d in
vengeful joy when I saw an enemy fall by my hand.

Darius cried out in my ear; but I heard him not, nor did I heed the
fact that he wanted to speak with me. I was insane with the scene of
carnage, the salty odor of blood, and the choking, stifling fumes of
burning powder.

Then, suddenly, Darius pulled me back by the coat-collar, forcing me
to run with him, and as we went swiftly past our guns toward the rear,
I asked what he was doing.

"The word had been given to retreat!" he cried. "Do the best you can
with your legs, lad, for there'll be no quarter given if we are taken.
We of the flotilla, with the marines, have borne the brunt of this
whole battle for the last half hour, an' we've left our mark on the
red-coats, even if we are turnin' tail now!"

"But the commodore?" I cried, now getting back a portion of my
scattered senses.

"Wounded ten minutes ago, an' taken off the field, I hope. It was in
my mind to help him; but he ordered me to go back to duty, an' I went,
for when Joshua Barney gives the word, even though he's half dead,
it's safest to obey without makin' much talk. Captain Miller of the
marines was shot down at about the same time."

Then I had sense enough to see that all my comrades of the Avenger
were close about me, none of them appearing to be hurt, and while we
ran to save ourselves from being made prisoners, let me set down that
which was written less than a week after the battle of Bladensburg,
for, as it turned out, we had fought a regular battle.

"No troops remained in line, except the party under Commodore Barney,
and two detachments on his right, that were well posted. Having been
so roughly handled, the enemy made no attempt to advance directly in
front of the seamen and marines, but, after forcing the troops on
their right from the field, by a demonstration in that direction, they
prepared to turn the rear of Barney in order to surround him.

"While these movements were going on in front, a party of light troops
had been thrown out on the enemy's right, and the militia having
abandoned the ground, they were also beginning to close upon the
Americans that stood. By this time Commodore Barney, Captain Miller,
and several other officers were wounded, and, victory being impossible
against odds so great, an order was given to commence a retreat.

"The defense had been too obstinate to admit of carrying off the guns,
which were necessarily abandoned. All the men retired, with the