advisable procedure but that of turning against South Carolina; which expedition offered also this advantage, that the reduction of Charleston secured the conquest of the entire province.

Its inhabitants, struck with consternation at the loss of their capi tal, would never even think of attempting to defend an open country, exposed to the inroads of an active and disciplined enemy. Nor could the taking of Charleston be considered a difficult operation, this city being situated upon the very coast.

The plan being decided, the English prepared themselves for the execution. But the Carolinians had neglected nothing to secure themselves the means of defending their province, and particularly their capital. The chiefs of the people, as we have already related, had taken particular care to fortify Sullivan's Island, situated on the part of the sea, at the distance of six miles from the point of land formed by the confluence of the two rivers, Ashley and Cooper, and upon which the city of Charleston is built. This island so commands the channel which leads to the port, that the vessels which would enter it must pass under the cannon of fort Moultrie. It had recently been armed with thirty-six pieces of heavy cannon, and twentysix of inferior caliber. The fort itself was constructed of a species of wood of the country, which the inhabitants denominated Palmetto, and is so spongy and soft, that the ball is deprived by it of its impetus, and lodges within it without causing splinters. The militia of all the province were called in haste to the defense of the city. In the space of a few days the garrison amounted to six thousand men, if not perfectly disciplined, at least full of ardor.

The regiment on pay, of South Carolina, was sent to guard fort Johnson, situated in James Island, three miles from Charleston, and which commanded the whole breadth of the channel.

The second and third regiments occupied Sullivan's Island. William Moultrie, who commanded the second regiment, was charged with the defense of the fort, which afterwards, from his gallant defense of it, was called by his name. The rest of the troops were distributed in the most important posts; the roads which led to the sea were obstructed by abattis, the warehouses of the coast demolished, and intrenchments erected upon the shore.

There was not an inhabitant who had not in hand either arms or the spade, or the pick-axe. The blacks, who had been called in from the country, admirably seconded the whites in all the labors of fortification. The chief command belonged to general Lee, who possessed the entire confidence of the troops and of the people; none rivaled him in devotion to the common cause. The hatred he had long borne towards the English government, the love of

glory, and the desire of answering the universal expectation, continually excited his natural ardor. Rutledge, a man of great influence in the province, also manifested the most active zeal in animating the inhabitants to defend themselves. His example and his exhortations obtained the most happy results. Every one was at his post, expecting the enemy with intrepid confidence. Meanwhile, the British fleet appeared, and cast anchor to the north of Sullivan's Island.

The ships of war were the Bristol and Experiment, of fifty guns; four frigates, the Active, the Acteon, the Solebay, and the Syren, of twenty-eight; the Sphynx of twenty, the Friendship of twenty-two, two smaller vessels of eight, and the Thunder, a bomb-ketch.

It was very difficult, especially for the large ships, to pass the bar which is found at the entrance of the channel of Charleston.

It was not without extreme fatigue that the English succeeded in crossing it with the Bristol and Experiment, even after they had lightened them of their artillery and a great part of their lading. They struck, and it was thought they would bilge immediately; but the skill of the officers and the efforts of the sailors at length preserved them. The intention of the English was to reduce fort Moultrie, in order, afterwards, to attack the city without obstacle. General Clinton issued a proclamation, which he sent into the city by a flag; he therein reminded the inhabitants of the subversion of all laws, of the tyranny established in the hands of the congress, the committees, and other unconstitutional authorities; he gave them a last admonition, before proceeding to extremities; he exhorted them to avert from their heads, by a prompt return to obedience, the vengeance of a powerful and irritated nation. He offered pardon, at the same time, to all those who should lay down arms and submit immediately.

This summons produced no effect whatever.

The English generals had arranged their attack in the following manner. The ships were to cannonade fort Moultrie in front, while a corps of troops landed for this purpose in Long Island, to the east of Sullivan's Island, should cross the narrow arm of the sea that separates them, and which was believed fordable. This corps would then have pressed the fort on the part of the land, which was much less strongly fortified. This plan offered them so fair a prospect of success, that general Lee himself, having doubts whether the fort could be defended, recommended that it should be evacuated, and that all efforts should be concentrated for the defense of the city. But the inhabitants, who dreaded bombs out of measure, resolved to attempt, by all means, the defense of the fort

All the preparations being completed on the one part, and on the other, on the morning of the twenty-eighth of June, the ketch Thunder, protected by another armed vessel, took post, and began to throw bombs into fort Moultrie, while the rest of the squadron advanced.

About eleven o'clock, the Bristol, the Experiment, the Active, and the Solebay, having formed in line, opened a violent fire against the fort. The Sphynx, the Acteon, and the Syren, went to take their station to the west, between the point of Sullivan's Island and the city, partly to be able to sweep the interior of the works, and partly to intercept all communication between the island and the main land, which would deprive the garrison of the means of retreat, prevent them from receiving succors of men and of munitions, and prohibit the Carolinians from annoying the besiegers by fire ships or other engines of war. The unskillfulness of the pilots caused the miscarriage of these dispositions: the three vessels struck upon a bank named the Middle Grounds; two of them, by the exertions of the mariners, were again set afloat, but not without having received consid erable damage. Whether on account of the hour, already become late, or in consequence of this damage, they were no longer in a situation to execute the orders of the captains. As to the Acteon, she was totally stranded, and, the next morning, burned. During this time, the first four vessels had kept up a furious cannonade against the fort, which was returned with equal vivacity. The Thunder, after having discharged upwards of sixty bombs, found herself so disabled, that she discontinued her fire; but the others maintained it; and if the attack was vigorous, the defense was not feeble. The English themselves were constrained to admire the intrepidity of the Americans in so hot an action.

The garrison of the fort, which consisted only in militia and a few soldiers of the line, displayed an incredible coolness and gallantry, in the service of their artillery, in the midst of the tempest of balls which was hailed upon them by the enemy's squadron. The Americans aimed with an extreme precision. The English ships suffered excessively; and their loss in men was not inconsiderable. The Bristol, especially, being damaged in all her rigging, was for some time so exposed to the fire of the batteries, that she narrowly escaped being sunk. Captain Morris, who commanded the Actcon, had already received several wounds, and the greater part of his men were killed; 'eft almost alone upon the deck, he refused to be carried below, until a ball took off one of his legs, and then was removed without hope of life. The admiral himself, Peter Parker, received a severe contusion.