The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-01-04
DATTLE OF FORT MOl]LTRIE.
Young Girl Writes the y rticlc that Wins
the Prize.


Win nCr.
Between 10 and II ocl"ck the en-
gag"rnrnt was opened hy the Ihun-
dcrb"nb ship. covered I'y the Friend.
ship, Of - guns soon after, the
Active. "f 2s gum. the Bristol and
the Experiment, of 80 guns each. aud
the S"lch,y, "f - guns. came into
position aud participated in the hom-
bardmrnt Tia Syrcn and tie Ac-
t'"", carrying Il battery Of % guns,
tori ID linc parallel With aud in the
rear "f the first, united in the heavy
cannonadc against the low-Iyiug pal
tnctto fort, from which issued Il delib.
crate, sure aud destructive ire. The
battle was now raging in it's widest
t"rrors- One wild action shakes the
late peaceful waters. the iron rafting
upon our t"ttcrng fabric, whose voice
~ scarcely heard in reply Powder is
scarce; such is our poverty that q
sufficient supply had not been aud
would not Le supplied without din,in-
ishing that which had been allotted
to the defence "f the city. A brave
officer was seen to p.ss from IN to
gun. telling his men to spare powder
and give the enemy more shot. "You
must shoot more truly and more
slowly, and, carefully adjusting the
cannon before its discharge. he sighted
it himself and watched it's eif.c, as it
unerringly drove the ball through the
thick ribs of the huge vess- riding
the waters before him. This was
M"ultric giving the counsel and ex-
ample to his mcn.
After bombardmcnt of more than
an hour failing TO silence the fort, the
British commander ordered the Ac-
ton, the Sphinx aud the Syren to
pass the work and occupy the posi-
ton in Rebellion Roads towards the
cove of Sullivan Island whence the
front platforms Of the southeast cur
tain, aud its two bastious, the fire
from which had been particularly
damaging To the attacking ships en-
/ filaded. Had this movement been ac
compishcd there is little doubt tha,
the cannnnccrs would have been
speedily driven from their guns and
the pieces themselves di~mounted.
In attempting to stand we'll over TO.
wards the lower middle ground the
Action became fixed on the saud,
having first ran foul of this Sphinx
aud caused the loss Of her bowsprit.
After throwing some fifty or sixty
shells which caused no material in
jury tc the Tort, the reooil of the
heavily charged mortars so shattered
their beds ID 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 aud
the Solebay.
During the afternoon their fire was
again reinforced by that Of the Syren
and tho Friendship. Slackening with
the setting sun, tho cannonading on
both sides ceases at 8 80 o'clock.
Shipping their cable at IL o'clock the
British ships-"thcir decks wet 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 "native
palmetto had withstood the assault of
foreign oak.
The cloud is gone from the fearful
scene. The warriors of Britain, hav-
ing deserted the combat, shornc Of
glory, and victory by the brave colon.
lists in the struggle for freedom.
During the scvcrcst stage of the
bombardment the flagstaff of the fort,
formerly ships mast, from the head
OF which foated the garrison flag,
eagerly watched by the anxious apec-
tators of the exciting scene, who by
the thousands lined the battery in
Charleston, and by those who held
the sortifications in the harbor, was
shot away and fell with the colors
outside the fort. Scrgt. Jasper. see.
ing the m sfortunc, jumped from one
Of the embrasures and deliberately
walking the entire length Of tho 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 lashcd the
colors to it, and returning within the
fort amid great shower, he planted
the sponge staff On the summit Of the
mcrlon. Having finished he waved
his hat, gave three cheers, and shout
cd God save libcrly and my country