State," answered Rutledge. "The fort must be held." He sent for
Moultrie.

"General Moultrie, what do you think about giving up the fort?" he
inquired, repeating the advice of General Lee.

Moultrie was indignant, and he replied:

"No man, sir, can have a higher opinion of British ships and seamen than
I have. But there are others who love the smell of gunpowder as well
as they do. Give us a plenty of powder and ball, sir, and let them come
on as soon as they please."

"You shall have plenty of powder and ball," answered Rutledge, as he
sent Moultrie back to his post.

The guns of Fort Moultrie riddled the British ships, and covered their
decks with the dead and dying. One hundred and seventy-five men were
killed on board the fleet, and as many more wounded. The Americans lost
but thirty-five, and held the fort. A braver garrison never met a foe.
Sergeant Jaspar saw the flag shot away, and leaped down upon the beach,
snatched it up, and returned it to its place, shouting:

"Hurrah, boys! Liberty and America forever!" Governor Rutledge rewarded
him with a sword.

Sergeant McDonald was terribly shattered by a cannon-ball, and he called
out with his dying breath, "I die, but don't let the cause of liberty
die with me!"

The enemy's fleet was driven off in a shattered condition. The commander
was so deeply humiliated that even his black pilots insulted him. Weems
says that he called to one of them:

"Cudjo, what water have you there?"

"What water, massa? what water? Why, salt water, sure sir! sea water
always salt water, ain't he, massa?"

"You black rascal, I knew it was salt water; I only wanted to know how
_much_ water you have there?"

"How much water here, massa? how much water here? God bless me, massa!
Where I going get quart pot for measure him?"

The commander, even in his chagrin and trouble, could not but laugh at
Cudjo's idea of measuring the Atlantic ocean with a quart pot.

This discomfited fleet returned to New York and joined the British army.

When the news of the signal victory of the patriots at Moultrie reached
Washington, he announced it to the army, and said:

"With such a bright example before us of what can be done by brave men
fighting in defence of their country, we shall be loaded with a double
share of shame and infamy if we do not acquit ourselves with courage,
and manifest a determined resolution to conquer or die."

A detachment of the army was sent to construct works fr