ng the storm of battle going on
all round, and knowing that at any moment we might be attacked.

"They did not stop long, for orders came from Revel, who had
captured the gate of All Saints, and was preparing to attack Saint
Margaret's, to march again to the gate of Mantua. It seemed a
hopeless enterprise. Captain Dillon, of Dillon's regiment, marched
out and, after hard fighting, drove the Austrians from house to
house; but, on reaching a spot where the ground was open, he was
attacked on all sides, and for a time the enemy and our men were
mixed up together in a melee.

"I could hear by the sound of the firing that our men were
returning, and posted my fellows so as to cover their retreat; and
as they came back, hotly pressed by the enemy, we opened so warm a
fire that they passed in through the gate of the barrier in
safety, but only half as strong as they had gone out.

"As soon as they were in, they aided us in strengthening the
position. Seeing that Vaudemont's corps was on the point of
attacking the redoubt, the Marquis de Queslin sent orders to the
little garrison there to withdraw across the bridge, and destroy
the boats. This they effected, in spite of the heavy fire kept up
by the enemy.

"In the meantime, fighting had been going on all over the town.
The gate of Mantua had been held by Captain Lynch, of Dillon's
battalion, and thirty-five men. As soon as he heard the din of
battle in the town, he collected a few fugitives, entrenched his
position at the guardhouse, and maintained it for the whole day;
not only that, but, finding that his position was commanded by a
party of Austrians, who had taken post in the church of Saint
Marie, close by, he sallied out, drove them from the church, and
maintained possession of that as well; until, late in the
afternoon, he was reinforced by two companies of our regiment, who
made their way this time without opposition.

"The enemy fell back, but not unmolested, as, sallying out, we
pressed hotly upon them. There now remained only the gate of Saint
Margaret in the hands of the Austrians. Here a large body of
troops had been stationed, and succeeded in repulsing the repeated
attacks made upon them by Revel's force.

"The fight had now lasted for eleven hours, and the position of
the Austrians had become critical. The desperate resistance of our
men had entirely changed the position. They had repulsed every
attack upon them, had given time for the scattered French