ack; and then
assuming as it were a momentary courage, rushed past, leaving a
vacancy between it and the company which next succeeded.

All this while the whole of our infantry, except the 4th
regiment, lay or stood in anxious expectation of an order to
advance. This, however, was not given till that corps had
reached the thicket through which it was to make its way; when
Colonel Brook, with his staff, having galloped along the line to
see that all was ready, commanded the signal to be made. The
charge was accordingly sounded, and echoed back from every bugle
in the army, when, starting from the ground where they had lain,
the troops moved on in a cool and orderly manner. A dreadful
discharge of grape and canister shot, of old locks, pieces of
broken muskets, and everything which they could cram into their
guns, was now sent forth from the whole of the enemy's artillery,
and some loss was on our side experienced. Regardless of this,
our men went on without either quickening or retarding their
pace, till they came within a hundred yards of the American
line. As yet not a musket had been fired, nor a word spoken on
either side, but the enemy, now raising a shout, fired a volley
from right to left, and then kept up a rapid and ceaseless
discharge of musketry. Nor were our people backward in replying
to these salutes; for giving them back both their shout and their
volley, we pushed on at double-quick, with the intention of
bringing them to the charge.

The bayonet is a weapon peculiarly British; at least it is a
weapon which in the hands of a British soldier is irresistible.
Though they maintained themselves with great determination, and
stood to receive our fire till scarcely twenty yards divided us,
the Americans would not hazard a charge. On the left, indeed,
where the 21st advanced in column, it was not without much
difficulty and a severe loss that any attempt to charge could be
made; for in that quarter seemed to be the flower of the enemy's
infantry, as well as the main body of their artillery; towards
the right, however, the day was quickly won. The only thing to
be regretted, indeed, was that the attack had not been for some
time longer deferred; because the Americans were broken and fled,
just as the 4th regiment began to show itself upon the brink of
the water which covered their flank; and before a shallow
part could be discovered, and the troops were enabled to pass,
they had time to escape.

As