ner to your care, I need not fear it will be sullied by hostile touch." "No! Colonel Moultrie, I have not served under you so long to turn coward at last. Your flag must float in victory from Fort Moultrie, or serve as a winding sheet for Jasper," said the veteran, looking affectionately at the flag, and wiping a tear from his eye with the corner of the bunting. "Nobly said, my brave Jasper, and a more glorious winding sheet you could'nt have," replied Marion, while his dark eye flashed fire as he cast a glance to the parapet where the stars and stripes were floating proudly to the same gale, which was bearing the Red Cross of St. George swiftly towards the shore. Gallantly came on the hostile fleet, and as one vessel after another loomed into sight, their clouds of snowwhite canvass, lofty tapering spars, and the huge black engines of destruction that lined their ports, surmounted by that haughty flag which "had braved a thousand years the battle and the breeze," raises even in the breasts of that band of devoted heroes, a feeling of alarm, not for themselves, but for Charleston, whose beauty and wealth were now committed to their charge. Onward came the hostile vessels, the sea-foam dashing from their bows, and every sail set to catch the breeze, till, as if by magic, gracefully and silently they fell into position; their sails were quickly furled, and their gloomy broadsides brought to bear point blank on the fort. The heavy guns of the fort at that moment launched forth a sheet of flame from the embrasures, and the iron storm hurled through the air, cracking and splintering the hostile ships, and destroying all that opposed its deadly path. As the smoke cleared away, the foretopmast of one of the ene my's vessels was observed to be shot away, and several seamen were engaged in clearing the wreck. Now ensued a moment of anxious suspense, as the defenders of the fort waited to receive the hostile broadside. A stream of fire burst from the port, holes of the ships, and they poured in their tremendous broadsides on the fort. A large forty-two pound shot entered one of the embrasures, dismounting a gun, killing two men who stood beside it, and struck the opposite wall of the fort. With this exception, the fire caused trifling damage, for the green palmetto, composing the outer wall of the fort, was not splintered by the shot, but the wood opening received the balls which buried themselves in the sand-filling up the space between the outer and inner palmetto walls of the fort, (about 18 feet.) "At them again, my lads," shouted Moultrie; "point your guns lower, and don't throw a shot away." The guns of the fort were in an instant sponged, charged, and pointed; and again at the word "fire," thundered forth their iron storm with more effect than at first. The guns being pointed lower, every shot told upon the hulls of the vessels, dashing through their bulwarks and knocking two port holes into one. The ball from the gun pointed by Sergeant Jasper, struck the foot of Sir Peter Parker's bowsprit, shattering it to pieces, and throwing the splinters in every direction-one of which striking the second Lieutenant, killed him on the spot. The fight had now become general; the hostile ships were completely enveloped in thick clouds of sinoke, from which almost incessantly a stream of lurid flame would burst forth succeeded by the crashing of the cannon balls against the palmetto walls, beyond which they did little injury, except such as entered the embrasures, or being fired over the sea-wall of the fort, struck against the inner sides of the opposite wall, wounding and killing our soldiers in the rebound. The guns of the fort answered well; so long as the ammunition lasted, an incessant sheet of flame flashing from the embrasures, and the heavy forty-two pound shot of the Americans tore through the British vessels, destroying every thing in its course, and covering the decks with dead and dying. Sir Peter Parker's vessel, the Bristol, was completely riddled by shot, and the blood poured from the scuppers in streams. During the hottest of the fight a twenty-four pound shot from the Bristol carried away the American flag, and shattered the staff to pieces. A shout was set up by the British, but as the colors fell, Sergeant Jasper caught them in his arms— then fixing them on the point of his bayonet, he leaped upon the breastwork amid a volley of grape shot and driving the point of the bayonet into the palmetto wood, pinned the colors to the fort. A shout arose from the Americans at this daring feat, when Jasper, taking off his hat, waved it towards the enemy exclaiming "Liberty and my country forever." "Victory, my brave," shouted Sergeant M'Donald, waving his sword, when at that moment a thirty-two pound shot