. and il
is only after Ii while that such u mul
tipicity is e. be danger. Hence wt
find that prior TO the raitlssnake
South Carolina had, with ,qial en-.
thnsi ,siH, adopted the blue i,g with
the crescent moon
ain september, l775, Mpultrie, the
heroic defender or the fort which still
bears his name, devised this the first
flag of the State of South Carolina
the uniform of the South Carolina men
being blue, and some of the regiments
having "A silver crescent in their caps
but why they had the silver crescent
as badge no record seems to inform
us.
Who selected blue for the uniform:
o. the State troops, and why it was Sc
locted, | have not been able to ascer
tain, but have been told by one ot
the descen .an;s of the Moultries that
the silver crescent was part OF Gen
erai Moultrie's coatot~arms. But q
search of Burke's General ArmDrer o
England, Scotland anu Ireland edi
ton # 1914, discovers the arms of bu>
one MDuitrie, md the crescent appear,
nowhere thereon, though it is quite
likely that General Moultrie did Use
"A coat-Otarms bearing Il silver cres
cent thereon. as stated by his decend
at. After the battle in which Colon
el mouitrie's tort ropulsed the British
fl It Oh the 2S.h If June 1876, rut o1
,mplimoat - MOui rio palmetto
tree was paced in the ceAue Of tht
flag becausa the tort behind which
Mouitrle's regiment, the 2hd ,. L
Regulars, fought, was buill of Paimet
to ! gs.
The ,a.li,.uakp which Gen { (hris