South Carolina Flag History - Genealogy Trails

South Carolina Flag's
South Carolina Genealogy Trails
Many flag's have flown throughout South Carolina. Below you will find some of those flags and little bit about their history.

South Carolina state flag adopted 28 January 1861

South Carolina Sovereignty Flag. It was an inspiration for the Confederate flag in its later form. This is a version of an early flag raised over South Carolina shortly after its secession from the Union in 1860 (supposedly raised over Yale University by sympathizers).

The day after South Carolina seceded a red flag, with two tails, a large white star and an upside down crescent moon at the top by the flag staff was raised over the Charleston Custom House. It then spread to other cities as a symbol of secession. Needless to say with the adoption of the South Carolina National Flag it had a brief life. The original flag was 68" x 92". It was subsequently flown on the CSS Dixie.

Asked by the Revolutionary Council of Safety in the fall of 1775 to design a flag for the use of South Carolina troops, Col. William Moultrie chose a blue which matched the color of their uniforms and a crescent which reproduced the silver emblem worn on the front of their caps. The palmetto tree was added later to represent Moultrie's heroic defense of the palmetto-log fort on Sullivan's Island against the attack of the British fleet on June 28, 1776.

The official South Carolina state flag was adopted 26 January 1861 by Dave Martucci. But on 25 January 1861, the Senate requested that the flag should be amended as follows, “Red, with Palmetto of natural color upright in centre – Blue Union with increscent thereon”. The House refused to support this amendment thus a Joint Committee of Conference was formed to resolve the dispute. This committee consisted of members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. On 26 January they recommended that the flag should be “blue, with a golden palmetto upright upon a white oval in the centre thereof, and a white increscent in the upper flag-staff corner of the flag.” Two days later, the House tabled a resolution proposed by Representative Read, who had served on the Conference Committee for the House, that the “white medallion and golden Palmetto” be replaced by “a white Palmetto.” The Senate agreed. On 28 January 1861, the short-lived Republic of South Carolina adopted its national flag, consisting of a white crescent and white palmetto on a blue field. When South Carolina entered the Confederate States of America on 8 February 1861, this became the pattern for the state flag, and remains to the present day.

On 26 January 1861 the State’s legislature adopted this flag with ' a golden Palmetto, upright.' On 28 January this was modified to a simple white palmetto tree on a dark blue field. Other information suggests from one to three days.

Palametto Guard Flag
With the entry of the victorious Confederate troops into Fort Sumter Private John S. Byrd, hung the militia unit banner of the Palmetto Guard over the wall facing Charleston. The original is now on display at Fort Sumter having stayed in Byrd's family until it was donated to the National Park Service in 1979. The same, or similar flags were raised, so The 'Charleston Mercury' tell us, at the 'South Carolina Railroad Depot' and at the offices of 'Messrs E. Lafitte and Company' on Savannah Packet wharf. J.O. Foster stated 'that on Fort Moultrie is a white field with a green palmetto tree and a red star in the corner. ' Some of the similar flags had no star, and as other States succeeded some added additional stars.

A Secession Flag?
This flag now resides in the Texas State Library and Archives. Here it awaits conservation. The crescent moon, like the single star, was a symbol popular in the South, especially in South Carolina and Louisiana.

Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina
I was unable to find a larger version of this flag.

Charleston County, South Carolina
Charleston's city hall flies the Stars & Stripes, the State flag, and the flag to the left. The flag is blue with the city seal in the center. The seal has "Aedes Mores Juraque Curat" written on the upper part of the inside circle and " Civitatis Regimine Donata A.D. 1783" along the lower section of the circle. A female figure sits in the middle of the circle with her right arm outstretched to 'the city' with the words " Carolopolis Condita A. D. 1670 (the year the city was founded).

Dillon County, South Carolina

Florence County, South Carolina

"WALHALLA — James M. Brown Elementary School ran the new Oconee County flag up the flagpole Thursday — and it got a salute from the Raven Rock Dancers of Cherokee, N.C. Traditional Cherokee dancers were part of a presentation of the first public flying of the new flag that features the new county seal created in 2003. The flag’s design has the Cherokee symbols for land, water and the red circle of life. Oconee means land beside the waters, according to some experts. The five rivers represented on the flag include the Chattooga, Chauga, Keowee, Seneca and Tugaloo.

This flag with the motto "VITA POTIOR LIBERTAS,"('Liberty rather than life') with the year "1775" just above the ribbon.
Sgt. Jasper, who had saved the Crescent Flag at Sullivan's Island, fell, carrying this flag at Savannah. Col. Moultrie first led this regiment, and Francis Marion, the 'Swamp Fox,' commanded it at Savannah."

This flag is listed as "The Eutaw Standard of Colonel William Washington's Cavalry," is described as "all crimson." The narrative of the flag says:
"Colonel Washington spent an hour with the fair Jane Elliott before the campaign through Eutaw and the Cowpens. She [said she] would await news of the triumph of his flag. 'But I have no flag,' he said. 'Then I'll give you one!' she replied, and cut a square of brocade from a curtain. It later flew at their wedding."

South Carolina Navy Flag
"The flag of the South Carolina navy" during the American Revolution. The flag is essentially the same as the Continental Naval jack, with the motto "DONT TREAD ON ME" appearing on the second red stripe from the top, and "joining stripes of Scotland's blue and England's red."

