Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1860-07-21
BRATTLEBORO, W.: JULY 2I, 1860.

two hundred of Clarks North Carolina regi-
ment, two hundred more of the men Of South
Carolina under Horny, and the roccoon company
of ritlemen. On his left he was protected by
morass on his right by one eighteen-pounder
and one brass six-pounder. which overlooked
the spot where Clinton would wish to land.
Seeing the enemy's boats already in motion
on the beach of Long Island, and the men-of-
war loosing their topsails, Moultrie hurried
back to his fort at full speed. lie ordered the
long roll to beat, and officers and men to their
posts. His whole number including himself
and officers, was four hundred and thirty-fve I;
of whom twenty-five were of the fourth regi-
ment of artillery, the rest of his own regiment !;
men who were bound to each other to their
officers, and to him, by personal affection and
confidence. Next to him in command was
Isaac Motto; the major of his regiment, was
the fearless and foultless Francis Marion. The
fort was a square with baston at each angle /;
built of palmetto logs, dove-tailed and bolted
together, and lain in parallel rows sixteen feet
asunder; between these rows the space was
hlled with sand On the eastern and northorn
sides the palmetto wall was only seven feet high,
but it was surmouned by thick plank, so as to
be tenable against scaling party; a traverse
of sand extended from east to west. The
southern and western curtains were finished
with their platforms, on which the cannon were
mounted. The standard which was advanced
to the southeast bastion, displayed a flag of
blue with white crescent, on which was en-
blazoned Liberty. The whole number of can
non in the fort, the bastions, and the two cava-
liers, was but thirty-onc, Of which no more than
twenty could at the same time be brought
into use; of ammunition there were but twen-
ty-eight rounds for twenty cannon. At
Haddrel's Point across the bay Armstrong had
IL. I,,.. d. L..
South Carolina regiment, under Christopher
Gadsdcn, occupied Fort Johnson, which stood
on the most northerly part of James Island,
about three miles from Charleston, and within
point-b blank shot of the channel. Charleston
was guarded by more than two thousand men.
Half an hour after nine in the morning, the
commodore gave signal to Clinton that he should
go on the attack. An hour later the ships-of-
war were under weigh. Gadsden. Cotesworth,
Pinckney, and the rest at Fort Johnson watched
all their movements in Charleston the wharfs
and water-side along the bay were crowded with
troops under arms and lockers on. The men
Of Carolina must foil their adversary, or their
city may perish; their homes be sacked and
burned and the savages on the frontier start
from their lurking places. No grievous oppres-
sions weighed down the industry of South Car
olina; she came forth to the struggle from gen.
erous sympathyi and now the battle is to be
fought for her chief city, and the province.
The 'Thunderbomb,' covered by the Friend
ship, began the action by throwing shells, which
it continued, till more than sixty were dis.
charged Of these some burst in the air; one
lighted on the magazine without doing injury
the rest sunk in the morass. or were buried in
the sand within the fort. At about quarter
to eleven the Active of twenty-eight guns
disregardng four or five shots fred at her while
IN. -
on board Sir Peter Parker and Lord William
Campbell. the Governor the .Experiment also
of fftv guns; and the .Solebay, OF twenty.
eight. brought up within three hundred and
| ffty wards of the fort let 90 their anchors with
springs upon their cables, and began a mos,
furious cannonade. Every sailor expected that
two broadsides would end the strife but the
soft, fbrous, spongy wood of the palmetto with.
stood the rapid fire, and neither split, nor splin
tered, nor started and the parapet was high
enough to protect the men on the Platforms
When broadsides from three or four of the
men-of-war struck the logs at the same instant
the shock gave the merlons tremor, but the
/ pile remained uninjured. Moultrie had but one
tenth as many guns were brought to bear on
him, and was moreover obliged to stint the ust
OF powder. His guns accordingly were fired
very slowly the officers taking aim, and waiting
always for the smoke to clear away, that they
might point with more precision. Mind the
commodore, mind the fifty gun ships were the
words that passed along the platform from off.
GERS and men.
"Shall send for more POWDER" asked Moul'
trie of Motto.
"To be sure" said Motte
And Moulrie wrote to Lee: II believe We
shall want more powder At the rate we &C
on, | think we shall but you can see that
Pray send us more, if you think proper"
More vessels were seen coming up, and can
non were heard from the northeast. Clinton
had.promsed support; not knowing what els,
to do, he directed the batteries on Long Islant
to open cannonade; and several shells wer,
thrown into Thomson's intrenchments, doing
no other damage than wounding one soldier
The firing was returned by Thompson with hi
one eighteen-pounder; but, from the distance
with little effect
At twelve o'clock the light infantry, grena
diers, and the fifteenth regiment embarked il
boats, while floating batteries and armed Graf
got under weigh to cover the landing but tn,
troops never so much as once attempted to land
The detachment had hardly left Long Islant
before it was ordered to disembark, for it wa
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