The Sun.
London, England, 1863-02-25 00:00:00

The English Sieges of Charleston.

When tidings are hourly ea-Fected of the bom-
bardment of Charleston, it is curious to reflect that
this city was placed in a similar emergency 87 years
ago, in the war of Great Britain with America, and
that then, as now, one of the most gallant defenders
of the Southern States was a General Lee. In the
beginning of June, 1776, the whole of the British
fleet, under Admiral Sir Peter Parker, anchored off
Charleston Bar. Previous to their arrival the city
had adopted means of defence, and works were
erected on Sullivan's Island, mounted with 30 pieces
of cannon, in a very advantageous situation for an-
noying ships in their advance to the town. The
militia of the province assembled in great numbers
for the defence of the capital, aided by several con-
' tinental regiments, and the whole were commanded
by General Lee, who had traversed the entire ex-
tent of the continent with great speed in order to
place himself in command of them. On the 28th
of June, the Bristol and Experiment, each carrying
50 guns, supported by several smaller ships, had
with some difficulty crossed the bar and advanced
to the attack of the fort on Sullivan's Island, con-
structed entirely of palmetto, a soft and spongy
wood, into which a ball entering is buried, and
makes no extended fracture. A furious cannonade
now commenced from the shipping, which was re-
turned with equal fury, and with more effect, from
the fort. The ships were almost torn to pieces, and
the slaughter was frightful. The firing did not cease
till evening, when the ships slipped their cables and
withdrew from the scene of action after a contest
maintained on both sides with uncommon spirit
and vigour. The Acuson, 3f 21 guns, having run
aground, was deserted and set on fire. Captain
Morris, of the Bristol, received a mortal wound;
Captain Scott, of the Experiment, and Lord William
Campbell, late Governor of the colony, who now
served as a volunteer on board the fleet, were dan-
gerously wounded, with more than 200 men of the
crews of these two ships only. The design on
Charleston was, after this disaster, aban-
doned, and Sir Peter Parker immediately
sailed for New York. Six days subsequent to
this unsuccessful attempt to subjugate Charleston,
the Declaration of Independence was promul-
gated. In the spring of 1780 a reverse of fortune
befell Charleston, on which occasion it was defended,
instead of attacked, by a Lincoln. On April lin
that year the British troops, under Gen. Sir Henry
Clinton, broke grcund at the distance of about 1,100
yards in front of the American lines, which, though
no more than field works, the English commander,
anxious to spare bloodshed, treated with the respect-
ful homage of three parallels, and made his advance
circumspectly. The place was defended by Gen.
Lincoln, with a numerous garrison. On April 20,
the second parallel being completed, terms of capitu-
lation were proposed on condition of the defenders
being allowed to withdraw, an offer which the be-
siegers unhesitatingly declined. The third parallel
was carried in a few days, and preparations were
made for an assault. Gen. Lincoln, on being in-
formed by the engineers that the lines were no
longer defensible, consented to surrender the city
on the terms originally proposed bySir H. Clinton,
in consequence of which about 6,000 men, consist-
ing of continental troops, militia, and sailors, be-
came prisoners of war on May 4, 1780. In the fol-
lowing year the Royal army at Yorktown were
placed in a similar condition, Lord Cornwallis being
forced to propose terms of capitulation in October,
1781, The honour of marching out with colours
flying, which had been refused to Gen. Lincoln on
his giving up Charleston, was now refused to Lord
Cornwallis, and Gen. Lincoln was appointed to re-.
ceive the submission of the army at Yorktown, pre.
cisely in the same way as his own had been con-
ducted 18 months before.

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