no necessary affiliation with
the South. In fact, they always despised a man who joined them to fight
against his own State. In one instance, Jeff Davis himself had to use
all his influence to induce the Southern troops to obey one of these
Northern generals. Ripley had previously been engaged as an agent for
Sharpe's Arms Company in Europe; and, having been unsuccessful there,
came to Charleston, with the hope of repairing his shattered fortunes by
selling guns to South Carolina. Through the influence of Colonel Huger,
of our Ordnance Department, who was in the city at the time, Ripley
failed in this, and, being entirely out of employment, accepted a
commission from the Confederacy to fight against his old comrades. Being
a man of talent, and a skillful artillerist, he did us a great deal of
harm. Like all Northern converts, he thought it necessary to be
overzealous in his new position, to do away with the suspicions excited
by his birth and education. I was told at the time that for this purpose
he took pains to denounce me as an Abolitionist, and to recommend that I
be hanged by the populace as soon as caught.

The firing continued all day, without any special incident of
importance, and without our making much impression on the enemy's works.
They had a great advantage over us, as their fire was concentrated on
the fort, which was in the centre of the circle, while ours was diffused
over the circumference. Their missiles were exceedingly destructive to
the upper exposed portion of the work, but no essential injury was done
to the lower casemates which sheltered us.

Some of these shells, however, set the officers' quarters on fire three
times; but the flames were promptly extinguished once or twice through
the exertions of Peter Hart, whose activity and gallantry were very
conspicuous.

The night was an anxious one for us, for we thought it probable that the
launches, filled with armed men from the fleet, might take advantage of
the darkness to come in with provisions and supplies. Then, too, it was
possible that the enemy might attempt a night attack. We were on the
alert, therefore, with men stationed at all the embrasures; but nothing
unusual occurred. The batteries fired upon us at stated intervals all
night long. We did not return the fire, having no ammunition to waste.

On the morning of the 13th, we took our breakfast--or, rather, our pork
and water--at the usual hour, and marched the men to the guns whe