Editing Moultrie County, Illinois (section)

==History==
Moultrie County was formed in 1843 with areas taken from [[Shelby County, Illinois|Shelby]] and [[Macon County, Illinois|Macon]] counties. It is named for [[South Carolina]] General, and later Governor, [[William Moultrie]]. General Moultrie defended [[Sullivan's Island]], South Carolina from British attack in 1776. The site was later renamed [[Fort Moultrie]]. Nearby [[Jasper County, Illinois|Jasper County]] was named for Sgt. [[William Jasper]], another hero of the defense of Sullivan's Island.

The official flag of the county is the [[Moultrie Flag]], which was flown over the new fortress on Sullivan's Island, when Moultrie defended it, and was designed by Moultrie. It went on to become iconic of liberty in the South.

When Abraham Kellar of Lovington, John Cook of Marrowbone, and John Fleming of Nelson proposed the formation of a new county from Macon, Shelby, and Coles counties, Macon gave up a strip of “worthless swamp” that is now among the most fertile land in the world, but Shelby and Coles voters refused to give up any land. Finally, Shelby County gave up some of its land to make a zig-zag border with Moultrie County.

<gallery>
File:Moultrie County Illinois 1843.png|Moultrie County at the time of its creation in 1843
File:Battle_of_Sullivans_Island.jpg|The Moultrie Flag being raised by Sergeant William Jasper
</gallery>