sketry succeeded,'and then there arose a din of
artillery, shouts, and small-arms that made up the infernal chaos. This
came from the quarter of the river, and in that direction every eye was
turned. I hurried to the back of the house in the hope of being able to
see something; but the windows only looked into a court surrounded by
tall buildings. Ere I returned to my place the conflict had already
begun. The troops of the National Guard advanced, firing by sections,
and evidently bent on forcing their passage up the street; and their
firing seemed as if meant in declaration of their intentions rather than
aggressively, since no enemy appeared in front; when, no sooner had the
leading files reached the opening of La Dauphine, than the artillery
opened with grape and round shot. The distance could scarcely have
exceeded forty yards, and the withering fire tore through the dense
ranks, forming deep lanes of death! Smoke soon enveloped the masses, and
it was only at intervals I could catch sight of the moving body, which
still moved up! There was something indescribably dreadful in seeing the
steady march of men to inevitable destruction; and even their slow pace
(for such was it of necessity, from the numbers of dead and dying that
encumbered their path) increased the horror of the spectacle. A deadly
musketry poured down from the tower of St. Roch upon the gunners.

The whole fire from housetops and windows was directed at them; but fast
as they fell, others took their places, and the roll of the artillery
never slackened nor ceased for an instant. The shot rattled like hail
on the walls of the houses, or crashed through them with clattering
destruction. Wild and demoniac yells, death-shouts, and cries of triumph
mingled with the terrible uproar. Above all, however, roared the
dread artillery, in one unbroken thunder. At last the column seemed
to waver--the leading files fell back--a moment's hesitation ensued--a
fresh discharge of grape, at less than pistol range, tore through them;
and now the word was given to retire. Shouts and cries poured from the
housetops and parapets. Were they of encouragement or derision?--who can
tell? The street now presented the horrid spectacle of indiscriminate
carnage; the guns were wheeled forward as the troops retired, cavalry
charging on the broken masses while the guns were reloading; the
cavalcade of death rode past at a walk, the gunners firing steadily on,
till the word was given t