Emilio, Luis F., History of the Fifty-Fourth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry , 1863-1865

[225] our officers in Charleston, at first to one half the army ration, and after some time still less. Food and cooking was the same otherwise as furnished the Fifty-fourth. Of these inflictions in retaliation the enemy was duly informed as the result of their own uncivilized acts, which would be discontinued whenever they ceased to practise the same.

September 9, Wagner fired a salute of shotted guns in honor of the capture of Atlanta, Ga. The next day a reconnoissance was made in small force by the army and navy about Bull's Bay. Our shells caused a large fire in Charleston on the 17th, plainly seen from Cumming's Point, by which twenty-five buildings were destroyed. Another, the next day, burned two mansions at the corner of Trade and Meeting streets. With increased elevations our shells fell a distance of two blocks beyond Calhoun Street. A prisoner of war in Charleston thus graphically describes the firing:—

‘Every fifteen or twenty minutes we could see the smoke and hear the explosions of “Foster's messengers,” —two hundredpound shells. They told us of the untiring perseverance of our forces on Morris Island. So correct was their aim, so well did the gunners know our whereabouts, that shells burst all around, in front, and often fell, screeching, overhead, without injury to us. When the distant rumbling of the Swamp, Angel was heard, and the cry, “Here it comes,” resounded through the prison-house, there was a general stir: sleepers sprang to their feet; conversation was hushed; and all started to see where the messengers would fall. . . . The sight at night was truly beautiful. We traced through the sky a slight stream of fire similar to the tail of a comet, followed its course, until “whiz! whiz!” came the little pieces like grape-shot.’