parallel, the
garrison received a considerable reinforcement. General Woodford, who
had marched from Morristown in December, entered the town with the old
continental troops of the Virginia line, now reduced to seven hundred
effectives. General Hogan, with the line of North Carolina, had
arrived before him. The garrison consisted of rather more than two
thousand regular troops, of about one thousand North Carolina militia,
and of the citizens of Charleston. The exertions of the Governor to
bring in the militia of South Carolina had not succeeded.

[Sidenote: April 9.]

By the 9th of April, Sir Henry Clinton completed his first parallel
extending across the neck, and mounted his guns in battery. His works
formed an oblique line, from six to seven hundred yards distant from
those of the besieged. About the same time, Admiral Arbuthnot passed
Sullivan's Island, under a heavy and well directed fire from fort
Moultrie, then commanded by Colonel Pinckney, and anchored under
James' Island near fort Johnson, just out of gunshot of the batteries
of the town.

Being now in complete possession of the harbour, the British General
and Admiral sent a joint summons to General Lincoln, demanding the
surrender of the town, to which he returned this firm and modest
answer. "Sixty days have elapsed since it has been known that your
intentions against this town were hostile, in which, time has been
afforded to abandon it; but duty and inclination point to the
propriety of supporting it to the last extremity."

On receiving this answer, the besiegers opened their batteries, but
seemed to rely principally on proceeding by sap quite into the
American lines.

About this time, the Governor with half the members of the council,
went into the country, in the hope of collecting a respectable force
in the rear, and on the left flank of the besieging army. The
Lieutenant Governor, and the other members of the council remained in
town.

Hitherto, Sir Henry Clinton had not extended his lines north of
Charleston neck, and the communication of the garrison with the
country north-east of Cooper remained open. The American cavalry,
under the command of General Huger, had passed that river, and was
stationed in the neighbourhood of Monk's corner, about thirty miles
above Charleston. As an additional security to this, the only
remaining communication, two posts of militia were established, one
between the Cooper and the Santee rivers, to which the