Cadets Raise Big Red Over Castle Pinckney for 10th Annual
Big Red Flag Raising Cruise

Nov. 13, 2025

Nine cadets ─ members of The Citadel’s Military Living History Society (CMLHS) ─ departed The Citadel’s Swain Boating Center at 1 p.m. Thursday, November 13 on a special mission. 

Their mission was to raise Big Red, The Citadel’s Regimental Flag, above historic Castle Pinckney in Charleston Harbor for The Stray Dog Society’s 10th Annual Big Red Flag Raising Cruise.

“The Citadel Military Living History Society is dedicated to preserving the college’s history through historical interpretations, and we were ordered to raise Big Red over Castle Pinckney to usher in The Citadel’s Homecoming Week (Nov. 13 – 16),” said Cadet Quartermaster Joseph Girsh, a senior at The Citadel and officer-in-charge of the mission. “Being able to raise Big Red is one way we get to preserve our school’s history, and it allows us to support our Citadel graduates and supporters, and local community as well.

“We couldn’t do it without the support of The Stray Dog Society and Castle Pinckney Historical Preservation Society,” Girsh added. “Thanks to both organizations, the Big Red Flag Raising Ceremony continues to gets bigger and better every year!”

Captain Richard Spellman, at the helm of his Munson landing craft, and crewmembers Miles Marschink and Brian Swan transported the cadets on the short voyage down the Ashley River to perform the flag raising ceremony at Castle Pinckney on Shute’s Folly, a small island in Charleston Harbor. The brick-and-mortar fort was constructed c. 1809 to defend the City of Charleston against the British prior to the War of 1812.

The nine cadets, wearing 1858 Citadel era uniforms, landed at Shute’s Folly about 1:30 p.m., disembarked and entered the Castle Pinckney’s Sally Port.  After receiving a safety briefing and orientation, Cadet Quartermaster Girsh drilled the four cadets on the rifle team while acting Cadet Sergeant Joshua Crosby drilled four other cadets on the flag raising team for the ceremony they were about to perform.  

“The four cadets on Crosby’s flag team stood at the ready with the Big Red flag unfurled and spread apart, with their hands on the ropes and the flag pre-attached to the flagpole’s raising mechanism as The Charleston Princess cruised past Castle Pinckney enroute to Fort Sumter about 3:30 p.m.,” Girsh explained. “At the same time, I stood at attention with the four cadets on the rifle team who stood at shoulder arms with their muskets and bayonets fixed.”

The Big Red Flag Raising Ceremony began.

As more than 150 Citadel graduates and supporters onboard the cruise ship watched, a crewmember fired a signal gun on the ship’s port side toward the fort.

Girsh shouted “Raise Flag!” to Crosby, and ordered the rifle team to “ready” their muskets as Crosby’s team began hoisting the flag. Girsh then shouted “aim!” when Crosby shouted “halfway” as the flag reached the flagpole’s mid-way point, and “fire” when Crosby shouted “top!” as the flag reached the flagpole’s top.

“As the firing of their rifles echoed across the harbor and puffs of smoke drifted from their rifles across the fort, shouts and cheers from everyone onboard The Charleston Princess could be heard across the harbor, from South of Broad to Hundryneck,” said John Mahoney, vice president of the Castle Pinckney Historical Preservation Society (CPHPS).”

The cadets quickly formed a line along the fort’s outer wall facing the cruise ship, and rendered a salute as Girsh shouted “Present Arms!”

“This was my first year coordinating the Stray Dog Society’s Big Red Flag Raising ceremony,” Mahoney said. “I’ve enjoyed the Big Red Flag Raising Cruise aboard the cruise ship, The Charleston Princess, several times over the years, and I’d recommend the cruise for anyone who wishes to support The Citadel and help fund the organization’s scholarships and other benevolent causes.”

Big Red is an historic South Carolina flag.  With its red background as opposed to the blue background of today’s South Carolina Flag, the flag is a replica of the one that the South Carolina Militia, mostly South Carolina cadets, carried when they fired on the merchant ship, Star of the West, from a battery at Morris Island on Jan. 9, 1861.  The ship, which had been sent to resupply and reinforce Maj. Robert Anderson’s 85-member force at Fort Sumter with 200 armed U.S. Army regulars, was forced to return to New York.

“The Castle Pinckney Historical Preservation Society supports The Stray Dog Society’s annual Big Red Flag Raising tradition because we support The Citadel and its values,” Mahoney said.  “We also appreciate The Citadel’s graduates whose values of honor, duty and respect mirror the values of members of the Castle Pinckney Historical Preservation Society who are working tirelessly to save Castle Pinckney.”

Charleston Harbor Tours hosted this year’s Big Red Flag Raising Cruise, and the Charleston Crab House provided food and beverages for the cruise.  The Stray Dog Society sponsored the event.