Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume IV.djvu/325

 CHARLESTON CHARLESTOWN 31T 2 are colored ; 3 Lutheran, 1 Unitarian, and 1 Huguenot. Charleston was originally settled about 1679, by an English colony under Wil- liam Sayle, who became the first governor. He first attempted a settlement at Beaufort, but abandoned this place in consequence of its insecurity. It was too easily accessible by sea, and too difficult of defence in a period when England had several maritime competitors. Sayle transplanted his colony next to the W. side of Ashley river. After his death another removal took place, and the colonists passed over E. of the river, and planted themselves on the W. bank of the Cooper; and Oyster Point be- came Charleston. Its history from that period to the close of the revolution, nearly 100 years, is one of curious and remarkable interest. Charleston was one of the first among the chief pla'ces of the south to assert a common cause with and for the colonies. It was the first to as- sert its own independence, and to make a con- stitution for itself. It was thrice attempted by the enemy : first in the assault by Sir Peter Par- ker and Gen. Clinton on the palmetto fort (since Fort Moultrie) at Sullivan's island, in 1776, when the British fleet and army were beaten off, and almost destroyed ; next by the attempted coup de main of Gen. Prevost, in 1779 ; and thirdly, in the regular investment of the city by Sir Henry Clinton, when it stood a siege of six weeks by 12,000 British regulars, and suc- cumbed at last to overwhelming force, May 12, 178Q. The city was evacuted by the British Dec. 14, 1782. Charleston was the leading city both in the nullification movement (see SOUTH CAROLINA) and in the incipient stage of south- ern secession. Open hostilities in the civil war began at Charleston with the bombardment of Fort Sumter by the confederates on April 12, 1861. (See FORT SUMTEB.) From this time until the spring of 1865 the city remained in possession of the confederates. Early in the spring of 1863 preparations were made for a naval attack upon the fortifications in Charles- ton harbor ; and on April 6 the federal fleet of 9 iron-clads, carrying 30 guns, commanded by Admiral Du Pont, crossed the bar and entered the harbor. The fortifications in the harbor were formidable, consisting of the forts and numerous batteries well mounted with heavy guns. Moreover, the channel between Fort Sumter and Sullivan's island was obstructed by a tight hawser buoyed up by floating casks, to which were attached torpedoes and other sub- marine obstacles, while impassable rows of piles had been driven in the channel between Fort Sumter and Cummings point. The attack was made on the 7th, when the gunboats were sub- jected to such a terrific fire from all the forts that they were soon compelled to withdraw. Morris island and the entrance to Charleston harbor having been subsequently occupied by the Union forces under Gen. Gillmore, occa- sional shots were directed against Charleston. Upon the surrender of Columbia, the state capital, to Gen. Sherman on Feb. 17, 1865, Charleston was evacuated by the confederate forces, -all the public buildings, stores, cotton warehouses, shipping, &c., having been fired by order of Gen. Hardee, who was in command of the city. On the 18th Charleston was oc- cupied by the federal troops, who exerted themselves to extinguish the flames. During the war many buildings were destroyed, and the towers and steeples of churches riddled with shot and shell. Business and trade were paralyzed. Since its close rapid progress has been made in the work of rebuilding, and in every department of trade and industry. In 1872, $473,800 was spent for new buildings and repairs in the city, besides $177,509 for similar purposes on Sullivan's island. CHARLESTOWN (Indian, Mishawuri), a city of Middlesex co., Massachusetts, one of the oldest places in the state, separated from Boston on the south by Charles river. It occupies a pen- insula formed by the Charles and Mystic, con- necting on the northwest with the mainland at Somerville by a very narrow isthmus. Ori- ginally the territory was large, but Woburn, Stoneham, Burlington, Somerville, Maiden, much of Medford, and portions of Cambridge, Arlington, and Reading have been taken from it, leaving Charlestown in extent the smallest town in the state. It is connected with Boston by the Charles river and Warren bridges, com- pleted in 1786 and 1828 respectively, so that the two places form but one community for most social and business purposes. It is also connected with Chelsea by the Chelsea bridge, with East Cambridge by the Prison Point bridge, and with Maiden by the Maiden bridge. Horse cars run to Boston and the adjoining towns, and the Eastern, Fitchburg, and Boston and Maine railroads pass through the city. Since the beginning of this century the population has exhibited a steady growth. In 1800 it was 2,751 ; 1810, 4,959 ; 1820, 6,591 ; 1830, 8,783; 1840, 11,484; 1850, 17,216; 1860, 25,065; 1870, 28,323. Of the population in 1870, 6,924 were foreigners. The peninsula is about 1 m. long. The surface is very uneven,and near the centre rises into two eminences, known as Bunker and Breed's hills. The streets are generally spacious and finely shaded. The most noteworthy are Main, Bunker Hill, and Medford streets, which, starting at the S. ex- tremity, extend the whole length of the penin- sula, and joining at the neck form a broad avenue, which passes on into Somerville. These, in the upper part of the peninsula, are crossed with considerable regularity by other streets passing from the Mystic to the Charles, while the S. portion is more irregularly laid out. The city is for the most part handsomely built. Charlestown is chiefly known as the seat of the Massachusetts state prison, of a United States navy yard, and of Bunker Hill monument. The state prison is upon a low point of land, known as Prison point, at the W. extremity of the city. The walls are washed on the west and north by tide water. It was built in 1805,