In the course of the struggle in which we had been engaged, we had been
borne considerably out of the line of our first position, and now found
that the main-road and the picquet of the rifles, were close in our
rear. We were still giving way--for the troops opposed to us could not
amount to less than fifteen hundred men, whilst the whole force on our
part came not up to one hundred--when Captain Harris, major of brigade
to Colonel Thornton, came up with an additional company to our support.
Making way for them to fall in between us and the rifles, we took ground
once more to the right, and driving back a body of the enemy, which
occupied it, soon recovered the position from which we had been
expelled. But we did so with the loss of many brave men, and, among
others, of Captain Harris. He was shot in the lower part of the belly at
the same instant that a musket-ball struck the hilt of his sword, and
forced it into his side. Once more established in our ditch, we paused,
and from that moment till the battle ceased to rage we never changed
our attitude.
It might be about one o'clock in the morning,--the American force in our
front having fallen back, and we having been left, for a full half hour
to breathe, when suddenly the head of a small column showed itself in
full advance towards us. We were at this time amply supported by other
troops, as well in communication as in reserve; and willing to
annihilate the corps now approaching, we forbade the men to fire till it
should be mingled with us.
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