Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1863-08-25
CHARLESTON IN TIE REVOLUTION
tET NTAE


memories refreshed by occasional citations
from the revolutionary annals The city OF
Charleston was beleaguerei by the British in
1870. The siege of Charleston commenced
the 29tt4 OF March and the city capituated IN
the 18th Of May. Tho enemy had com pletely
environed thu city. The British army land
cd and took possession 81 james Island, where
Clinton cnL7anched himself, while Tlrleton
held pc7. Royal. We copy from Botta's His.
tory.
The !nrtiticacioDs wcrc pushed with indeiat,
iGahlc Industry. IneY consisted, on the land
side, in a chain " rcdOubts, lines and hatte.
ries, extending from one river 70 the other,
and covered with al artillery Of eighty cannon
and m0rtars. IN the front of either flank,
the works we're coycrel by swa;nps, origina-
ting from tho opposite rivers, and lending TO-
wards the centre: through which they s6ere
CONNECTED l,y u canal passing from ono 10 the
other. Between these outward iInpcdiments
and the works were two strong rows Of abat-
It's, the trees being buried slanting in the
Garth, 80 that their heads, facing outwards
formed p kind o! iraisc work against the as-
salnnts: aud these were further scared BIZ a
ditch tiouhla-rickctct!. La the centre. where
the natural ictanc"S were uneuual to those on
the fanhs. the .irn.rica!!s ind constructed a
horn work 81 masonry rs vel! to remedy that
defect, ~ to cover tic principal cato. Such
were the Notifications which, stretching across
the neck behind the city, and from the Ashley
ri2nr Ia Coopar's sir2r. defended it on the part
81 the land. But On the two sides where it il
, washed hc these rivers. the Americans had
contcnte.i themselves with erecting numerous
batteries constructed tho better to resist sho..
OF Garth mingled with palmetto wood. All
: parts Of ;aa -hprc, where it WAS possible to
land. mad been fnrurch ~ strong palsades-
90 support the dcrnses on shore, the Ameri-
cans had u considerable marine force in the
harhor consisting, in eight OF their own fri
gates. with one French lriga.e. besides several
s!rallr- vessels principally gailcys. These
We're udicioIs!r m0orrd 1T q narrow pass, be-
tween Sullivan Island and the middle ground
anh # they hal continued in this position
they might have severely annoyed The British
squadron, ~ is approach to Fort Moultrie,
situated on Sullivan's l-n,i, 20 much crlchrl.
tel irr TIC 'rrin"ic ami succeSSft- defence
which il made asrmiast the attack OF the Eng.
lihh in lI56. Bu.wh"n Admiral Arbuthnot
advanced with his ships To Charleston bar,
the Americatl n0ti!la, abandoning it- station,
and leaving Fort MInltric TO It's own fortune,
r"tired 70 Charleston. where most of the ships,
with Il number at merchant vessels. hcing fit
ted with CilcvauT- !c-irZc on their decks. were
sunk TO obstruct the channel of Coopcr's riY-
e., whera it iGws lctwrcn III" left part nf the
! toIsr and n low sand bank called Shntn's f"l-
". ThEs, with tiic c%cr".irn II F"rt M"ul-
tri". ;hcre remained nothing II prevent tho
British tlcet Ercia entering tire hnrbor, to CO
ou"rar with .hc land frees. In this manner
the iGhahi'An's prepared to defend themselves
l,i;nty ngnin-i the attack of the enemy; hn'
thay still !Drn'lnd their hone an the succors Of
their uriS!Jrs OF North Carolina and Vir-
gin;a.
