HISTORY OF VERMONT. 409 



disposition was made for the attack, and guardfi 

 placed at the saw mill, and landing place. Th« 

 army was then put in motion, aad it marched 

 on to the assault in regular order, and with an 

 undaunted resolution. The enemy instantly 

 began their defence by a well directed and ter- 

 rible fire from their artillery. The British sus- 

 tained the shock without being staggered, and 

 still advanced till they were stopped and entan- 

 gled by the abattis. Their next attempt was 

 to cut their way through these obstacles with 

 their swords ; but this, they found impossible 

 to effect, with such weapons. Still they perse- 

 vered in attempting to force, a passage, and 

 some of them made their way through all oppo- 

 sition till they mounted the parapet. For more 

 than four hours the troops continued tliis meth- 

 od of assault, without being able to open a pas- 

 sage to the entrenchment. All this while they 

 were exposed to a heavy and fatal fire from the 

 cannon and musquetry of the enemy ; who were 

 so well covered by their works, as to be expos- 

 ed to little danger while they kept up an inces- 

 sant and well directed fire upon tlieir assailants. 

 * The general had seen his troops continuing 

 their attack upon the enemy for several hours 

 without any prospect of success, in the midst of 

 a most fatal fire ; he now judged it necessary to 

 order a retreat, and the army returned to their 

 former camp without being pursued or molested 

 by the enemy. 



The loss sustained by the enemy in this af- 

 fair was not great ; and most of those who had 

 fallen were shot through the head, every other 

 part of the body being (defended and senseaW 



