CLARKE 8 TRAVELS. 
m 
though, for two preceding nights, the soldiers had been orderecf 
to lie down upon their arras, and be ready at a moment’s notice. 
They came silently on, and in good order; which is the more 
remarkable, as it was said the greater part of them had been 
dosed with brandy. They had crept with amazing perseve- 
ranee, even upon their hands and knees, through fear of alarming 
our videttes. The French videttes were, however, observed 
to draw nearer and nearer to ours, until, at length, the English 
sentinel observed the French army close behind, coming slowly 
on in a line. This man gave the alarm, by firing his piece, and 
retreating with all possible expedition. The French instantly 
and rapidly charged up the hill, beginning a false attack upon 
our left, and, carrying a redoubt by means of the bayonet* 
hoped thereby to throw' our army into confusion, by drawing 
the attention from its right, where the main assault was intend¬ 
ed. This project was soon perceived by our commander in 
chief, and failed of its effect. It w as still dark. The firing 
ceased upon the left, and w as soon heard very warm upon the 
right. To that point General Abercrombie directed all his at¬ 
tention, although both armies discharged their artillery w ithout 
discerning a single object, except during the flashes of the can¬ 
non ; when, as an officer belonging to the reserve assured us s 
the French army was not otherwise visible, although now so 
near, than by the appearance of a long black line, disclosed du¬ 
ring those momentary coruscations. As daw 7 n appeared, the 
French were found to have succeeded in turning our right 
wing; ahu U party of their cavalry were actually seen advan¬ 
cing in the rear of the 28 th regiment. The prudence and gal¬ 
lant conduct of this regiment gave the first favourable turn to 
the conflict of the day. Cavalry, in the rear of infantry, have 
generally the power to throw them into disorder. It was, at 
this critical momeut, decisive as to the fate of Egypt, that an 
adjutant of the 28 th, gave the word, “Rear runic! right about , 
face P This was readily obeyed, and the soldiers, with astonish- 
ingTirmness and presence of mind, sustained a severe attack in 
front and rear at the same time, without a single man moving 
from his place.* At this juncture, the 4 , 2 d regiment, coming 
up to aid the 23 th, were themselves overwhelmed and broken 
by a body of the enemy’s cavalry. Still, although dispersed*, 
they resisted to a man ; and were seen so intermingled with 
* The 58 th is said to have t^en ajsq in a similar situ&tioa Wilson's: Hist of CM, 
Esjtei- 
