ed at points
commanding the entrance to the harbor. Troops were thrown out to
oppose the advance of landing parties. The wharves were covered with
breastworks, and the streets leading up from the water-side were
barricaded. There was a great scarceness of lead for bullets; and to
supply that need the leaden sashes, in which window-panes were at that
time set, were melted down. When the fleet of the enemy appeared in
the offing, Charleston was quite ready to give the invaders a warm
reception.

Fort Sullivan was the chief work in the harbor, and against this
Parker began a vigorous cannonade early on the morning of the 28th of
June. The fort had been built of logs of palmetto wood, and was looked
upon with some distrust by its defenders, who did not know how well
that material could withstand cannon-shot; but the opening volley of
the fleet re-assured them. The balls penetrated deep in the soft,
spongy wood without detaching any of the splinters, which, in a
battle, are more dangerous than the shot themselves. The fort soon
replied to the fire of the fleet; and the thunder of three hundred
cannon rang out over the bay, while dense clouds of sulphurous smoke
hid the scene from the eager gaze of the crowds of people on the
housetops of the city.

When the stately ships of the British squadron swung into line before
the little wooden fort, there was hardly a sailor who did not take his
station without a feeling of contempt for the insignificant obstacle
that they were about to sweep from their path. But as the day wore on,
and the ceaseless cannonade seemed to have no effect on the bastions
of the fort, the case began to look serious.

"Mind the commodore, and the fifty-gun ships," was the command
Moultrie gave to the gunners in the fort when the action commenced,
and right well did they heed the injunction. The quarter-decks of the
ships-of-the-line were swept clean of officers. The gunners in the
fort soon found that the fire of the enemy was doing little or no
execution, and they sighted their guns as coolly as though out for a
day's target practice. The huge iron balls crashed through the hulls
of the ships, or swept their decks, doing terrific execution. The
cable of the "Bristol" was shot away, and she swung round with her
stern to the fort. In this position she was raked repeatedly; her
captain was killed, and at one time not an officer remained on her
quarter-deck except the admiral Sir Peter Parker. When the co