and though many prisoners were taken,
they were imprudently left unguarded with arms in their hands, which
they very soon turned against their captors with fatal success. The
doors and windows in this part of the town bore evidence of the business
which for a short time was carried on. The Guards gained their point,
and so did the Column at B in part, for the French were killed in great
numbers on Bastion H, in fact, eleven Bastions were taken, and all
before midnight; but from this period till 7 in the morning, when the
affair closed, I can give you no clear account. Nobody seemed to know
what was doing, all appears to have been confusion--not a gun was
spiked, none were turned towards the Town. In the meantime the French
were no inactive observers of what was passing; they came forward most
manfully, fighting hand to hand, and though I could not find out that
there was the slightest reason for suspecting they were at all prepared
beyond what was usual, or aware of the attack, they contrived to be
instantly at the right point, and though with barely 3,000 men to defend
works, the inner circle of which is at least 2 miles in circumference,
and with 3,900 men attacking, they remained master of the field, killing
near 400 and taking 1,500 prisoners. The French General was an elderly
man who left all to his Aide de Camp. He was, in fact, the head, and has
been rewarded most deservedly in the ribbon of the Legion of Honor. The
French, it is supposed, lost 5 or 600 men. The number was certainly
great, and they were aware of it, for they buried their dead directly,
to prevent the possibility of counting. The Bergen op Zoom people say it
is utterly impossible to account for the failure of the assault but on
the supposition that the English were led to conclude that the French
would make no resistance or that they were badly officered. I should be
sorry to believe the latter, and yet I heard from good authority that
many of these, instead of encouraging their men at the Water post gate,
were actually busied in collecting braziers and fires to warm themselves
and rest upon their arms.

It may be supposed that wading on such a night upwards of 50 yards in
mud and water must have been dreadfully cold, but I can scarcely
conceive that upon a service so important cold could have any influence;
however, never having led an assault under such circumstances I can be
no judge. Were I to give my own opinion, it would be this: That the
af