, on their side, played against the left of
our army, where our Regiment happened to be, with two pieces of cannon
and killed and wounded us some men. The affair begun now to turn
serious, when the General ordered the Light Infantry, who were posted on
the right of our army, to attack five companies of French Grenadiers who
they obliged to retire, but they being supported by a large column of
the enemy, the Light Infantry were in their turn obliged to give way,
which they doing along the front of our line on the right (as I am told)
hindered our men on the right from firing for some minutes which gave
the enemy full time to form. On the left, matters were in a worse
situation. The company of Volunteers of the garrison, commanded by
Captain Donald McDonald of our Regiment, and Captain Hazen's company of
Rangers who covered the left flank of our army having been almost
entirely destroyed, were obliged to give way; by this means the left of
the 28th Regiment was exposed, and this obliged them to give ground
after an obstinate resistance; Colonel Fraser's Regiment was next them
to the right, and being in danger of being surrounded, and at the same
time extremely galled by a fire from the Bushes in front and flank,
were under a necessity of falling back instantly, when Colonel Fraser
who commanded the Left Brigade consisting of the 28th, 47th and his own
Regiment, sent orders to the 47th to retire; they were drawn up with a
small rising ground in their front, which till then covered them pretty
much from the enemy's fire, but as most of the Regiment to the right, as
well as the two Regiments to the left of them, had by this time retired,
it was absolutely necessary for the 47th to quit that ground, otherwise
they must inevitably have been surrounded in a few minutes. Most of the
Regiments attempted to carry off their artillery, but the ground was so
bad with wreaths of snow in the hollows, that they were obliged to
abandon them, after nailing them up, as well as the intrenching tools.
Every Regiment made the best of their way to Town, but retired however
in such a manner that the enemy did not think proper to pursue very
briskly, otherwise they must have killed or made prisoners many more
than they did. Our loss was about three hundred killed, and about seven
hundred wounded, and a few Officers and men made prisoners. We had about
three thousand in the field, one-third of whom had that very day, come
voluntarily out of the Hos