int, the two noble generals came to fisticuffs, and in
the fracas our brave commander got his remaining well eye badly damaged.
This didn't prevent him from writing a general order the next day, on a
slate, in which he complimented the troops on their heroic behavior.

On the following Wednesday the siege was renewed. I forget whether it
was on that afternoon or the next that we lost Fort Slatter; but lose it
we did, with much valuable ammunition and several men. After a series
of desperate assaults, we forced General Ames to capitulate; and he, in
turn, made the place too hot to hold us. So from day to day the tide
of battle surged to and fro, sometimes favoring our arms, and sometimes
those of the enemy.

General Ames handled his men with great skill; his deadliest foe could
not deny that. Once he outgeneralled our commander in the following
manner: He massed his gunners on our left and opened a brisk fire, under
cover of which a single company (six men) advanced on that angle of the
fort. Our reserves on the right rushed over to defend the threatened
point. Meanwhile, four companies of the enemy's scalers made a detour
round the foot of the hill, and dashed into Fort Slatter without
opposition. At the same moment General Ames's gunners closed in on our
left, and there we were between two fires. Of course we had to vacate
the fort. A cloud rested on General Harris's military reputation until
his superior tactics enabled him to dispossess the enemy.

As the winter wore on, the war-spirit waxed fiercer and fiercer. At
length the provision against using heavy substances in the snow-balls
was disregarded. A ball stuck full of sand-bird shot came tearing into
Fort Slatter. In retaliation, General Harris ordered a broadside of
shells; i. e. snow-balls containing marbles. After this, both sides
never failed to freeze their ammunition.

It was no longer child's play to march up to the walls of Fort Slatter,
nor was the position of the besieged less perilous. At every assault
three or four boys on each side were disabled. It was not an infrequent
occurrence for the combatants to hold up a flag of truce while they
removed some insensible comrade.

Matters grew worse and worse. Seven North-Enders had been seriously
wounded, and a dozen South-Enders were reported on the sick list.
The selectmen of the town awoke to the fact of what was going on, and
detailed a posse of police to prevent further disturbance. The boys at
the f