794. He was
afterward raised to the rank of marquis and appointed lord-lieutenant of
Ireland. In 1805 he was sent out again to govern India, and died there.

[Sidenote: Battle of Fort Moultrie, June 28, 1776.]

[Sidenote: Lord Howe's effort toward conciliation.]

On the arrival of the fleet it was decided to attack and capture
Charleston, and overthrow the new government there. General Charles Lee
was sent down by Congress to defend the city, but the South Carolina
patriots proved quite able to take care of themselves. On Sullivan's
Island in Charleston harbour Colonel William Moultrie built a low
elastic fortress of palmetto logs supported by banks of sand and
mounting several heavy guns. In the cannonade which took place on the
28th of June this rude structure escaped with little injury, while its
guns inflicted such serious damage upon the fleet that the British were
obliged to abandon for the present all thought of taking Charleston. In
the course of July they sailed for New York harbour to reinforce General
Howe. On the 12th of that month the general's brother, Richard, Lord
Howe, arrived at Staten Island to take the chief command of the fleet.
He was one of the ablest seamen of his time, and was a favourite with
his sailors, by whom, on account of his swarthy complexion, he was
familiarly known as "Black Dick." Lord Howe and his brother were
authorized to offer terms to the Americans and endeavour to restore
peace by negotiation. It was not easy, however, to find any one in
America with whom to negotiate. Lord Howe was sincerely desirous of
making peace and doing something to heal the troubles which had brought
on the war; and he seems to have supposed that some good might be
effected by private interviews with leading Americans. To send a message
to Congress was, of course, not to be thought of; for that would be
equivalent to recognizing Congress as a body entitled to speak for the
American people. He brought with him an assurance of amnesty and pardon
for all such rebels as would lay down their arms, and decided that it
would be best to send it to the American commander; but as it was not
proper to recognize the military rank which had been conferred upon
Washington by a revolutionary body, he addressed his message to "George
Washington, Esq.," as to a private citizen. When Washington refused to
receive such a message, his lordship could think of no one else to
approach except the royal governors. But