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Oculus Spirit [83413]
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SC Flag, Gorget or Moon?
Oct 21, 2014, 11:31 AM
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Crescent is Gorget Posted on May 14, 2011
http://www.charlestonfootprints.com/charleston-blog/crescent-is-gorget-3/2011/05/14/
South Carolina’s “palmetto flag” was officially made the state banner in 1861. The crescent and tree symbolize the defense of Charleston in 1776, shortly after independence had been declared from England. Troops wearing the crescent symbol on their caps built a fort of palmetto logs overlooking the city’s harbor entrance on Sullivan’s Island, and their famous victory over the British on June 28, 1776 was largely attributed to the soft palmetto core that absorbed and smothered English cannonballs.
Although the crescent is recognized to be a symbol of the troops and not the moon, some disagreement persists as to its origin.
From what I have found, there seems to be little doubt that it is the “gorget.” The motif was derived from the throat plate of the medieval knight in armor, and during the 18th century became popular with King George II as a military symbol worn around the necks of English officers. One of South Carolina’s staunch loyalists was William Bull, who was named Lt. Governor by King George in 1755, and who personally designed the uniforms of a newly-reorganized South Carolina militia in 1760, adding the gorget symbol to their caps.
Bull’s own family crescent includes the gorget symbol and it was he who commissioned William Moultrie as an officer of the 2nd South Carolina regiment. Moultrie is credited with designing a crescent flag as a symbol of his troops in 1775, and he later wrote that it conformed to the crescent symbol worn on their caps.
This chain of evidence far outweighs anything that can be offered in opposition to this theory, and why I firmly stand by the research that proves the crescent comes from the gorget. Some confusion has been caused by the fact that the crescent on the state flag was tilted in the 1890’s to resemble the moon. Fortunately, one of the original flgas (and perhaps THE original state flag) still exists from the 1860’s. This large banner features a crescent straight up and down in the manner of the gorget. Ironically, this flag was stolen from the state capitol in Columbia in 1865 by Iowa troops under Sherman, who burned and ransacked that city. It is still kept at the Historical Society of Iowa, which should be willing to give back the property of a sister state (after all Iowa, wasn’t the Union “preserved” by those troops?) Thus far, no offering from Iowa, so the old flag remains in limbo.
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All-In [31098]
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the Gorget bowl.....***
Oct 21, 2014, 11:35 AM
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Orange Blooded [2183]
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Re: SC Flag, Gorget or Moon?
Oct 21, 2014, 11:36 AM
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Tiger Paw
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Orange Blooded [3820]
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what? such indignant self-righteousness, such brash
Oct 21, 2014, 11:42 AM
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postulation, such bold assertion, and yet
no plan for a sortie to recover our lost stalwart?
What are ye man? A womin?
check back with me when you grow a pair
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All-In [38481]
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Re: what? such indignant self-righteousness, such brash
Oct 21, 2014, 11:46 AM
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Moon. Used to mean gorget to the troops @ Charleston who were involved in defending the most important city in the state , but has since evolved to being the crescent moon ...signifying the beauty and natural presences that this state has to offer the world. Now that I have cleared that up , can we get back to hating on the Coots ?
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All-In [38481]
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Re: what? such indignant self-righteousness, such brash
Oct 21, 2014, 11:49 AM
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Personally I think the trophy should be a tigerpaw on the neck of a chicken , pressing down. When the Coots win , they can lift the paw up so the poor dears can breathe for a year.
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Legend [19250]
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This is true. To carry the story even further--the gorget
Oct 21, 2014, 11:44 AM
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was a part of armor that protected knights throats. In the late 17th and 18th centuries English dandies brought the fad of wearing gorgets from their travels to the eastern German states of the time back to England. Over time the fad of the gorget evolved from metal to cloth into that horrible torture contraption known as the neck tie. So from piece of armor to neck tie is the story of the gorget.
Message was edited by: AThomas®
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All-TigerNet [13387]
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^^^^^This is it.***
Oct 21, 2014, 12:20 PM
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All-In [31098]
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To carry the story even further-- 1875
Oct 21, 2014, 12:25 PM
[ in reply to This is true. To carry the story even further--the gorget ] |
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It was a putriidly humid hot summer evening in port Charles. My pantolones began to stick to my warmed flesh as my gorget began to rise when she strolled across my view. I thought to myself she has all the right junk in all the right places, she is bringing boooooty back.
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110%er [5627]
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That Iowa Historical Society has some good stuff ..
Oct 21, 2014, 11:48 AM
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They are the owners of the original "Big Red" flag (Red Flag w/ Palmetto Tree and downward facing Crescent) which was flying on Morris Island as Citadel Cadets fired on the Union ship Star of The West ... the first shots of the Civil War. They are currently "loaning" the flag to The Citadel.
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CU Guru [1430]
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ON LOAN?????
Oct 21, 2014, 11:51 AM
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They stole it. They don't own it to loan it. Tell them they want it back....
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110%er [5627]
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I agree .. unfortunately it was "stolen" in a battle near
Oct 21, 2014, 11:57 AM
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Mobile and I guess would be considered Spoils of War! I don't see them ever getting it back though!!!!
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CU Guru [1430]
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Dem Bulldogs better not give it back...
Oct 21, 2014, 11:59 AM
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The whole cadet corps will be walking tours till the quartermaster runs out of shoes.
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CU Medallion [68893]
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Re: SC Flag, Gorget or Moon? Interesting
Oct 21, 2014, 11:48 AM
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I've always just thought of it as an outhouse door type moon
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Fan [99]
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SC Military Museum
Oct 21, 2014, 12:19 PM
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There is a great exhibition regarding this subject at the SC military history museum. http://scmilitarymuseum.com/
If you have not had the chance to check out this place it is well worth your time and effort. Unfortunately it is very close to Williams Brice Stadium, but if you come up Bluff road from I-77 you avoid the OBC banner...
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110%er [9727]
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It's definitely a gorget.
Oct 21, 2014, 12:27 PM
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Unless it's not. Then, it's probably a moon.
I'm sure of it.
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Mascot [23]
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Re: SC Flag, Gorget or Moon?
Oct 21, 2014, 12:39 PM
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And why did William Bull's family seal have a crescent in it? Because during the F&I war he served with the Middleton Regiment which had on its leather helmets a crescent moon. In fact the description in the orderly books of the Middleton Regiment of 1761 and the orderly books of the 1st and 2nd SC of 1776 both describe almost exactly identical uniforms. Not surprising as Moultrie also served in the Middleton regiment, and when it came time to raise the SC troops, he used what he already knew. They can date SC state militia wearing crescents continuously from before the F&I war through the early 1800s. What’s the source of the crescent moon? We don't know for sure, but it sure wasn't William Bull, and Moultrie modeling uniforms off his seal based on a gorget.
http://2ndsc.blogspot.com/2013/04/once-and-for-allits-crescent-not-gorget.html for some reading and further information.
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