n the
meal was over.

From 4 to 6.30 A.M. the enemy's fire was very spirited. From 7 to 8 A.M.
a rain-storm came on, and there was a lull in the cannonading. About 8
A.M. the officers' quarters were ignited by one of Ripley's incendiary
shells, or by shot heated in the furnaces at Fort Moultrie. The fire was
put out; but at 10 A.M. a mortar shell passed through the roof, and
lodged in the flooring of the second story, where it burst, and started
the flames afresh. This, too, was extinguished; but the hot shot soon
followed each other so rapidly that it was impossible for us to contend
with them any longer. It became evident that the entire block, being
built with wooden partitions, floors, and roofing, must be consumed, and
that the magazine, containing three hundred barrels of powder, would be
endangered; for, even after closing the metallic door, sparks might
penetrate through the ventilator. The floor was covered with loose
powder, where a detail of men had been at work manufacturing
cartridge-bags out of old shirts, woolen blankets, etc.

While the officers exerted themselves with axes to tear down and cut
away all the wood-work in the vicinity, the soldiers were rolling
barrels of powder out to more sheltered spots, and were covering them
with wet blankets. The labor was accelerated by the shells which were
bursting around us; for Ripley had redoubled his activity at the first
signs of a conflagration. We only succeeded in getting out some
ninety-six barrels of powder, and then we were obliged to close the
massive copper door, and await the result. A shot soon after passed
through the intervening shield, struck the door, and bent the lock in
such a way that it could not be opened again. We were thus cut off from
our supply of ammunition, but still had some piled up in the vicinity of
the guns. Anderson officially reported only four barrels and three
cartridges as on hand when we left.

By 11 A.M. the conflagration was terrible and disastrous. One-fifth of
the fort was on fire, and the wind drove the smoke in dense masses into
the angle where we had all taken refuge. It seemed impossible to escape
suffocation. Some lay down close to the ground, with handkerchiefs over
their mouths, and others posted themselves near the embrasures, where
the smoke was somewhat lessened by the draught of air. Every one
suffered severely. I crawled out of one of these openings, and sat on
the outer edge; but Ripley made it lively fo