The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-01-04


OF age, in the lat DAUGHTERS Of the
American Revolution c,ntrst.
Nonght June . h, l71i: lasted ii
hours ana - minutes. Cnlonists IN
der Col W liam M"nltric, British
.rndcr Sir Peter Parker
The affairs Of the American army
were nov turned southwark Gen.
Charles Lee had been sent to the
South TO take command Of the troops
assembling there to oppo~c Sir Peter
i'arkcr and Sir Henry Clinton. Gen.
Lee arrived in Charleston. = & and
Iormcd force Of 5000 men from the
Garolinas and Virginia: but the city
was not defended bya single fortifca-
Gion
Clinton arrived in the outer harbor
nn the iLh Of June, the day Lee reach
ed the city. The key to the Amcri-
can position and success was now
Charleston harbor and Fort Sullivan,
afterwards named M0ultric.
Under the orders Of Lee, the city
was one scene of preparation; the ne
grocs were required to work with
spadcs and hoes tn erect forti6cationa.
The lcadcn weights we're taken from
the window sashcs of houses aud
churches and melted into bullets.
Small bodies Of miltiamen we're hur-
ryiDg in various guiscs, half military,
half civil. Some wore caps Of the
most fantastic fashion, mad. Of fox
and coon skins; others more uniform
in dress wore caps Of glazed leather,
with the word Liberty printed in
yellow letters.
About six miles scaward is long,
narrow strip Of land-Sullivnn's Is-
land-and, situated on the southweet
point, was the fortifcation of Fort
Sullivan, and, so rudcly constructed
shat Gen. Lee. fearing to trust it,
asked Col. Mou.tric' 8 advice about
leaving it and trying TO fortify some
ncar fort stronger, hut Col. Moultric's 3
only reply was that Fort Sullivan
and Sullivans Island would perform
their duty towards their State
The growth Ct the island was the
Happy, spongy palmetto tree. The
troops lost no time in preparing the
etructurc for defense. This rudely
constructed but worthy fort was built
If fpalmetto logs, sufficient in size to
.uontain 1000 men. The palmetto
logs wero cut while green and spongy,
laid enc upon another, lG feet apart,
with corners dovetailed, and bol.ed
into the logs, and strengthe1 with
timbcrs.
The walls werp l6 feet thick, filed
IN with sand, and 10 feet high above
the platforms, the platforms being
" supported by brick pillars. The fort
was only finished on the front, or
s0dtheastefn curtain and bastou, and
.'0n the southwestern curtain and bas.
tionj The northeastern and north
western sides wero unfinished, being
logged up about seven feet high.
Thick, long planks formed an escalade
20 tho use Of musketry and rifles.
Upon the platforms the cannon were
mounted. On the. southeast bastion
che flag staff was fixed. bearing blue
dag with crescent, on which was en-
.blazoned tho word Liberty" and
three Is and two 9.pouuders were
mounted there. On the southeast
curtain six 26 French FOUNDERS and
three Is English poundcrs were piac. d;
and on the western bas,ion, connected
with it, three 26 French FOUNDERS and
Two 9-pounders were stationed. On
'he southwest curtain, six cannons
were mounted-12 and o-poundcrs.
, CONNECTED with the front angles of
each rear bastion of the fort, lines Of
defense, called cavaliers, were thrown
up for a small distance on the right
and left Of the fort; and three r.
FOUNDERS were mounted on each side
of them.
SO that the whole number of the
cannon mounted on the fort and oava-
liers on each side was 81, Of which
only 70 at any possible time could
bear upon the enemy stationed in
front of the fort, and, even then. four
9-pounders GU the two inner sides of
the front bastion could be scarcely
used. Narrow platforms, or ban
4uettes, were placed along the walk.
where the plank was raised against
them, for tho men to stand upon and
fire through the loop-holcs. Such
was the situation of Fort Sullivan on
the 9Th of June, and its garrison
consisted Of the Second South Carroll
na Regiment Of infantry, amounting