South Carolina Timeline

1776 Jun 28 Battle of Sullivan's Island
At around 9 AM, on June 28, the British fleet fired a signal gun to advance against the fort. Less than an hour later, the nine warships arrived at the fort. The Thunder and Friendship an...
1776 Jun 28 Carolina Day
Carolina Day is the day set aside to commemorate the first decisive victory of the American Revolutionary War. On June 28, 1776, a small band of Palmetto State patriots defeated the mi...
1779 Jun 20 Battle of Stono Ferry
The opening move in Britain's "southern strategy" to win control of its rebellious colonies in the American Revolutionary War was the December 1778 capture of Savannah, Georgia. This heig...
1780 May 29 Battle of Waxhaws
On May 29, 1780, Tarleton caught up with Buford in the Waxhaws, at a crossroads in what is now Buford, South Carolina. Governor Rutledge, alerted to Tarleton's advance, had already separa...
1780 Aug 6 Battle of Hanging Rock
Sumter decided on a plan of attack of assaulting the camp in three mounted detachments. The initial assault was made early in the morning where Winn's and Davie's men completely routed Br...
1780 Aug 16 Battle of Camden
Both armies advanced at each other just after dawn. The British troops opened the battle, when the right flank fired a volley into the militia regiments, causing a significant number of c...
1780 Oct 7 Battle of King's Mountain
The battle opened on October 7, 1780, around 3 pm when 900 Patriots (including John Crockett, the father of Davy Crockett), approached the steep base of King's Mountain at dawn. The rebel...
1781 Jan 17 Battle of Cowpens
Morgan's strategy worked perfectly. The British drove in successive lines, anticipating victory only to encounter another, stronger line after exerting themselves and suffering casualties...
1781 Apr 25 Battle of Hobkirk's Hill
On the morning of April 25, 1781, Rawdon was still under the impression that the Continental army was without its artillery. At approximately 9am he left the security of the Camden fortif...
1781 Sep 8 Battle of Eutaw Springs
The Battle of Eutaw Springs was a battle of the American Revolutionary War, the last engagement of the war in the Carolinas. On May 22, 1781, General Nathanael Greene of the Continenta...
1788 May 23 South Carolina Ratifies the US Constitution and is the 8th State Admitted to the Union
In Convention of the people of the state of South Carolina by their Representatives held in the city of Charleston on Monday the twelfth day of May and continued by divers Adjournments to...
1833 Jan 13 Andrew Jackson Opposes South Carolina's Feelings About Nullification
On January 13, 1833, President Andrew Jackson wrote Vice President Martin Van Buren expressing his opposition to South Carolina's defiance of federal authority. He closed with the assert...
1860 Dec 20 First State (South Carolina) Secedes from Union
On December 20, 1860, when it became clear that Lincoln would be the next president, South Carolina became the first state to declare its secession from the Union.
1861 Apr 12
4:30AM
 First Battle of Fort Sumter
On April 11, Beauregard sent three aides, Colonel James Chesnut, Jr., Captain Stephen D. Lee, and Lieutenant A. R. Chisolm to demand the surrender of the fort. Anderson declined, and the ...
1861 Nov 3
to 1861 Nov 7
 U.S. Navy Fleet and U.S. Army Expeditionary Force Capture Port Royal Sound at the Battle of Port Royal
The Battle of Port Royal was one of the earliest amphibious operations of the American Civil War, in which a United States Navy fleet and United States Army expeditionary force captured P...
1862 Jun 16 Battle of Secessionsville - Union Forces Fail to Capture Charleston, SC
The Battle of Secessionville (or the Battle of James Island) on June 16, 1862, was the defeat of the only Union attempt to capture Charleston, South Carolina, by land during the American ...
1862 Jun 21 Battle of Simmon's Bluff
Other Names: None Location: City of Charleston Campaign: Operations against Charleston (June 1862) Date(s): June 21, 1862 Principal Commanders: Lt. A.C. Rhind [US]; Col. James...
1863 Apr 7 First Battle of Charleston Harbor
The First Battle of Charleston Harbor was an engagement near Charleston, South Carolina that took place April 7 1863, during the American Civil War. The striking force was a fleet of nine...
1863 Jul 10
to 1863 Jul 11
 First Battle of Fort Wagner
Description: On July 10, Union artillery on Folly Island together with Rear Adm. John Dahlgren’s fleet of ironclads opened fire on Confederate defenses of Morris Island. The bombardment p...
1863 Jul 16 Battle of Grimball's Landing
Other Names: Secessionville, James Island Location: City of Charleston and James Island Campaign: Operations against Defenses of Charleston (1863) Date(s): July 16, 1863 Princ...
1863 Jul 18 Second Battle of Fort Wagner
Description:After the July 11 assault on Fort Wagner failed, Gillmore reinforced his beachhead on Morris Island. At dusk July 18, Gillmore launched an attack spearheaded by the 54th Massa...
1863 Aug 17
to 1863 Sep 7
 Second Battle of Charleston Harbor
Description: During the night of September 6-7, Confederate forces evacuated Fort Wagner and Battery Gregg pressured by advancing Federal siegeworks. Federal troops then occupied all of M...
1863 Aug 17
to 1863 Sep 9
 Second Battle of Fort Sumter - Federals Launch Massive Bombardment and Naval Attack on Fort Sumter
Description: Federal batteries erected on Morris Island opened fire on August 17 and continued their bombardment of Fort Sumter and the Charleston defenses until August 23. Despite a seve...
1864 Nov Battle of Honey Hill
Description: Leaving Hilton Head on November 28, a Union expeditionary force under Maj. Gen. John P. Hatch steamed up the Broad River in transports to cut the Charleston & Savannah Railro...
1865 Feb 3 Battle of Rivers' Bridge
Description:On February 2, a Confederate force under McLaws held the crossings of the Salkehatchie River against the advance of the right wing of Sherman’s Army. Federal soldiers began bu...
1865 May 1 Battle of Anderson
The Battle of Anderson was a minor skirmish during the American Civil War, fought in Anderson County, South Carolina, on May 1, 1865. The battle was one of the final conflicts of the war,...
1886 Aug 31 Charleston Earthquake of 1886
This is the most damaging earthquake to occur in the Southeast United States and one of the largest historic shocks in Eastern North America. It damaged or destroyed many buildings in the...
1945 Jul 12 Eastern Airlines Flight 45 Collides with a USAFF A-26 Invader Bomber
Eastern Air Lines Flight 45 was in straight flight and letting down at approximately 200 feet per minute toward Columbia, SC. At the same time a US Army Douglas A-26C-35-DT Invader plane ...
1954 Oct 5
to 1954 Oct 18
 Hurricane Hazel
Leaving a death toll in Hati of more than 200 and an injured list of at least 500, according to unofficial reports reaching here, Hurricane Hazel moved toward the island of Mayaguana in t...
2009 Jun 24 Governor Mark Sanford (R-SC) Admits to Extramarital Affair
"As I mentioned in our last visit, while I did not need love fifteen years ago — as the battle scars of life and aging and politics have worn on this has become a real need of mine. You ha..." —Mark Sanford
2009 Jun 25 The Spartanburg Herald-Journal Calls on Governor Mark Sanford to Resign
(CNN) — A day after Mark Sanford admitted to an extramarital affair, one South Carolina newspaper is calling on the state's governor to resign. "Mark Sanford cannot navigate a deep and...