06/08/2026
On June 13, the Charleston Museum opens an exciting exhibit in its Revolutionary War repertoire, “Ringleaders of Rebellion: Charleston in Revolt, 1775–1783,” with the debut of the original logbook from the HMS Bristol. The logbook is on loan from the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich, London, and will be on public display in Charleston for the first time since the ship sailed out of Charleston waters 250 years ago.
The Bristol was a 50-gun British warship that served as the flagship during the Battle of Sullivan’s Island on June 28, 1776, when a British naval assault on the American fort was repelled in one of the earliest significant American victories of the war. The battle is still commemorated each year as the famous Carolina Day. The logbook is a day-by-day record of life aboard the ship and documents the assault directly, including the entry noting that Captain John Morris lost his right arm in the engagement. Every man on the quarterdeck that day was either killed or wounded.
The logbook will be on view June 13 through September 20, as part of the larger Ringleaders of Rebellion exhibition, which traces Charleston’s history from early independence, the trials of independence, and eventual triumph for the patriot cause. Admission to the exhibition is included with general museum admission.
You may find the museum at 360 Meeting St. Furthermore, the museum operates under the following hours: Monday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., and Sunday from 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.