hunters, who press and gall them on
every side, and exterminate them at leisure in their flight; just such
was the situation of our unfortunate countrymen. After a few unavailing
discharges, which never annoyed a secret enemy that scattered death
unseen, the ranks were broken and all subordination lost. The ground
was covered with gasping wretches, and stained with blood; the woods
resounded with cries and groans, and fruitless attempts of our gallant
officers to rally their men, and check the progress of the enemy. By
intervals was heard, more shrill, more dreadful than all the rest, the
dismal yell of the victorious savages, who now, emboldened by their
success, began to leave the covert and hew down those who fled, with
unrelenting cruelty. As to myself, the description which our colonel had
given me of their method of attack, and the precautions to be used
against it, rendered me perhaps less disturbed than I should otherwise
have been. I remarked that those who stood and those who fled were
exposed to equal danger; those who kept their ranks and endeavoured to
repel the enemy, exposed their persons to their fire, and were
successively shot down, as happened to most of our unfortunate officers,
while those who fled frequently rushed headlong upon the very death they
sought to avoid.

"Pierced to the heart at the sight of such a carnage of my gallant
comrades, I grew indifferent to life, and abandoned myself to despair;
but it was a despair that neither impaired my exertions nor robbed me of
the faculties of my mind. 'Imitate me,' I cried, 'my gallant countrymen,
and we shall yet be safe.' I then directly ran to the nearest tree, and
sheltered myself behind its stem--convinced that this precaution alone
could secure me from the incessant volleys which darted on every side. A
small number of Highlanders followed my example; and, thus secured, we
began to fire with more success at the enemy, who now exposed themselves
with less reserve. This check seemed to astonish and confound them; and
had not the panic been so general, it is possible that this successful
effort might have changed the fortune of the fight; for, in another
quarter, the provincial troops that accompanied us behaved with the
greatest bravery, and, though deserted by the European forces, effected
their own retreat.

"But it was now too late to hope for victory or even safety; the ranks
were broken on every side, the greater part of our officers slain