On the outside of the fort, two companies of the Charleston Battalion held the sand-hills along the beach and the face extending from the sally-port to the sea beach. The artillerists occupied the several gun-chambers, and two light field pieces were placed in battery outside of the fort, on the traverse near the sally-port. The artillery command consisted of Captains [W. T.] Tatom and [Warren] Adams, First South Carolina [Regular] Infantry [Third Artillery]; [J. T.] Buckner and [W. J.] Dixon, Sixty-third Georgia Heavy Artillery, and Captain De Pass, commanding light artillery, all under the general command of Lieutenant-Colonel [J. C.] Simkins, chief of artillery.

The infantry, excepting the Charleston Battalion, and the artillery, excepting the gun detachments were placed, shortly after the shelling, commenced, under cover of the bomb-proofs. The first-named battalion, with a heroic intrepidity never surpassed, animated by the splendid example of their field officers (Lieutenant-Colonel Gaillard and Major [David] Ramsay), had no protection except such as the parapet afforded them yet maintained their position without flinching during the entire day. The 10-inch gun was fired at intervals of ten to fifteen minutes against the iron-clads, and the heavy guns on the land face whenever the working parties or cannoneers of the enemy on the land showed themselves within range. The mortar, in charge of Captain Tatom, was fired every half hour.

The casualties during the day of the bombardment did not exceed 8 killed and 20 wounded.

About 2 o'clock, the flag halyards were cut and the Confederate flag blew over into the fort. Instantly Major Ramsay, Charleston Battalion; Lieutenant [William E.] Readick, Sixty-third Georgia (artillery); Sergeant Shelton and Private Flinn, Charleston Battalion, sprang forward and replaced it on the ramparts, while at the same time Captain [R. H.] Barnwell of the engineers dashed out, seized a battle-flag, and erected it by the side of the garrison flag. This flag was subsequently shot away, and replaced by Private Gilliland, Charleston Battalion.

As night approached, the increased severity of the bombardment plainly indicated that an assault would be made, and orders were issued to the commands to prepare to man the ramparts. At 7.45 o'clock the lines of the enemy were seen advancing, and the bombardment slackened to an occasional shell from the ships and the land batteries. As the enemy advanced they were met by a shower of grape and canister from our guns, and a terrible fire of musketry from the Charleston Battalion and the Fifty-first North Carolina. These two commands gallantly maintained their position and drove the enemy back quickly from their front, with immense slaughter.

In the meantime, on the left of the work, the Thirty-first North Carolina could not be induced to occupy their position, and ingloriously deserted the ramparts, when no resistance being offered at this point, the advance of the enemy, pushing forward, entered the ditch and ascended the work at the extreme left salient of the land face, and occupied it. I at once directed Lieutenant-Colonel Gaillard to keep up a severe enfilanding fire to his left, and directed the field pieces on the left of the fort outside of the sally-port to direct their fire to the right, so as to sweep the ditch and exterior slope of that part of the work thus occupied, and thus, at the same time, prevented the enemy from being supported at that point, and cut off all hope of his escape. The main body of the enemy, after a brief attempt to pass over the