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there were two or three fire-balls thrown from it in different directions, one of them falling close to us, we silently whispered to each other, "Now it will begin!” As the first of our troops approached the place, the whole town appeared as if it were one mine, every yard throwing out bombs, cannon-balls, &c. &c., grape-shot and musket balls flying also in every direction. On the fire-balls striking near us, we moved out of the road to the greensward, but cannon-balls hissed by us along the grass, and the musquet-balls flew like hail about our heads; we immediately began, therefore, to run forward, till we were within about a hundred yards of the bridge across the first ditch, and then the balls came so thick that, as near as I can judge, twenty must have passed in the space of a minute, within a yard of my head.
“While we were running on the grass, one or two men dropped every minute, and were left behind; but now they fell faster. When we came to the bridge which was about two yards wide, and twelve long, the balls came so thick that I had no expectation of getting across alive. We then began to ascend the hill, and were as crowded as people in a fair. We had to creep upon our hands and knees, the ascent being so steep and rocky; and while creeping my brother officer received a ball in the brain, and fell dead! Having got up this rock, we came to some palisadoes, within about twenty yards of a wall; these we broke down, but behind them was a ditch three feet deep, and just behind that a flat
