swords, but were deprived of them a few days later, on
the pretext that they were making “disorders” in the
town. The garrison had been reduced to a very ragged
and pitiable condition. They were not much
more than half as numerous as the besiegers, even
counting the American militia. Of the Continentals
there were about twenty-five hundred, and the English
army can hardly have numbered less than twelve
thousand men. The town was defended only by
earthworks, and was a fortified camp rather than a
fortress. The loss of the besiegers, in killed and
wounded, is set down in a Hessian journal at two
hundred and sixty-five men.
The town of Charleston contained about fifteen thousand inhabitants, and had been one of the richest and gayest towns in North America. The large and handsome houses were not set close together as in other towns, but much free space was left for the circulation of air. They were well furnished with mahogany and silver-ware, and great attention was bestowed on keeping them clean. The streets were unpaved and sandy, but had a narrow foot-path at the sides. Even in May, the dust was intolerable. Most of the rich families had fled at the approach of the British. There were many Germans and German Jews in the town, and many doctors, on account of the unhealthy climate. The women, at least most of those that remained, were sallow and ugly. The place, of course, was full of negroes, who formed quite half of its population.
The negroes had been accumulating in the British camp. Two companies of them had been brought
