It must have been a lesson to the Charlestonians of the persistent, methodical spirit of the North.

They prided themselves on the length of the time they were holding out against the enemy, and the papers each day had a column headed: "390th DAY OF THE SIEGE," or 391st, 393d, etc., as the number might be since our people opened fire upon the City.

The part where we lay was a mass of ruins.

Many large buildings had been knocked down; very many more were riddled with shot holes and tottering to their fall.

One night a shell passed through a large building about a quarter of a mile from us.