The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-11-16


olution with a popular reputation, and
that of a kind TO draw around him fight
ing men. lie WAS known TO be Of that
stamp himself lie had volunteered in the
Cherokee war, and, having risen to "A lieu
tenancy, led a forlorn hone Of thirty men,
where twenty-three Of tn party fell. 1t is
q test of a soldiers grit wien he chooses to
unite his fortunes with a leader of spirit
and energy, and "Narlon's company"
"Marion's regiment End "Marion's bri-
gade," as he rose from one rank to another,
each in turn gave proof that the men who
rallied around him for his great name
were ready to seek glory with him and not
through him, following to the lannon's
mouth whenever he led the way. William
Jasper was a sergeant in the Volunteer
company recruited by Marion, and merged
into the Second regiment when it organ
lied, with Col William Moultrie at the
head. This regiment owed much Of its
celebrity, and also that efficiency which
earned its celebrity, to Marion. He was
early chosen major and helped 10 mold the
organization, and one Of his superiors in
the regiment called him its architect"
Almost the first duty Of the command
was at Fort Sullivan or Moultric, on Sui
uvan's island, where Jasper first distin-
guished himself The Second found onlyan
outline of a fort prepared for them, but
they set TO work in anticipation of an at
tack 10y the British, and buit up walls of
palmetto logs and sand, high enough to
afford protection for men standing at
arms. Col. Moultrie was in command Of
the work and it was unfinished when a
strong British feet appeared IN the har-
Dor in June, l776. There were about $50
men and thirty-one cannon in the fort.
The British had eight vessels, mounting
about 300 cannon, and gave their first
blow to Moultrie. because il commanded
the entrance TO the harDor. The spirit Of
the garrison is shown by the confidence
Col Moultrie had in the issue Of the I'M
equal fight His fort had one unfinished
side exposed 10 the sea and his ammuni-
lion was short, and though Gen. Lee,
the American commander at Charleston,
wished TO have il abandoned rs being only
n slaughter pen" MOultric insisted on n
fight. When the formidable fleet APP
peared and some one said that the fort
would be "battered down in a half an
hour" the colonel said the garrison would
then fight on ''behind the ruins"
The battle began at 10 O'clock in the
morning and ragged all day. Over twelve
hundred shots were fired at the fort, but
she officers and men stood cOOlly at their
work doing terrible execution on the feet
Moultrie WAS the advance guard of the
harbor and the hope OF Charleston On the
flagstaff had been placed the first Revolu-
tionary banner ever hCistod in South Caro-
lima. IT waved proudly over the brave
men Of the Second in the fight until Brit
-sh shot cut the StatT-Ihc tail mast Of a ship
and the flag fell outward onto the beach.
Jasper, Of his own accord, resolved to re-
store the banner for the hope and encour-
agement OF the patriots nj a distance. who
would watch, with trembling hearts, the
ate Of Moultrie and it's standard Leap
NC the ramparts, he ran along the beach
ander fire the whole length Of the fort,
Put the flag from the PROSTATE mast and
prepared 10 restore IL to position. just
above where ii fell there was an en- brasure
With a cannon at work. The captain Of the
battery, Horny, was watching Jasper, and
when he called for a sponge staff from the
cannon gave il to him. The brave ser
geant, still under fire, bound the flag to
he staff with cords, climbed up the ram
part and fixed the standard in the sand on
q bastion wall facing the feet and in full
view Of the whole harbor This done, he
nimbly bounded over the wall into the
fort, greeted by the cheers Of his comrades
The day following the battle which was
laundering American victory, the governor
of South Carolina visited the fort, and
learning Of Jasper's deed took off his own
sword and presented it with thanks in the
name Of the country.
Jasper declined a lieutenant's commits
sion offered MIN by the governor for his
flag exploit, saying, 81 am content to be a
sergeant But he was fitted for higher
work than routine camp duty, and Marion