A PICTORIAL HISTORY

OF

THE UNITED STATES.

You

CHAPTER I.

1776. THE CAMPAIGN IN THE SOUTH.

must bear in mind that not only were the patriots forced to combat the British invaders of their country, but that they had enemies at home. These were men who believed it wrong to fight for their independence, and who thought the rule of King George III. the best that the colonies could have.

Many of the Tories were cruel and treacherous, and while their patriotic neighbors were away from home fighting for liberty, injured their property, sometimes burning their houses and shooting the members of their families. When brave enough to face danger they would either join the British invaders or form companies of their own to fight against their fellow-citizens. It is probable that some of the Tories were honest in their belief, but no one can justify their brutalities.

There was a severe conflict in North Carolina between the patriots and Tories, in which the latter were defeated with heavy loss. So completely were the traitors. crushed, that for a time it was hard work to find one in that part of our country.

Clinton, Cornwallis and Parker showed no great eagerness to engage in their work. The first named general having reached Wilmington, awaited the arrival of the fleet and re-enforcements. The ships came in one by one, the last arriving on the third of May. with Admiral Parker. This delay gave the Continentals good opportunity to prepare themselves for the attack.

Christopher Gadsen was colonel of the first patriot regiment, and William Moultrie commanded the second. There was also a regiment of riflemen, all famous marksmen, while their colonel, William Thompson, was the best shot of all. Tories were plentiful in South Carolina, but they were pretty well scared, and when North Carolina sent a

regiment to her neighbor's help, all danger to the patriots from the rear was removed.

It was easy to see the importance of Charleston. The British General Clinton could do nothing without the help of his fleet, and that fleet was powerless until it had possession of Charleston harbor. The South Carolinians saw this from the first, and did not wait until the danger was upon them before preparing for it. Scarcely was the news of Lexington known when they began fortifying the harbor. They knew their turn would soon come, and they did not mean to be caught napping.

On the north side of the entrance to the harbor lay Sullivan's Island - low, marshy and wooded while on the south side was James Island, much larger. Gadsen was intrenched on the latter, and Moultrie and Thompson were on Sullivan's Island, which is six miles distant from Charleston. The streets of the town were barricaded and a large force was kept under arms to resist the assault that was sure to come, in case the outer defenses were carried. The most important of these was the fort erected by Moultrie on Sullivan's Island, opposite the place where the channel ran closest to the shore. No vessel could reach Charleston without passing that fort, and as long as the vessels were held at bay, Charleston was safe.

The walls of the fort were made of palmetto logs, and the spaces between filled with sand, so that the walls were over a dozen feet in thickness. The middle of the fort was a swamp. The work was not finished when called upon to resist the tremendous assault of the fleet. The front was completed, and thirty-one guns were mounted on it. There was room for a thousand men, but the garrison numbered only four hundred.

Copies of the royal proclamation, offering pardon to such as would lay down their arms, were sent to the patriots, but of course that work was thrown away. General Lee watched the preparations making by Moultrie and shook his head.

"It is impossible with these defenses to keep back the fleet," he said, with the positiveness of one who was sure he was right. "I do not believe you can hold out half an hour. The fort will be knocked all to pieces."

"Then we'll lie behind the ruins," replied Moultrie, “and keep at it.”

"You have no means of retreat," added Lee. "If you are defeated the slaughter will be dreadful."

"We're not going to be defeated, general."

He

This was brave talk, but it did not quiet the fears of the commanding officer. was in favor of abandoning the place, or at least of building a bridge of boats from the island to the mainland, but Colonel Moultrie was so urgent that Lee gave him his

own way.

Clinton and Cornwallis agreed that the best plan was to land on a sandbank, and then pass to Sullivan's Island by means of a certain ford said to exist at low water. On the 17th of June, twenty-five hundred British disembarked on this patch of sand, only to be tormented by musquitoes, the blazing sun and a lack of good water. It was the worst time of the year for people unused to the flaming skies of the south. And now, when the invaders came to examine the supposed ford, it was found to be fully seven feet deep at low water. It looked as if the only way to get across was for

1776.]

ATTACK ON CHARLESTON.

3

None of

the soldiers to walk on stilts, to ride on each other's shoulders, or to swim. these methods could be adopted, and there was little prospect, therefore, of Clinton giving help to the fleet.

After repeated delays, the attack was opened on the 28th of June, 1776. Parker was confident that he could reduce the fort, and defeat the large body of Continentals encamped on the island in the rear of the fort. The Americans had an advanced post at one extremity of the island, where the men were protected by sand-hills and myrtle-bushes, with breast works thrown up in the rear, and guarded by a large number of riflemen. On the left was a morass, and on the right a couple of guns commanded the spot where it was expected Clinton would land his men.

About the middle of the forenoon of that hot June day, the British fleet, numbering ten men-of-war, and carrying two hundred and fifty-four guns, sailed up the channel, the Bristol flying Admiral Parker's pennant, being third in the line. Over the fort fluttered the flag of South Carolina, blue in color, with a silver crescent and the single word, "Liberty."

The garrison grimly awaited the approach of the ponderous hulls, slowly sweeping forward, with a wealth of bellying canvas above. As they swung one after another into range, Moultrie sent a few cannon balls whistling toward them, but the ships made no reply until they dropped anchor in position before the fort. Then their "thunders shook the mighty deep." Spouts of flame shot from the throats of hundreds of cannon, and tons of metal went hurtling over the water toward the fort. When the smoke cleared away Admiral Parker and his officers expected to see the fortifications splintered and scattered as if by a myriad thunder-bolts. General Lee and a vast crowd,. many with glasses, intently watched the result from Charleston.

There was scarcely a sign that the fort had been struck. The palmetto logs were the best material that could have been used. They are spongy and fibrous, and when struck by a cannon ball the wood does not splinter, but seems to absorb the metal. Of course, the heavy balls did some damage, and the sand often flew aloft in showers, but the result was highly pleasing to the Americans, and equally disappointing to the British. Admiral Parker, however, concluded that it would merely take him a little longer than was anticipated to demolish the defenses that disputed his passage to the city.

Most of the shells that curved over into the fort fell into the marsh in the center, where they were quenched by the water and mud, and sputtered out without harming any one. No one could have shown more coolness and bravery than Colonel Moultrie. He smoked his pipe, growled now and then as a twinge of gout shot through his leg, and, limping back and forth, inspired all with his own courage. The weather was excessively hot, and banks of sulphurous vapor almost suffocated the defenders, as they fought half-naked. Their well-aimed shots crashed through the rigging and hulls of the ships with tremendous effect.

Suddenly the flag at the south-east bastion fell to the beach. The flag-staff had been cut in two by a ball from one of the vessels. Sergeant William Jasper bounded through one of the embrasures, seized the ensign, climbed the wall amid a

1776.]

BRITISH BRAVERY.

5

furious fire, waved the flag defiantly at the enemy, and securing it on a pike coolly fixed it in place, and jumped down among his comrades.

The British showed great bravery, but they could not equal the damage inflicted by the American shots, aimed with so much skill. Every body on the quarter-deck of the flag-ship Bristol was either killed or wounded, and, for a time, Admiral Parker

was the only one who stood there unhurt. Captain Morris was struck in the neck, and, shortly after, his right arm was shattered by a chain shot. He passed quietly below, had his arm amputated and dressed, after which he returned to the quarterdeck, where he continued to direct the action of the ship, until a shot passed through his body and his voice was hushed forever.