"Most of them fell within the fort," Moultrie reported, "but we had a morass in the middle, which swallowed them instantly, and those that fell in the sand were immediately buried." During the action the mortar bed broke, disabling the piece.
Owing to the scarcity of ammunition in the fort, the garrison had positive orders not to engage at ranges exceeding four hundred yards.
Four or five shots were thrown at the _Active_, while still under sail, but with this exception the fort kept silence until the ships anchored, at a distance estimated by the Americans to be three hundred and fifty yards.

The word was then passed along the platform, "Mind the Commodore; mind the two 50-gun ships,"-- an order which was strictly obeyed, as the losses show.

The protection of the work proved to be almost perfect,--a fact which doubtless contributed to the coolness and precision of fire vitally essential with such deficient resources.

The texture of the palmetto wood suffered the balls to sink smoothly into it without splintering, so that the facing of the work held well.

At times, when three or four broadsides struck together, the merlons shook so that Moultrie feared they would come bodily in; but they withstood, and the small loss inflicted was chiefly through the embrasures.