Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1890-11-29


olution with popular reputation, ana
that of kind TO draw around him fight
ing men. He was known to be OF that
stamp himself. He had volunteered in the
Cherokee war, and, having risen TO lieu
tenancy, led forlorn hope of thirty men,
where twenty-three of the party fell. 1t is
a test of a soldiers grit when he chooses to
unite his fortunes with leader of spirit
and energy, and "Marion's company"
"Marion's regiment" and "Marion's bri-
gade," rs 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 it's celebrity, to Marion. He was
early chosen major and helped to mold the
organization, and one of his superiors in
the regiment called him it's architect"
Almost the first duty of the command
was at Fort Sullivan or Moultrie, on Sui
.livan's island, where Jasper first distin-
| guished himself The Second found only an
outline of fort prepared for them, but
|
tack by the British, and built up walls Of
palmetto logs and sand, high enough TO
| afford protection for men standing at
| srrns Col Moultrie was in command of
| the work, and it was unfinished when a
strong British deet appeared in the har-
| Dor in June 1796. There were about 45O
men and thirty-one cannon in the fort.
The British had eight vessels. mounting
about 800 cannon, and gave their first
blow TO Moultrie, because it commanded
the entrance to the harbor. The spirit OF
she garrison is shown by the confidence
Col. Moultrie had in the issue of the un
equal fight His fort had one unfinished
side exposed TO the sea and his ammuni
ton was short. and though Gen. Lee
the American commander at Charleston
wished TO have IL abandoned as being onl,
a slaughter pen," Moultrie insisted on
fight. When the formidable fleet ap
: peared and some one snid that the for
would be battered down in a half al
/ | hour" the colonel said the garrison wouli
then eight on behind the ruins"
The battle began at 10 o'clock in tn
morning and ragged all day. Over twelv
hundred shots were fired at the fort, bu
the officers and men stood cooliy at thei
work doing terrible execution on the fee
Moultrie Was the advance guard of tn
harbor and the hope Of Charleston. On th
flagstaff had been placed the first Revolt
tionarv banner ever hoisted in South Carr
(, lima 1t ws1veds s,ilY over the braa
men az the Second in the fight until a Brl
: ish shot cut the staif-the tai! mast OF a sb
/ land the flag fell outward onto the beac
i Jasper, of his own accord, resolved to 7
j store the banner for the hope and encou
agement OF the patriots at distance, WI
= wcdld watch, with trembling hearts, q
Is fate of Moultrie and its standard Lea
s. ing. the ramparts, he ran along the beas
(. under fire the whole length of the fol
q cut the flag from the PROSTATE mast al
2 prepared to restore it TO position. Ju
above where it fell there was an embrasu
20 with a cannon at work. The captain of &
lie battery, Horny, was watching Jasper, al
q when he called for a sponge staff from
10 | cannon gave it to him. The brave 81
geant, still under fire, bound the flag
~ the staff with cords, climbed up the RAJ
Us l-part and fixed the standard in the sand
h, a bastion wall facing the fleet and in II
ne view of the whole harbor. This done,
"A nimbly bounded over the wall into {
= fort, greeted by the cheers of his conrad
VI The day following the battle, which was
ne laundering American victory, the govern
of South Carolina visited the fort, a
/ learning OF Jaspers deed took off his o'
q sword and presented it with thanks in
- name of the country.
ou Jasper declined a lieutenant's comm
sion offered him by the governor for
,ty flag exploit. saying, 81 am content to be
nd | sergeant" But he was fitted for hig
~ work than routine camp duty, and Mar