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


ony and its officers This circumstances
became now of great Importance. 10
Armstrong no command whatever was
conceded and he had little to do except
TO receive the hospitalities of Charleston !:
but General Lee was the second officer
In the American army his military fame
was az that time very great he had DOW.
er from the general Congress to order, and
he did order batallions from North Caro-
lima and Virginia; his presence was a
constant pledge of the active sympathy of
the continent; and on his arrival he was
invested with the military command
through an order from Rutledge.
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 Sullivan's Island and aban-
don 1t without 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cept one which was revoked rs soon as is.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 tunes that
day, and almo-t every succeeding one
Happily yMoultrie'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 be driv-
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, we're thrown down to give
room for the fire of cannon and mus
kerry iiom the lines along East Bay; in.
trenchments surrounded the town; the
barricades. raised in the principal streets
we're continued to the water; and arrow
headed embankments 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 citizens
hands, for all persons, Without distintion,
'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. a
Cn the eleventh the two regiments
from North Carolina arrived. The same
day Lee, being told that q bridge of re.
treat from Sullivans Island to HaddrelPs
Point was impossible, and not being per.
mitted by Rutledge to direct the total
evacuation oil the Island, ordered Moultrie
Immediately to send four hundred of his
men over to the continent in his post
script he added Make up the detach.
ment to FIVE hundred On the thirteenth
he writes You will detach another hun
dred men to strengthen the corps on the
other side of the creek But the spirit
of South Carolina had sympathy with
Moultrie, and mechanics and negro la
borers were sent down to complete the
fort: but hard as they tciled, it was
not nearly finished before the action. On
the 18th the wind blew so violently that
two ships which lay outside the 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
strong, 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
rangement for the attack of the batteries
on Sullivan's Island, and on the 10th he
communicated il to Clinton, who did not
know what 70 do. The dilatory conduct
ofthe British betrayed uncertainty and a
division of councils, and the Carolinians
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 Sullivan's Island
For that purpose, he completed the
landing of all his men on Long Island, a
naked sand, where nothing grew except
few bushes that harSored myriads of
mosquitoes, and where the troops suf.-
ltIeu litoileciy ifoui tnS DuruiuB pun
the want of good water, and the bad
quality and insufficient supply Of provis-
ions A trial OF the ford was made, Clin-
ton waded up to his neck, so did Others
Of his officers, and onthe day in which
he succeeded in getting all his men or
shore, he announced through vaughn tc
Sir Peter Parker that no ford was to b,
! found that there remaineda depth o
seven feet of water at low tide; and tha
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
a body of more than three thousand men
thoroughly provided with arms, artiller,
and ammunition, had left the transports
for a naked sandbank that was to them
prison. Yet, compelled to do something
Clinton Fixed on the 23d for tho joint at.
tack.
On the night after the day appointed
for the attack, Muhlenburg's regimen
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