Who was the Fighting Carolina Gamecock?

Thomas Sumter was a legislator and an officer in the American Revolution. He was remembered for the leadership of his troops against British forces in North and South Carolina, where he earned the nickname "the Carolina Gamecock." He was the last surviving general officer of the revolution, and Fort Sumter in Charlestown Harbor was named for him. He was born in 1734, and he died in 1832.

He was a soldier of the colony of Virginia militia. He was also a planter and a politician. After the United States gained independence, he was elected to the United States House of Representatives, and the U.S. Senate where he eventually retired. Sumter's nickname "Gamecock," is a traditional nickname for natives of South Carolina. A good example would be the University of South Carolina Gamecocks, which is the college's athletic team.