4th of June, anchored about three miles from Sullivan's Island. Every exertion had been previously made to put the colony, and especially its capital, in a posture of defence. Works had been erected on Sullivan's Island, which lies about six miles below Charleston toward the sea, and so near the channel, as to be a convenient post for annoying ships when approaching the town. The militia of the country now repaired in great numbers to Charleston; and at this critical juncture Major-General Lee, who had been appointed by Congress to the immediate command of all the forces in the southern department, arrived with the regular troops of the northern colonies. On the 28th of June, Sir Peter Parker attacked the fort on Sullivan's Island, with two 50 gun ships, four frigates of 28 guns, the Sphynx of 20 guns, the Friendship armed vessel of 22 guns, and the Ranger sloop and Thunder bomb, each of 8 guns. On the fort were mounted 26 cannon, with which the garrison, consisting of 375 regulars and a few militia, under the command of Colonel Moultrie, made a most gallant defence. The attack commenced between ten and eleven in the morning, and was continued upward of ten hours. The flag-staff of the fort being shot away very early in the action, Sergeant Jasper leaped down upon the beach, took up the flag, and, regardless of the incessant firing of the shipping, mounted and placed it on the rampart. Three of the ships, advancing about twelve o'clock to attack the western wing of the fort, became entangled with a shoal; to which providential incident the preservation of the garrison is ascribed. At half past nine, the firing on both sides ceased; and soon after the ships slipped their cables. In this action, the deliberate well-directed fire of the garrison exceedingly shattered the ships; and the killed and wounded on board exceeded 200 men. The loss of the garrison was only 10 men killed and 22 wounded. Though many thousand shot were fired from the shipping, yet the works were but little damaged. The fort being built of palmetto, a tree indigenous to Carolina, of a remarkably spongy nature, the shot which struck it were merely buried in the wood, without shivering it. Hardly a hut or a tree on the island escaped. The thanks of Congress were given to General Lee, and to Colonels Thomson and Moultrie, for their good conduct on this memorable day; and the fort, in compliment to the commanding officer, was from that time called Fort Moultrie. THE FIRST PRAYER IN CONGRESS. THE subjoined extract of a characteristic letter from John Adams, describing a scene in the first Congress in Philadelphia, in 1774, shows very clearly on what Power the mighty men of old rested their cause. Mr. Adams thus wrote to a friend at the time: "When Congress met, Mr. Cushing made a motion that it should be opened with prayer. It was opposed by Mr. Jay, of New York, and Mr. Rutledge, of South Carolina, because we were so divided in religious sentiments, some Episcopalians, some Quakers, some Anabaptists, some Presbyterians, and some Congregationalists, that we could not join in the same act of worship. Mr. Samuel Adams rose and said that he was no bigot, and could hear a prayer from any good man of piety and virtue who was at the same time a friend to his country. He was a stranger in Philadelphia, but had heard that Mr. Duche (Dushay they pronounced it) deserved that character, and therefore he moved that Mr. Duche, an Episcopal clergyman, might be desired to read prayers to the Congress, to-morrow morning. This motion was seconded, and passed in the affirmative. Mr. Randolph, our President, waited on Mr. Duche, and received for answer that if his health would permit, he certainly would. Accordingly, next morning he appeared with his clerk, in his pontificals, and read several prayers in the established form, and he then read the collect for the seventh day of September, which was the thirty-fifth Psalm. You must remember, this was the next morning after we had heard the rumour of the horrible cannonade of Boston. It seemed as if Heaven had ordained that Psalm to be read on that morning. |