"No man, sir, can have a higher opinion of British ships and seamen than I have. But there are others who love the smell of gunpowder as well as they do. Give us a plenty of powder and ball, sir, and let them come on as soon as they please."
"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?"