The Pennsylvania evening post — Philadelphia, Pa., 1776-07-23 00:00:00, page 2

PHILADELPHI A, July 23.
Extras of a letter from Charleftown, South-Carolina, dated
July 3, 1776.
“ On Tuesday the 4th ult. the British fleet, confining of
ten ships of war and thirty tranfporu, appeared off our bar.
So formidable an armament would have alarmed us had we not
been c< nlci us of the justice of our cause, but trusting that the
Alm ghiy would fufpoiT rd protest us in tnis glorious Ibuggle
ft i liberty, ti e melt righteous of all contelts, we were re
volved to make the molt vigorous opposition in our p wer.—
Me had information two days before that they were in at
Bull's, so that their arrival was not altogether unexpected. —
As we were ignorant of the mode of attack intended by the
enemy, General Aimftrong ordered lome breast-w iks to be
thrown up at inch places as he thought they would molt pro
bably attempt to land, little thinking they would bend their
whole force againit Sullivan's liland fort. So great a num
ber of veffels,'as you may suppose, could not get over the
bar immediately, n)r did they until ounday the 9th, on
which day Generals Le and Howe arrived here. Lee im
mediacely f>w the defenceless Rate oar town was in, and the
impoilibility 01 keeping it if attacked in such a situation, he
accordingly next day drew up all the men in town, in num
ber about one thousand, told them the absolute necessity of
some bread-works being thrown up round the town, pulling
down the houses, on the wharves, &c. The people exprefled
the greatUt alacrity in doing it immediately, OLD and
YOUNG, HIGH and LOW, RICH and POOR, WHITE
and BLACK, ONE WI TH ANOTHER, set about the w^k,
and for feveial days were constantly employed in making fuck
preparation foradefence of the town as were thought necefiary,
the enemy all the while lying within twelve miles of the town.
On the tenth their last and larged vessel, the Bristol of fifty
guns, came over the bar, having previously taken out all her
guns and Bores, and that night a very Imart.gafe of wind
came on, which laded two days, and drove off. the vessel that
had her stores on board, who never could beat up again till
Tuesday the 25th, when the and the Experiment, another
fifty gun Blip, appeared off the bar, and both came pver the
next day. During this interval the enemy landed their troops
in number about two thoufa^d effective men, on Long-liland,
which is at the back of Sullivan's, with intent, we fuppofety
either to,attack us in front and rear at the fame time, which
certainly was a very good plan if they cpu/d have effected it, or
to land on the main, get pofteffion of Hanurcll's point, and by
that means cut off the retreat from Sullivan's, if theyfilenced
the fort; and on Friday last, the 28th, they convinced us tnat
the former was their scheme, for at three quarters of an hour
after ten o'clock in the morning, their bomb-ketch began to
play on the fort at Sullivan's, to divert.heir attention while;
the Blips advanced to make their attack, and at half past
eleven o'clock the following ships were all engaged, the Bris
tol of fifty guns, Experiment fifty, Soiebay twenty-eight,
Syren twenty-eight, Active thirty-fix, A&eon thirty-fix, and
Sphynx twenty—the S/hynx had her bowsprit shot away toe
firft'fhot that was fired at her, which lent her out of the line,
the Adeon was drove ashore h, another foot as it is said, but
that is of no consequence, for she could riot be got off, and the
next moruing the enemy set her on fire, leaving alipoft ail her
stores on board, some of which however we have got, and
shall get mod of her gahs ;,the ketch was totally disabled after
difehargjng about twenty ihells, by one barfting which fp^it
the bed of the mortar.— The five firft vessels continued a very
heavy cannonade, one of the most fierce ever known, with
out ten minutes intermission in the whole, in which by the
^g moderate ejaculation they could not have fired left than
364
twelve thousand times, till nine o'clock at night, when the,
ceased, lying the whole time within so hundred yads of
the not, and about three o'clock next mining tuey very
quietly retired to their former flation. File Briftoi has loft
her arizen malt, and ner main matt is also much dilaoied.
“ M nday morning, five sailors, who delerted from th#
Brittol, gave us the following intelligence, viz. the Commo
dore was wounded in the breech, Capt. of the Biiltol his ar^
Biot oft, forty-tour men killed and thirty wounded ; Experi
ment, Captain and fifty-leven killed, and thirty wounded ;
Solebay three or four killed ; they can lay nothing as to the
killed and wounded of the other vessels. Ilie Captain of the
Bristol failed for England on Sunday, to carry them the good
news, l suppose Out whole lets at the fort was ten killed,
three-es u. m by their own imprudence, and twenty-two
wounded. The fort is as good as ever it was. Ihe conduct of
Col. Moulrie, his officers aad men, merits the highelt ap
piaufe, and r< fl cts the greatest honoron them. Lee was pre
fem almolt the whole fire, and declares both officers and men
behaved with the greaea coolneis and intrepidity ; cney be
haved as well as ever m.n did, as well ad men couid do. Un
fortunately for us nearly all the ammunition at toe fort was
expended by three o'clock, and it was some time before they
could even get a final! supply; it we had haa double the quan
tity there, in all numan probability neit ler of tnole fi.ty gum
ships would have got oft ; as it is, the . Experiment has taree or
four ports knocked into one, and is otherwise terribly ihauefo
ed. It is adoniihing and almak incredible to think that a
palmeto log fort wi h twelve guns (rh de were all they could
bring to bear on the vessels) and three hundred men should
make such havock with 10 formidable a fleet of Briti,b vessels.
At the time of attacking the fort, their troops endeavored to
land on the inland, and were twice repulsed by rnompfo^i 1
rangers, ab ut three hundred men. Be adared the foregoing
account is true in every particular. There are many other cir
cumilances of the spirit and bravery of individuals, which
would appear Bill mme incredible for young ioldiers, that!
have not time to relate. 1 expt& in about ten days we Ihall
have another brush with them, and doubt not but.through the
divine favor we fhali be equally luccefsful.
Extract of another letter of the fame date, frora an officer of
diiiirqclion<•
"'-I have only a moment to inform you that the enemy,.33
the 23th of June, drew up, witn n^ine of their squadron, be
fore one of our forts upon Sullivan s island ; the ihips 1 meAU
were the Bristol of fitly guns, the Experiment of rity, the
Solebay, the Active, the Syren, and Acteon of twenty gang
each, tue Sphynx of twenty, the FrieudlLip, an armed veifel
of twenty-fix, and the Intruder, a bombketch, mounting
fix guns. They began the action with bombarding for some
time, and then commenced a mold furious cannonade, which
was incessant for at lead eleven hours. Violent as this
was, our tort sustained very little damage from it, but we had
ten men killed -and twenty-two wounded. I his injury, how,
ever, cost them very dear, as the iaciched copy * of o* 3 of
* The Bristol of 50 guns, on board of killed, wounded
which was the Commodore, had his
Captain's arm (hot off, had # 44 3°
The Experiment of 50 guns (Cap.killed) 58 3 0
The Solebay of 28 ditto, ^ 4
Tne Adiveof 26 do. (First Lieut, killed) 1 1
Officers and privates killed amounting to 105 and 65
The other ihips in the action were—The Syren o' twenty
eight guns, commanded by CapuFaraeku, little damaged.-