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

sacked and burned, and the sayapes on
the frontier start from their lurking places
No grieyous oppression weighed down the
industry OF South Carolina she came
forth to the struggle from generous SYM
pathy and now the battle is to be fought
Tor her chief city, and the province.
| lhe 'lhunderbomb,' covered by Friend
ship, began the action oy throwing shells,
which 1t continued, till more than sixty
were discharged of these some burst in
the mir, one lighted on the magazine with
out dong injury; the rest sunk in the
morass, or were buried in the sand within
the fort. AT about quarter to eleven
'he Active OF twenty-eight guns, disre-
garding four or five shots fired al her while
under sail the Bristol with fifty guns,
having on board Sir Peter Parker and
LORD William Campbell, the Governor 4;
the Experiment. also of fifty guns; and
the Sole Bay, of twenty-eight, brought
up within about three hundred and fifty
yards of the fort, let 60 their anchors with
springs upon their cables, and began flu
rious cannonade. Every sailor expected
that two broadsides would enc the strife /:
but the soft, fibrous, spongy wood of the
! palmetto withstood the rapid fire. and ne-
ther split, nor splintered, nor started and
the parapet was high enough to protect
the men on the platforms. When broad
sides from three or four of the men-of-
war struck the logs at the same instant,
the shock gave the merlons q tremor. but
the pile remained uninjured Moultrie
had but one tenth as many guns rs we're
brought TO bear OH him, and was more
over obliged to stint the use OF POWDER
His guns accordingly were fired very slow
ly, the officers taking aim, and waiting al
ways 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
alorg the platform from off GERS and
men.
Shall I send for more POWDER asked
Moultrie of Motte.
TO be sure said Motto.
And Moutrie wrote to Lee Il believe
we shall want more powder. At the rate
we 90 on, think we shall but you can
see that Pray send Us more, ifyou think
proper
More vessels we're seen coming up, and
cannon were heard from the north east
Clinton had promised support not know
ing what else to do, he directed the bat,
teries on Long Island to open cannonadc,
and several shells were thrown into
Thompson's intrenchmeuts, doing no 9TH
er damage than Wourding one soldier
The firing was returned by Thompson
with his one eighteen FOUNDER; but, from
the distance, with little effect
At twelve o'clock the light infantry
grenadiers, and the fifteenth regiment
embarked in boats, while floating batter-
les and armed craft got under weigh to
cover the landing but the troops never
so much as once attempted to land. The
detachment had hardly left Long Island
before it was ordered to disembarlz, for it
was seen that the landing was impracti>
cable, and would have been the destruc-
ton ofmany brave men without the least
probability of success The American
deiences were so strong, and well con-
structed, the approach so difficult. Thorn.
son so vigilent, his men such skilfu
sharpshooters, that had the British land
ed, they would have been cut TO pieces. 49,
IL was impossible says Clinton, to de,
eide positively on any plan,' and he did
nothing
An attack on Haddrell's Point would
have been still more desperate; though
thu Commodore, at C!ifltons request, sent
three frigates to cooperate with in that
design. The people of Charleston as
they looked from the battery with senses
quickened by the nearness OF danger, be-
held the Sphinx, the Acteon, and the Sy,
ren. each of twenty y>eight guns, sailing as
if to get between Haddrell's Point and
the foot, so as to entilade the works, and
when the rebels should te driven from
them, to cut off their retreat. 1t was n
moment of danger for the fort on this
side was unfinished. But the pilots kept
too far to the south, So that they run all
the three upon a bank of sand known as
the Lower Middle Ground. Gladdened
by seeing the frigates thus entangled, the
people at Charleston were swayed alter
nately by fears and hopes; the armed in
habitants stood every one at his post, un.
certain but that they might be called to
immediate action, hardly daring to be-
lieve that Moultrie's small and ill.furnish-
ed garrison could beat off the squadron,
when behold his flag disappeared from
their eyes. Fearing that his colors had
been struck, they prepared to meet the
invaders at the waters edge, trusting in
Providence and prefering death to sla-
very. In the fort, William Jasper, SER
geant perceived that the flag had been
cut dowu by ball from the enemy and
had fallen over the ramparts. Colonel
said he to Moultrie, don't let us fight
without flag
What can you dor asked Moultro
the staff is broken off,
Then, said Jasper I'll fix il on the hal.
bred, and place it on the merlon Of tho
baston next the enemy : and leaping
through an embrasure and bravu1 tho
thickest fire of the enemy, he took up the
flag, returned with it safely and planted it
as he had promise, on tho summit of the
merlon. The day was exceedingly hot,
the almost vertical sun of midsummer gla-
red from cloudless sky, and the temper
ature was increased by tho blaze from the
cannon on the platform a of the gar
rison threw off their coats during the heat
of the action, and some were almost ma
ked Moultrie and several of the officers
smoked their pipes as they gave their or
4 4