signing the following parole.

CHARLESTON, S.C., C.S. AMERICA,
SEPTEMBER, 1864.

"We, the undersigned, prisoners of war, confined in the city of
Charleston, in the Confederate States of America, do pledge our
parole individually as military men and men of honor, that we
will not attempt to pass the lines which shall be established
and guarded around our prison house; nor will we, by letter,
word, or sign, hold any intercourse with parties beyond those
lines, nor with those who may visit us, without authority. It is
understood by us, that this parole is voluntary on our part, and
given in consideration of privileges secured to us, by lessening
the stringency of the guard, of free ingress and egress of the
house and appointed grounds during the day, by which we secure a
liberty of fresh air and exercise, grateful to comfort and
health.

"Hereby we admit that this, our parole, binds us in letter and
spirit, with no room for doubts or technicality of construction,
and its violation will be an act of lasting disgrace. Signed:"

_The firing upon the city_ was continued daily notwithstanding our
being brought here and placed under fire of our own batteries as a
means of saving the besieged city. Cheer after cheer went up as we
heard the missiles crash through adjacent buildings.

On September 17th, at 1 P.M., a fire broke out near us. General Foster
immediately opened on the place, the fourth shell bursting in a
dwelling house near by, setting that also on fire. So accurate were
Gilmore's guns aimed that two shells burst in the burning buildings;
and the negroes told us that one struck an engine, entirely destroying
it, and killing several firemen. One shell struck our wall, tearing it
nearly down. Several pieces of shell came into the yard where we were,
but no one was injured. One of our officers in Roper Hospital was
wounded in the arm by a piece of shell that came through the roof
while he was eating dinner, making a flesh wound, smashing up the
table, and passing on through the floor. In the evening we often
watched the shells coming, and it was a beautiful sight. We first
caught the flash of our guns; then, after waiting a few seconds, we
could see the missile, which looked like a shooting star, climbing up
higher and higher; and, when it reached its full hight, we co