Page:Cassell's Illustrated History of England vol 5.djvu/273

] others, to get them over into what is called Five Fathom Hole. Inside this bar lay the American admiral, Whipple, with nine ships, with guns ranging from sixteen up to forty-four. Close behind Whipple's squadron was Fort Moultrie, on Sullivan's Island, made much more formidable than in 1776, when it did so much execution on admiral Parker's squadron. Whipple retired as the English ships advanced, and eventually posted himself under the walls of Charlestown, sinking some ships across Cooper's River, without which precaution the English, on entering that river, would have raked the American lines.



No sooner had Clinton completed his first parallel, and begun to plant his batteries, than Arbuthnot sailed boldly past Fort Moultrie, losing only twenty-seven men from its fire, and took his station as near to the town as the sunken ships would admit.

Sir Henry Clinton then summoned Lincoln to surrender; but he declared that he would defend the place to the last, and just at this moment he was further reinforced by seven hundred regular troops, under general Woodford. Clinton opened his batteries with destructive effect, and hearing that Lincoln had posted his cavalry outside his lines, to keep open his communication with the country, he sent that dashing officer, colonel Tarleton, with his horse, to dislodge them. On the night of April 14th, Tarleton came suddenly upon the American cavalry, at a place called Biggin's Bridge, and put them to the route, capturing all their baggage, stores, and several hundred horses, of which the English had great need. This success opened the passage of Cooper's River, and enabled Clinton completely to invest the town, and cut off Lincoln's supplies. Lord Cornwallis was sent to scour the country, and so completely did he effect this, that Lincoln was compelled to offer terms of surrender. These were considered too favourable to the Americans, and the siege continued till 11th of May, when the English were doing such damage to the town, and the inhabitants suffering so much, that they threatened to throw open the gates, if Lincoln did not surrender. In this dilemma, Lincoln offered to accept the terms proposed by Clinton before, and the English general assented to his proposal. On the 12th of May, the Americans grounded their arms, and marched out according to the terms settled, namely, that the regulars were to remain prisoners of war, the militia to return home as prisoners on parole.

The number of prisoners amounted to upwards of six thousand, including one thousand American and French seamen. The governor, Rutledge, and a number of members of the council, had made their escape from the town whilst they could ; but the deputy-governor, and the rest of the council, Lincoln, and six other generals, commodore Whipple, and his officers, with four hundred pieces of ordnance, &c., remained. The whole American squadron was taken or destroyed. Congress was dreadfully disappointed in expected reinforcements from the French fleet in the West Indies and the Spaniards in Florida; but both these nations were too busy, endeavouring to make conquests for themselves, to think about their allies. The Spaniards, during this time, made themselves masters of nearly the whole of Florida. The news of this blow, which laid the