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How marshes and an impassable inlet helped defeat British forces in 1776
Marshy terrain and a blocking inlet on Sullivan's Island near Charleston gave colonial forces a decisive natural advantage on June 28, 1776.
The terrain of Sullivan's Island near Charleston, South Carolina, did much of the fighting on June 28, 1776. Colonial defenders held the island against a British assault, with marshy ground and sandy soil absorbing cannon fire.
An impassable inlet blocked the British from flanking the fort. The landscape turned a vulnerable position into one the attackers could not overcome.
Why it mattersThe battle was a pivotal early American victory; the geography of Sullivan's Island shows how terrain can decide a conflict before tactics even come into play.
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