Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1860-11-14
CLEARFIELD, PA. WEDNESDAY, NOV. IA, 1860.

imm mediate service. The Americans were
now very strong.
The confidence of Sir Peter Parker in
an easy victory was unshaken. To make
all sure, he exercised body ofmarines
and seamen in the art of entering forts
through embrasures; intending first to
silence Moultrie's battery, then to land
his trained detachment, and by their aid
enter the fort. His presumption was JUS
titled by the judgement o Lee. That gem
eral, coming down to the Island took
Moultrie aside I'd said DO you think
you can maintain this post p Moultrie
answered, Yes | think !! cam But Lee
had no faith in spirited defence, fretted
at the too easy disposition of Moultrie,
and wished up to the last moment, to re-
move him from the command.
On the 23i an uDfavorable wind preven-
ted the joint attack. On the 25th, the
squadron was increased by the arrival of
the Experiment ship of sixty guns,
which passed over I he bar on the Goth
Letters OF encouragement came also from
Tonyn, then Governor of East Florida,
who was impatient for an attack on Geor-
gia; he would have had body of Indians
raised on the bank of South Carolina, and
body of royalists to terrify and distract
so that the assault at Charleston would
have struck an astonishing terror and
alright He reported South Carolina to
be in mutinous state that delighted him F;
the battery on Sullivan's Island would
not discharge two rounds This opinion
was spread through the feet, and became
the belief of every sailor on board. With
or wit nj OF ha fpra
was persuaded that with his trained sea-
men and marines, he could take and keep
possession of the fort till Clinton should
send as many troops as he might think
proper, and who might enter the fort in
the same way.
Capt. Lamperer, walking with Moultrie
on the platform, and looking at the Brit
ish sbips-of-war, all of which had already
come over The bar, addressed him -
"Well, Colonel, what do you think of it
now?" ... s..t.'- 't..
ave shall beat them" said Moultrie
''The men-of-war," rejoined the cap.
| tain, will knock your fort down in hall
an hour"
"Then, said Moultrie, 1--WE will lie be.
hind the ruins and prevent their men
from landing"
On the morning of the twenty-eighth O
gentle sea breeze progn ostigated the a.
tack. Lee from Charleston, for the tenth OF
eleventh time, charged Moultrie TO finish
the bridge for his retreat, promised him
re- endorsements, which was never sent
ana still meditated removing him from
his command while Moultrie, whose fac
ulties under the outward show o. imper-
turable and even indolent calm, were res
trained to their utmost tension, rode To
visit his advanced guard on The east. -
Here The commander William Thomson,
of Orangeburgh, of Irish decent, native
of Pennsylvania, but from childhood a
citizen of South Carolina, a man of rare
worth in private life, brave and intel.i-
gent as an officer, had, at the exit eme
point, posted fifty Of the militia behind
sand hills and myrtle bushes. A few hun.
dred yards in the rear he guarded breast
works that had been thrown up, with
three hundred riffemen of his own regi,
ment from Orangeburgh and its neighbor
hood, with two hundred of Clark's North
Car olina regiment, two hundred mora Of
the men of South Carolina under Horny
and the raccoon company of rifemen. On
his left he was protected by morass on
his right by one eighteen FOUNDER and
one brass six FOUNDER, which overlooked
the spot where Clinton would wish Il
land.
Seeing the enemy's boats already in mo
tion on the beach of Long Island, and the
men-of.war loosing their torsails, Moul-
trie hurried back to his fort at full speed
He ordered the long roll to beat, and Off
GERS ard men to their posts. His whole
number, including himself and officers
were four hundred and thirty.tive, o
whom twenty-five we're ofthe fourth reg
iment of artillery, the rest of his own reg
iment; men who were bound TO each 9TH
er, to their officers, and to bin, by per.
sonal affection and confidence. Next to
him in command was Isaac Motto; the
Major of his regiment was the fearless ant
faultless Francis Marion. The fort wa
square with bastion at each angle hull
of palmetto logs, dove tailed and boltec
together, and lain in parallel rows sixteer
feet asunder; between these rows tn,
space was filled with sand. On the east
ern aud northern SIDES the palmetto
wall was only sevon feet high, but it wa
surmounted by thick plank, so as to b,
teudpio aSaiuot u oCaiibB poiby tidNcIs'
Of sand extended from east to west. TIL,
southern and western curtains were fin
ished with their platforms, on which th,
cannon was mounted. The STANDARD
which was advanced TO the south east baS
tion, displayed flag of blue with white
crescent on which emblazoned Liberty
The whole number Of cannon in the fort
the bastions, and the cavaliers, was bu
thirty one, OF which no more than TWEEN
ty.one could at the same time be prough
into use of ammunition there were bu
twentyseight rounds for twentySsix can
non. At Haddrell's Point across the ba,
Armstrong had about fifteen hundred
men. The first regular South Carolin,
} regiment. under Christopher Gadsden
occupied Fort johnson, which stood OF
the most northerly part of James Island
about three miles from Charlestown, ant
within point blank shot of the channel
Charleston was guarded by more thar
, two thousand men. l-l .t.s. -.
III 4. octn -, - =.