hopeless to the stubborn assailants; they weighed
anchor, and, with the receding tide, floated their crippled vessels down
the stream, beyond the reach of the enemy's fire.[411]

The British troops, under Major Walley, although placed in battle array
at daylight, remained inactive, through some unaccountable delay, while
the enemy's attention was diverted by the combat with Phipps's squadron.
At length, about noon, they moved upon the formidable stronghold along
the left bank of the River St. Charles. Some allied savages plunged into
the bush in front to clear the advance, a line of skirmishers protected
either flank, and six field-pieces accompanied the march of the main
body. After having proceeded for some time without molestation, they
were suddenly and fiercely assailed by 200 Canadian volunteers under M.
de Longueuil; the Indians were at once swept away, the skirmishers
overpowered, and the British column itself was forced back by their
gallant charge. Walley, however, drew up his reserve in some brushwood a
little in the rear, and finally compelled the enemy to retreat. During
this smart action, M. de Frontenac, with three battalions, placed
himself upon the opposite bank of the river, in support of the
volunteers, but showed no disposition to cross the stream. That night,
the English troops, harassed, depressed, diminished in numbers, and
scantily supplied, again bivouacked upon the marshy banks of the stream:
a severe frost, for which they were but ill prepared, chilled the weary
limbs of the soldiers and enhanced their sufferings.

On the 10th, Walley once more advanced upon the French positions, in the
hope of breaching their palisades by the fire of his field pieces; but
this attempt was altogether unsuccessful. His flanking parties fell into
ambuscades, and were very severely handled, and his main body was
checked and finally repulsed by a heavy fire from a fortified house on a
commanding position which he had ventured to attack. Utterly dispirited
by this failure, the British fell back in some confusion to the
landing-place, yielding up in one hour what they had so hardly won. That
night many of the soldiers strove to force their way into the boats, and
order was with great difficulty restored; the next day they were
harassed by a continual skirmish. Had it not been for the gallant
conduct of "Captain March, who had a good company, and made the enemy
give back," the confusion would probably have been irre