day, and the volunteers
of Vermont were exceedingly serviceable. Our regular troops,
notwithstanding the constant skirmishing and repeated endeavours
of the enemy to cross the river, kept at their work day and night
strengthening the defences, and evinced a determination to hold
out to the last extremity.

It was reported that the enemy had only waited the arrival of his
flotilla, to make a general attack. About eight in the morning of
the 11th, as was expected, the flotilla appeared in sight round
Cumberland Head, and at nine, bore down and engaged our flotilla
at anchor in the bay off the town. At the same instant, the
batteries were opened on us, and continued throwing bomb shells,
shrapnels, balls, and congreve rockets until sunset, when the
bombardment ceased, every battery of the enemy being silenced by
the superiority of our fire. The naval engagement lasted but two
hours, in full view of both armies. Three efforts were made by
the enemy to pass the river, at the commencement of the cannonade
and bombardment, with a view of assaulting the works, and he had
prepared for that purpose an immense number of scaling ladders.
One attempt to cross was made at the village bridge, another at
the upper bridge, and a third at a ford about three miles from
the works. At the two first he was repulsed by the regulars; at
the ford, by the brave volunteers and militia, where he suffered
severely in killed, wounded, and prisoners; a considerable body
having crossed the stream, but were either killed, taken, or
driven back. The woods at this place were very favourable to the
operations of the militia. A whole company of the 76th regiment
was here destroyed, the three lieutenants and 27 men prisoners,
the captain and the rest killed.

I cannot forego the pleasure of here stating the gallant conduct
of Captain M'Glassin, of the 15th regiment, who was ordered to
ford the river, and attack a party constructing a battery on the
right of the enemy's line, within five hundred yards of Fort
Brown, which he handsomely executed at midnight with fifty men;
drove off the working party, consisting of one hundred and fifty,
and defeated a covering party of the same number, killing one
officer and six men in the charge, and wounding many. At dusk the
enemy withd