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

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
tilted by the judgement o { Leo. That gen
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 can But Lee
had no faith in aspirited 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 unfavorable 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 he bar on the 2Gth.-
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 royaIists 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 :;
the battery on Sullivan's Island would
not discharge two rounds This opinion
was spread through the fleet, and became
the belief of every sailor on board. With
or without Clinton's aid the Commodore
was persuaded that with his trained sea-
men and marines, he could take and keep
possession of the fort till Clifton should
send as many troops as he might think
proper, and who might enter the fort in
the same way.
Capt. Lamparer, walking with Moultrie
on tie platform, and locking at the Britt
ish ships all of which had already
come over the bar, addressed him -
"Well, Colonel, what do you think Of it
now ?"
"We shall beat them" said Moultrie
"The men-of-war," rejoined the cap.
{ tain, will knock your fort down in half
an hour"
Then, said Moultrie, eve will lie be.
! hind the ruins and prevent their men
/ from landing"
/ On the morning of the twenty-eighth a
gentle sea breeze progn ostigated the a..
| tack. Lee from Charleston, for the tenth or
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 og 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 q
citizen of South Carolina, 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 rflemen of his own regi,
ment from Ornngeburgh and its neighbor-
hood. with two hundred of Clark s North
| Carolina regiment, two hundred mora OF
the men of South Carolina under Horny
and the raccoon company ofrtlemen. On
his left he was protected by a morass on
his right by one eighteen FOUNDER and
one brass six FOUNDER, which overlooked
the spot where Clinton would wish tc
land.
Seeing the enemy's boats already in mo
ton on the beach of Long Island, and the
men-of,war loosing their torsails, Moul-
lrie hurried back to his fort at full speed
He ordered the long roll to beat, and Off
GERS ard men to their posts. His wholC
number, including himself and officers
were four hundred and thirty.fve, o.
whom twenty-five we're the 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 him, by per.
sonal affection and confidence. Next tC
! him in command was Isaac Motto the
Major of his regiment was the fearless ano
faultless Francis Marion. The fort 4.
square with bastion at each angle bull
of palmetto logs, doye-tailed and bolteo
together, and lain in parallel rows sixteer
feet asunder between these rows The
space was filed with sand. On the east
err and northern sides the palmetto
wall was only sevon feet high, but il wa.
surmounted by thick plank, so as to bC
tenable against a scaling party traverse
Of sand extended from east to west. The
southern and western curtains were fin
ished with their platforms, on which The
cannon was mounted. The standard
which was advanced to the south cast bas
ton, displayed a flag of blue with a white
, crescent on which embazoned Liberty
, The whole number of cannon in the fort
the bastions, and the cavaliers, was but
; thirty one, OF which no more than TWEEN
, ty-one could at the same time be brough
: into use of ammunition there were bu
- twentyseight rounds for twentyssix can
non. At Iaddrell's Point across the bay
Armstrong had about fifteen hundred
: mon The first regular South Caroline
; regiment, under Christopher Gadsden
occupied Fort johnson, which stood OF
the most northerly part of James Island
about three miles from Charlestown, anC
within point blank shot of the channel.-
Charleston was guarded by more thar
J two thousand men.
Half an hour after nine in the morning
the commodore gave signal to Clinton
fbat ba shonld go on with the attack -