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South Carolina state flag adopted 28 January 1861 South Carolina Sovereignty Flag. It was an inspiration for the Confederate flag in its later form. This is a version of an early flag raised over South Carolina shortly after its secession from the Union in 1860 (supposedly raised over Yale University by sympathizers). The day after South Carolina seceded a red flag, with two tails, a large white star and an upside down crescent moon at the top by the flag staff was raised over the Charleston Custom House. It then spread to other cities as a symbol of secession. Needless to say with the adoption of the South Carolina National Flag it had a brief life. The original flag was 68" x 92". It was subsequently flown on the CSS Dixie.	Asked by the Revolutionary Council of Safety in the fall of 1775 to design a flag for the use of South Carolina troops, Col. William Moultrie chose a blue which matched the color of their uniforms and a crescent which reproduced the silver emblem worn on the front of their caps. The palmetto tree was added later to represent Moultrie's heroic defense of the palmetto-log fort on Sullivan's Island against the attack of the British fleet on June 28, 1776. The official South Carolina state flag was adopted 26 January 1861 by Dave Martucci. But on 25 January 1861, the Senate requested that the flag should be amended as follows, “Red, with Palmetto of natural color upright in centre – Blue Union with increscent thereon”. The House refused to support this amendment thus a Joint Committee of Conference was formed to resolve the dispute. This committee consisted of members of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. On 26 January they recommended that the flag should be “blue, with a golden palmetto upright upon a white oval in the centre thereof, and a white increscent in the upper flag-staff corner of the flag.” Two days later, the House tabled a resolution proposed by Representative Read, who had served on the Conference Committee for the House, that the “white medallion and golden Palmetto” be replaced by “a white Palmetto.” The Senate agreed. On 28 January 1861, the short-lived Republic of South Carolina adopted its national flag, consisting of a white crescent and white palmetto on a blue field. When South Carolina entered the Confederate States of America on 8 February 1861, this became the pattern for the state flag, and remains to the present day. On 26 January 1861 the State’s legislature adopted this flag with ' a golden Palmetto, upright.' On 28 January this was modified to a simple white palmetto tree on a dark blue field. Other information suggests from one to three days.
Palametto Guard Flag	With the entry of the victorious Confederate troops into Fort Sumter Private John S. Byrd, hung the militia unit banner of the Palmetto Guard over the wall facing Charleston. The original is now on display at Fort Sumter having stayed in Byrd's family until it was donated to the National Park Service in 1979. The same, or similar flags were raised, so The 'Charleston Mercury' tell us, at the 'South Carolina Railroad Depot' and at the offices of 'Messrs E. Lafitte and Company' on Savannah Packet wharf. J.O. Foster stated 'that on Fort Moultrie is a white field with a green palmetto tree and a red star in the corner. ' Some of the similar flags had no star, and as other States succeeded some added additional stars.
A Secession Flag?	This flag now resides in the Texas State Library and Archives. Here it awaits conservation. The crescent moon, like the single star, was a symbol popular in the South, especially in South Carolina and Louisiana. Columbia, Richland County, South Carolina I was unable to find a larger version of this flag.
Charleston County, South Carolina	Charleston's city hall flies the Stars & Stripes, the State flag, and the flag to the left. The flag is blue with the city seal in the center. The seal has "Aedes Mores Juraque Curat" written on the upper part of the inside circle and " Civitatis Regimine Donata A.D. 1783" along the lower section of the circle. A female figure sits in the middle of the circle with her right arm outstretched to 'the city' with the words " Carolopolis Condita A. D. 1670 (the year the city was founded).
Dillon County, South Carolina	Florence County, South Carolina
"WALHALLA — James M. Brown Elementary School ran the new Oconee County flag up the flagpole Thursday — and it got a salute from the Raven Rock Dancers of Cherokee, N.C. Traditional Cherokee dancers were part of a presentation of the first public flying of the new flag that features the new county seal created in 2003. The flag’s design has the Cherokee symbols for land, water and the red circle of life. Oconee means land beside the waters, according to some experts. The five rivers represented on the flag include the Chattooga, Chauga, Keowee, Seneca and Tugaloo.	This flag with the motto "VITA POTIOR LIBERTAS,"('Liberty rather than life') with the year "1775" just above the ribbon. Sgt. Jasper, who had saved the Crescent Flag at Sullivan's Island, fell, carrying this flag at Savannah. Col. Moultrie first led this regiment, and Francis Marion, the 'Swamp Fox,' commanded it at Savannah."
This flag is listed as "The Eutaw Standard of Colonel William Washington's Cavalry," is described as "all crimson." The narrative of the flag says: "Colonel Washington spent an hour with the fair Jane Elliott before the campaign through Eutaw and the Cowpens. She [said she] would await news of the triumph of his flag. 'But I have no flag,' he said. 'Then I'll give you one!' she replied, and cut a square of brocade from a curtain. It later flew at their wedding."	South Carolina Navy Flag "The flag of the South Carolina navy" during the American Revolution. The flag is essentially the same as the Continental Naval jack, with the motto "DONT TREAD ON ME" appearing on the second red stripe from the top, and "joining stripes of Scotland's blue and England's red."