r than 1500
men.

It was not long, however, before they likewise presented
themselves. Like their countrymen on the other side, they were
strongly entrenched, a thick parapet with a ditch covering their
front; whilst a battery upon their left swept the whole
position, and two field-pieces commanded the road. Of artillery
the assailants possessed not a single piece, nor any means beyond
what nature supplied of scaling the rampart. Yet nothing daunted
by the obstacles before them, or by the immense odds to which
they were opposed, dispositions for an immediate attack were
made. The 85th, extending its files, stretched across the entire
line of the enemy; the sailors in column prepared to storm the
battery, whilst the marines remained some little way in rear of
the centre as a reserve.

These arrangements being completed, the bugle sounded, and our
troops advanced. The sailors raising a shout, rushed forward,
but were met by so heavy a discharge of grape and canister that
for an instant they paused. Recovering themselves, however, they
again pushed on; and the 85th dashing forward to their aid, they
received a heavy fire of musketry, and endeavoured to charge. A
smart firing was now for a few minutes kept up on both sides,
but our people had no time to waste in distant fighting, and
accordingly hurried on to storm the works, upon which a panic
seized the Americans, they lost their order, and fled, leaving us
in possession of their tents and of eighteen pieces of cannon.

In this affair our loss amounted to only three men killed and
about forty wounded, among the latter of whom was Colonel
Thornton. Nor could the loss on the part of the enemy greatly
exceed our own. Had they stood firm, indeed, it is hardly
conceivable that so small a force could have wrested an
entrenched position from numbers so superior; at least it could
not have been done without much bloodshed. But they were
completely surprised. An attack on this side was a circumstance
of which they had not dreamed; and when men are assaulted in a
point which they deem beyond the reach of danger, it is well
known that they defend themselves with less vigour than where
such an event was anticipated.

When in the act of storming these lines the word was passed
through our ranks that all had gone well on the opposite bank.
This naturally added to the vigour of the assault; but we had
not followed our flying enemy above two miles when we were
command