Sullivan's Island

Island town on a small island (about 6 km/4 mi long) of the same name in south-central South Carolina, at the eastern side of the entrance to Charleston Harbor; population (1990) 1,600. It is a beach resort with some residences.

It was named after the captain of the Carolina, the first English ship to carry settlers to the area (1670).

History Fort Moultrie, originally called Fort Sullivan, was constructed at the island's western tip by the US soldier and governor William Moultrie. Under his command an outnumbered colonial garrison held out against a furious British bombardment (28 June 1776); the fort was renamed in Moultrie's honour. At the beginning of the Civil War, a more recent structure (1807–11) was headquarters for the Confederate bombardment of Fort Sumter. Fort Moultrie is now a part of the Fort Sumter National Monument.