From Farm House to the White House - 912 Freedom Library

Farm House to the White House, by William M. Thayer 156
"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 from Wallabout Bay to Red Hook. Washington rode
out one day to inspect the defences, when he approached a subaltern officer who was directing his men to
raise a heavy timber to its place. Instead of lending a helping hand, the conceited fellow stood, shouting:
"Hurrah, boys, n-o-w, right up, h-e-a-v-e," etc.
"Why do you not lend a helping hand?" said Washington, whom the officer did not know.
"What, sir! I lend a helping hand?" exclaimed the official sprig. "Why, sir, I'll have you know that I am
corporal!"
Washington leaped from his saddle, laid hold of the timber with the men, and helped lift it to its place. Then
turning to the "corporal," he said sarcastically:
"Mr. Corporal, my name's George Washington. I have come over from New York to inspect the works here;
so soon as you have done this piece of work, you will meet me at your commander's, General Sullivan's