engineers, seized a
battle-flag, and leaping on the ramparts, drove the staff
into the sand. This flag was again shot away, but was again
replaced by Private Gaillard, of the Charleston Battalion.
These intrepid actions, emulating in a higher degree the
conduct of Sergeant Jasper at Moultrie during the
Revolution, were cheered by the command and inspired them
with renewed courage.

"The day wore on; thousands upon thousands of shells and
round shot, shells loaded with balls, shells of guns and
shells of mortars, percussion shells, exploding upon impact,
shells with graded fuses--every kind apparently known to the
arsenals of war leaped into and around the doomed fort, yet
there was no cessation; the sun seemed to stand still and
the long midsummer day to know no night. Some men were dead
and no scratch appeared on their bodies; the concussion had
forced the breath from their lungs and collapsed them into
corpses. Captain Twiggs, of the staff, in executing some
orders was found apparently dead. He was untouched, but
lifeless, and only strong restoratives brought him back to
animation, and the commanding officer was buried knee-deep
in sand and had to be rescued by spades from his
imprisonment. The day wore on, hours followed hours of
anxiety and grim endurance, but no respite ensued. At last
night came; not however, to herald a cessation of the
strife, but to usher in a conflict still more terrible. More
than eleven hours had passed. The fort was torn and
mutilated; to the outside observer it was apparently
powerless, knocked to pieces and pounded out of shape, the
outline changed, the exterior slope full of gaping wounds,
the ditch half filled up, but the interior still preserved
its form and its integrity; scarred and defaced it was yet a
citadel which, although not offensive, was defiant.

"It was nearly eight o'clock at night, but still twilight,
when a calm came and the blazing circle ceased to glow with
flame. The ominous pause was understood; it required no
signals to be read by those to whom they were not directed
to inform them that the supreme moment to test the value of
the day's achievements was now at hand. It meant nothing but
assault. Dr. Dennison says the assault was intended to be a
surprise. He over-es