entering one of the embrasures, dismounted a gun, and glancing, struck him in the breast, leaving him almost a mangled corpse, with the unfinished words yet upon his lips. "When about to expire" in a few moments after, "he lifted up his dying eyes and said "my brave countrymen, I die, but don't let the cause of Liberty die with me." "Marion," said Moultrie, "the day is ours; if our ammunition only lasts, we shall sink every ship before the fort." "Yes," replied the latter, "we shall do it, if our men only point their guns properly. Marion now went through the fort pointing every gun himself that he possibly could; not a shot was thrown away, and the British, finding they could make no impression on the fort, terrified by the number of their wounded and slain, and dreading the excellence of the American gunnery and the appalling effect of our heavy metal, just after sunset began to ship their cable and move off in a crippled and disordered state. A shout of victory burst from the American troops, as the cheering intelligence was announced-doubly cheering indeed, from the fact that our ammunition was now almost exhausted, and it would have been impossible much longer to have held the fort against the tremendous broadsides which were continually poured in. Marion and Moultrie met. No word was spoken, but the silent and hearty pressure of the hand, and the look of joy which illumined their swarthy countenances, black with smoke, and begrimmed with powder, showed how responsible had been their trust, and how thankful they were for this happy result. "And now for the last gun-a parting kiss to Sir Peter," shouted Marion; "come, Jasper, your gun is just under our flag, and opposite the Bristol, load carefully with a ball, and let me have the honor of giving him our last weighty argument. I doubt not it will impress upon him, at any rate, a conviction that our metal is heavy, and our gunnery quite satisfactory for troops so inexperienced." Jasper now carefully loaded the huge forty-two pounder, which Marion as carefully pointed toward the Bristol; perceiving, however, that she was veering round, and that a few seconds would bring her stern in pointblank range with the gun, he determined to wait till that event took place, for the purpose of effectually raking her. At this moment two midshipmen on board the Bristol, wearied with the fatigue of the engagement, and sickened by the horrid scene of slaughter around them, stood on the quarter deck. "Come, Frank, the dance is over, and the ball finished, so let's descend and see if there's any wine in the locker, for this fighting's confounded dry work," exclaimed one to the other. "With all my heart, Harry. I'm dry as a powder mag azine-thirsty as a sponge and in the best possible humor for pouring out a libation to the god of battles, which, instead of wasting on the ground, according to the practice of the ancients, I shall pour down my throat pursuant to the more pleasant and economical practice of the mod erns." The two friends descended; wine and glasses were produced, and bumpers filled. "Well, Harry, after all this hard fighting, being cooped up for some hours to be made the target of excellent ball practice, and our ship riddled like a seive, to show the proficiency of rebel gunnery, here's a toast I give with right good will: God save the king, and confusion and defeat to the Yankee reb-" The sentence was never finished, for at that moment the stern of the Bristol came in direct range with the gun pointed by Marion, who was waiting, port-fire in hand, for the proper moment of discharge. The match was applied, a sheet of flame burst from the embrasure followed by the deafening roar of the immense piece. The ball, true to its mark, sped forth on its destined path, crashing through the Bristol's stern, at the moment the toast was given by the midshipman, (and as their glasses were hobnobbing, preparatory to drinking it,) dashed the glasses into atoms, left the two friends ghastly and mutilated corpses, thence passing through the bulkheads and steerage, struck down two seamen and a lieutenant of marines who were standing by one of the forward guns, burst through the bows of the ship. Such was the last shot fired at the siege of Fort Moultrie. Raise the flag of freedom high, Loose its folds and let it fly, Let it wave o'er land and sea, Emblem of the BRAVE and FREE. Let it wave o'er spire and dome O'er the soldier and the tar. Although in peace they rest from harm, Until the bugle sounds the alarm. Let it wave o'er the smiling plain, Wave it o'er the boundless main. Wave it o'er blest COLUMBIA'S shore, Until time shall be no more." Supposed speech of John Adams in favor of the Declaration of Independence. "Sink or swim, live or die, survive or perish, I give |