After a brief respite granted by General Gillmore, the 200-pounder Parrott rifle gun again began lobbing shells into the city. The Charleston Mercury stated, "From thirteen to fourteen eight-inch incendiary shells fell into the City. ... No damage was done. It is unnecessary to make any comment on this act."
The gun firing these shells was the famous Swamp Angel. The Feds were loading it with 20 pounds of powder instead of the regular 16-pound load in order for the shells to reach the city some 7,900 yards away. See: Swamp Angel. The extra powder may have caused the gun to move in its jacket, leading to the bursting of the gun on the 36th round.
The Confederates fired at the Swamp Angel using mortar shells with timed fuses. The timing on the fuses was poor, and the mortar shells buried themselves in the marsh surrounding the Swamp Angel before exploding. The explosions covered the Federal gunners with mud.