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

Will uCT.
Between 10 and II clock the en-
gagement was opened by the Thun-
derbomb ship, covered by the Friend
ship, Of % guns. Soon after, the
Active. of % guns, the 9ristol and
the Experiment, of 80 guns each, aud
the Solebay, Of %. guns, came iuto
position aud participated in the hom-
.bardment Tha S,reu aud the Ac-
ten, carrying battery of % guns,
formed line parallel with aud in the
rear Of the first, united in the heavy
eannonade against the low-lying pal
mesto fort, from which issued delib-
crate, sure and destructive fre. The
battle was now raging in It's widest
terrors. Cue wild action shakes the
late peaceful waters, the iron rattlipg
upon our tottering fabric, whose voice
is scarcely heard in reply. Powder is
scarce; such is our poverty that a
sufficient supply had not been and
would not be supplied without dimin-
sishing that which had been,allotted
to the defence Of the city. "a brave.
officer was seen to pass from gun TO,
gun, telling his menyto spare powder
and give the enemy more, shot. "You
must shoot more truly aud more
slowly, and, carefully adjusting the
cannon before itsdischarge, hesighted
it himself and watched its effect as it
unerri1gly drove the ball through the
thick ribs Of the huge vessel riding
the waters before him. This was
Meultrie giving the counsel and ex-
ample to his men. 81
After a bombardment Of more than
an hour failing to silencet the fort, the
British commander ordered the Ac-
ton, the Sphinx and the Syren to
pass the work and occupy the posi-
tion in Rebellion Roads towards the
'eoYe Of Sullivan 8 Island whence the
ffront platforlnssof the southeast cur
tain, aud its two bastions, the fire
from which had been particularly
damaging to the attacking S.ships eu-.
6laded. Had this movement been ac-
complished there is little doubt that
the cannoneers would have been
speedily driven from their guns and
the pieces themselves dismounted.
In attempting to stand well over to-
wards the lower middle ground the
Action became fixed on the sand, !,
having first ran foul Of this Sphinx
and caused the loss of her bowsprit.
After throwing some fifty or sixty
shells which caused no material in
jury to the fort, the recoil Of the
heavily charged mortars so shattered
their beds aid endangered the ships
that the Thunderbomb became useless
for further service. Meanwhile the
engagement had been vigorously
maintained at short range by the Ac-
tive, the Bristol, the Experiment and
the Solebay.
During the afternoon their FIRE vas
again reinforced by that Of the Syren
and the Friendship. Slackening with
the, setting sun, the cannonading on
both sides ceases at 8 80 o'clock
Shipping their sable as ii o'clock the
British ships-sstheir decks vet with:
blood and hulks battered by we'll
directed shot from the fort silently
retired to their former station near
Five Fathom hole, and the "natise
palmetto had withstood the assault Of
foreign oak.
The cloud is gone from the fearful
scene. The warriors Of Britain, hay-
ing deserted the combat, shorne Of
glory, and victory by the brave colon
lists in the struggle for freedom.
During the severest stage Of the
bombardment the flagstaff Of the fort,
formerly ships mast, from the head
of which foatei the garrison flag,
eagerly watched by the anxious spec
tators Of the exciting scene, who By
the thousands lined the battery in
Charleston, and by those who held
the Notifications in the harbor, was
shot away and fell with the colors
outside the fort. Sergt. Jasper, see
log the misfortune, jumped from one
Of the embrasures and deliberately
walking the entire length of the fort
until he reached the fallen colors on
the left, separated them from the
mast, called to Capt. Horny for
sponge staff, and with the silk hand
kerchief from his brow he lashed the
colors to it, and returning within the
fort amid great shower, he planted
the sponge staff on the summit of the
merlon. Having finished he waved