Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1860-11-14


became now of great importance. To
Armstrong no command whatever was
conceded and he had little to do cxcept
to receive the hospitalities of Charleston
but General Lee was the second officer
in the American army his military fame
was at that time very great he had pow-
er from the general Congress to order, and
ho did order batallions from North Caro-
lima and Virginia his presence was
constant pledge Of the active sympathy of
the continent; and on his arrival he was
invested with the military command
through an order from Rutedge.
On that same day Clinton began his
Decentralization, landing four or five hun
dred men on Long Island 1t was there.
fore evident that the first assault was to
be attempted not on the city, but its out
posts yet Lee proposed to Rut.edge to
withdraw from Sullivqn's Island and aban-
don it without n blow. Had he acted in
concert with the invaders, he could not
more completely promoted their design.
But Butledge, interposing his authority,
would not suffer it, and Lee did not ven
ture to proceed alone; yet on the tenth
day his very first order to Moultrie eX-
cept one which was revoked rs soon as is.
sued, directed that officer to construct
bridges for his retreat, and the order was
repeated and enforced several times that
day, and almo~t every succeeding one
Happily Moultrie's s courage was of that pla
cid kind that could not be made anxious
or uneasy; he weighed carefully his dan
ger and resources with quiet importuraS
bic confidence, formed his plan Tor repel-
ling the impending double attack of the
enemy by sea and by land and never so
much as imagined that he could Je driy--
en- from his post.
On the tenth Of June, while the Cont
mental Congress was finishing the debate
on independence the Bristol, whose guns
had been previously taken out, came over
the bar attended by thirty or forty ves-
sells, and anchored about three miles from
Fort Sullivan. In Charleston, from which
this movement was plainly visible, all was
action on the wharfs, warehouses OF
great value, @ere thrown down to give
room for the fire Of cannon and mus
kerry from the lines along East Bay in
trenchments surrounded the town; the
barricades, raised in the principal streets
were continued to the water and arrow
headed embankmcnts were projected up
OH the landing places. Negroes from the
country took part in the labor the hoe
and the spade were also in every citizen
hands, for all persons, Without distinton,
'labored with alacrity,' some for the sake
OF example some as the best way of be
ing useful Neither the noon lay sun nor
the rain, which in that cline, drops from
the clouds in gushes, interrupted their
toll.
Tn the eleventh the two regiments
from North Carolina arrived. The same
day Lee, being told that a bridge of re.
treat from Sullivan's Island to IIaddrell's
Point was impossible, and not being per.
mitted by Rutledge 20 direct the total
evacuation OF the Island, ordered Noultrie
Immediately to send four hundred of his
men over to the continent; in his post
script he added Make up the dotach-
ment to five hundred On the thirteenth
he writes You will detach another hun
dred men to strength hen the corps on the
other side of the creek But the spirit
of South Carolina had sympathy with
Moultrie, and mechanics and negro Ia
borers were sent down to complete the
fort: but hard as they toiled, it was
not nearly finished before the action. On
the 18th the wind blew so violently that
two ships which lay outside tho bar, we're
obliged for safety to stand out 70 sea- and
this assisted to delay the attack.
On the fifteenth, Lee stationed Arm
strong at Haddrell's point, and Arm
stroug, as the superior officer, ever man
ifested for Moultrie hearty friendship.
On that same day, Sir Peter Parker gave
TO the Captain of his squadron his ar
raugement for the attack of the batteries
on Sullivan's Island, and on the 10th he
communicated il to Clinton, who did not
know what 10 do. The dilatory conduct
of the British betrayed uncertaiEt ty and a
division of councils, and the Caroinans
made such use of the delay, that by the
17tb they were in exceedingly good state
OF preparation at every outpost and also
in town. But Clinton intended only to
occupy and garrison Sullivap's Island
For thai purpose, he completed the
! landing of all his men on Long Island, a
naked sand, where nothing grew except
a few bushes that harSored myriads of
mosquitoes, and where The troops suf-
fered intensely from the burning sun
the want of good water, and the bad
/ uudllIy anu lHSulllclSill supply VI plONls-
ions. A trial OF the ford was made, Gin
ton waded up to his neck, so did others
of his officers, and on the day in which
he succeeded in getting all his men on
shore, lie announced through vaughn to
Sir Peter Parker that no ford was to be
found that there remained a depth ot
seven feet of water at low tide; and that
the troops, therefore, could not take the
share they expected in the intended at
tack. His six full regiments, and COM
panies enough from Others for one more,
q body of more than three thousand men
thoroughly provided with arms, artillery
and ammunition, had left the transports
for naked sandbank that was to them q
prison. Yet, compelled TO do something
Clinton fixed on the 23d for the joint at
tack.
On the night after the day appointed
for the attack, Muhlenburg's regiment
arrived. On receiving Lees orders it ini-
mediately set out from Virginia and
marched for Charleston nsiFbout tantS