General Hogan, with the line of North Carolina, had arrived before him.

The garrison consisted of rather more than two thousand regular troops, of about one thousand North Carolina militia, and of the citizens of Charleston.

The exertions of the Governor to bring in the militia of South Carolina had not succeeded.
[Sidenote: April 9.] By the 9th of April, Sir Henry Clinton completed his first parallel extending across the neck, and mounted his guns in battery.

His works formed an oblique line, from six to seven hundred yards distant from those of the besieged.

About the same time, Admiral Arbuthnot passed Sullivan's Island, under a heavy and well directed fire from fort Moultrie, then commanded by Colonel Pinckney, and anchored under James' Island near fort Johnson, just out of gunshot of the batteries of the town.
Being now in complete possession of the harbour, the British General and Admiral sent a joint summons to General Lincoln, demanding the surrender of the town, to which he returned this firm and modest answer.