In II" meantime, admiral Arbuthnot had
,,.lc HI dispositions for passing the bar in
order to gain I'll" entrance a: Charleston har-
; boz The frgn;cs, n drawing legs water,
IN sod without any difeu!'y; bnt tho shipf
I oi the ine could not he got over till alter
! hc-ing been ii-htenel 0f their artillery mn
| ui;;onI, and even their water: the whole
! squadron passed. N the Doth OF March. Ar,
| huthnot came to anchor ut tiyc f%thnm hole
| he had still to surmouat. before lie could t. kc
! an active part in the siege Of C:n.ricston. tho
obstacle of Fort Moultre; occupied by Colonel
Pirclnc; With q respectable :o-ce. The
English Admiral, proiting Of q south wind
! AMI food tide, weighed anchor on the 9th of
! April. and passing it under 4 press of sail,
/ ;Dok his station within cannon shot from the
| city near james Island. Col. Pincknoy had
opcncI all his artillery upon the British YES
aols ut the moment of rhoir passage: but
such vas T. @ raridity Of their way, that il
dill them little damage. The dead and
| wounded were less than thirty: n solitary
transport .:aa abandoned and burned.
The Americans llaA established their principal
canlonlnrn;s oil the left side Of the Cooper, and
being masters of higgins Bridge, on that river,
| they lad passed all hr;r cavalry to tho right
bank. This position was strong, the bridge being
accessible only by a causeway through an i'm
practicable mnrass; bu: they ere off their guard
| connoitrc tI,o enrironS. Moreover, their dis
having neglected 10 post videttes. snt to re-
positions were !cfa"ti%r: h-y hsd placed the
cavalry in front. ani tho infantry in rca. The
English arrived. unsHpeci 'Aiy, atthre- in The
! morning: ilcir attack was mr-tunus it rou'cd
tn Americans in fNr iusitnts; nil persisted
>qra those yho sought salty hv flight. Gen
!iuscr. and III" col"rcIs Washington and Jamie.
s0n. threw themselves ;..:n the mGrnss. hnd wore
tDruutt" cnquca tnrscar1 10y favor OF the dark
nc-s Fnar !.u'.Gd ior,cs, a prize ofhigh Tauc,
fc!l into the bands of the victors, with many
carriages lodte2 with arms, clothing and stores
Tho l,ya!.'a took posses ;1a of tho bridge,
aaI, soon after, secured another passage lower
duwn, and overrun Tie country on the left side
Of tie river. particularly tn" district Of St
Thomas. In This mannc. the hcsicged were
deprived also 0i Cooper river. aud Charleston
f1nrI itself completely enclosed. The garri-
son was .Tot j1'sci sufficiently strong to war
r;ut any opposition 70 the enterprise. The
American attempted only 20 f:'r;ily:s pnint on
IN" eft bank, called Point Lapiprey but
Wrhstor's corps hcing considerably reinforced
AMI Lord GJrnwail;- having taken the COM
,,:..ui rn tti;l: side Of tho r:scr, thev found
.!."lusc!y,:s constrained to uhnndoa this last
post The British f,rage1 without obstacle
prevented the assembling Of tho militia, and
cnt nj every species OF succor. 4 few days III
ter, Tarlctou, having od-anccd with incredible
CELEBRITY upon the banks nj thc Santee river. ct
tackled ana rnu;cd another body Of republican
cavalry commanded by Colonel Butord: arms
horses, munitions, Everything fell into the
r,,vrr -! the victor. Adverse fortune cnntin-
ucd to pursue the rrTubi.ans. Admiral Ar
burhno. Landed on Sullivan's island Il body 81
semen and marines men nf approved harli
nrss. lie bogan, 70 enclose Fort Mnultric
having procured IL full knowledge of ths stat,
Of tn garrison and dcfenrcs Of the place, he
prepared 10 storm, it on the part Of the west
and northwest, where tho works were tho
weakest. The garrison. sensible of tho i'm.
possibility o: relief, thu English being masters
Of the sea. and seeing the means of attack in
comparably superior - those Of resistance
surrendered. the gth Of Muy. Thus For
Moaltrie, which four years before had repulse'
al the forces of Admiral Hyde Parker fell
without firing shot, into the power of the
roya!ists.
In 80 terrible m extremity, Lincoln diTcstet
himself Of his natural inHexihility; ard, OF