uickly cleared it of the American skirmishers;
who, falling back with precipitation upon the first line, threw
it into disorder before it had fired a shot. The consequence
was, that our troops had scarcely shown themselves when the whole
of that line gave way, and fled in the greatest confusion,
leaving the two guns upon the road in possession of the victors.

But here it must be confessed that the light brigade was guilty
of imprudence. Instead of pausing till the rest of the army came
up, the soldiers lightened themselves by throwing away their
knapsacks and haversacks; and extending their ranks so as to show
an equal front with the enemy, pushed on to the attack of the
second line. The Americans, however, saw their weakness, and
stood firm, and having the whole of their artillery, with the
exception of the pieces captured on the road, and the greater
part of their infantry in this line, they first checked the
ardour of the assailants by a heavy fire, and then, in their
turn, advanced to recover the ground which was lost. Against this
charge the extended order of the British troops would not permit
them to offer an effectual resistance, and they were accordingly
borne back to the very thicket upon the river's brink; where they
maintained themselves with determined obstinacy, repelling all
attempts to drive them through it; and frequently following, to
within a short distance of the cannon's mouth, such parts of the
enemy's line as gave way.

In this state the action continued till the second brigade had
likewise crossed, and formed upon the right bank of the river;
when the 44th regiment moving to the right, and driving in the
skirmishers, debouched upon the left flank of the Americans, and
completely turned it. In that quarter, therefore, the battle was
won; because the raw militia-men, who were stationed there as
being the least assailable point, when once broken could not be
rallied. But on their right the enemy still kept their ground
with much resolution; nor was it till the arrival of the 4th
regiment, and the advance of the British forces in firm array to
the charge, that they began to waver. Then, indeed, seeing their
left in full flight, and the 44th getting in their rear, they
lost all order, and dispersed, leaving clouds of riflemen to
cover their retreat; and hastened to conceal themselves in the
woods, where it would have been madness to follow them. The rout
was now general throughout the lin