Castle Pinckney Society members led a small expedition to Castle Pinckney on Dec. 27, 2023, to hoist the Nina flag over the fort on the 163rd anniversary of the flag’s raising there after South Carolina’s secession from the Union on Dec. 20, 1860. S.C. Governor Francis Wilkinson Pickens ordered the seizure of Castle Pinckney after U.S. Major Robert Anderson evacuated his small force of about 65 men from Fort Moultrie to Fort Sumter on the night of Dec. 26, 2023.
The following day, C.S.A. Col. Johnston Pettigrew, commanding about 150 S.C. Militiamen from three companies of Charleston’s state militia, boarded the steamship Nina in Charleston and headed to the Castle Pinckney, a small masonry fort in the harbor. The militiamen, with fixed bayonets, landed unopposed at the fort’s dock and found the gates locked securely. They then scaled the fort’s walls and without firing a shot captured two Federal officers, and a small group of laborers that Maj. Anderson had sent there to conduct repairs.
The militiamen held a short ceremony after capturing the fort to lower the U.S. Flag and hoist the South Carolina state flag or another flag. But realizing that they had forgotten to bring a flag with them, the militiamen appropriated a red rectangular flag featuring a white star flown by the Steamship Nina. They hoisted the so-called “Nina flag” over the fort, and replaced it with an official one in less than 24 hours. Today, the fate of the Nina — the first flag to fly over Castle Pinckney after South Carolina’s secession 163 years ago — is unknown.
(Left to right) Ava Law, Carol Corneal, Diane Doss, and Dee Sarvis explain the significance of the Nina flag raising on Dec. 27, 2023, moments after hoisting a reproduction of the historic flag over Castle Pinckney. This is the first time the Nina flag has flown over the castle since the original flag was flown there 163 years ago on Dec. 27, 1860.
Among those participating in the expedition to raise the Nina flag over Castle Pinckney on Thursday morning, December 27, were: (left to right) 27th S.C. Reenactors Diane Doss, Dee Sarvis and Carol Corneal (also member of the Order of the Confederate Rose); Matthew Locke, member of the SCV Fort Sumter Camp and Castle Pinckney Society; and Michael Sarvis, member of the SCV Fort Sumter Camp and a 27th S.C. Volunteer Infantry reenactor. Boat Captains Mark Law, Steve Morowski and Yale Huett (SCV Fort Sumter Camp member and Guardian of Castle Pinckney) transported participants from the public dock at Shem Creek to the Castle Pinckney site in Charleston Harbor.
Shortly after landing at the Castle Pinckney site and standing at the entrance to the fort, Matthew Locke (second from right) takes about 30 minutes to explain the history of Castle Pinckney.
Three photos of Castle Pinckney, two taken from the water and the other (center) taken on land.
The Castle Pinckney Society hoisted the Israeli flag over Castle Pinckney on Nov. 5, 2023, to support the people of Israel and remember Charleston’s rich Jewish history after Israel was attacked by Hamas on Oct. 7, 2023. Before hoisting the Nina flag over Castle Pinckney on December 27, participants first lowered and carefully folded the Israeli flag.