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the enemy, that the flank companies of the 40th, stationed ie 
the openings of the ruin upon the right, were afraid to fire, for 
fear of destroy ing them. Menou had promised a Louis to every 
French soldier who should be concerned in establishing a posi¬ 
tion in that building; and several attempts were made for the 
purpose. The 58th had been stationed there in the beginning 
of the action, with a part of the 23d, and had already repulsed 
a column of the enemy in its attack upon this place; when, du¬ 
ring the severe conflict sustained by the 28th in front, three 
columns forced in behind the redoubt where that regiment was 
stationed; and while some of them remained to carry on the 
attack upon its rear, the principal part penetrated into the 
quadrangular area formed by the ruin. Here they were re¬ 
ceived by the 58th and 23d, and followed by a part of the 42d, 
who cut off their retreat, so that a most desperate contest en¬ 
sued. Our men attacked them like wolves, with less order than 
valour, displaying a degree of intrepidity nothing could resist* 
After expending all their ammunition, they had recourse to 
stones and the but ends of their pieces, transfixing the Frenchmen 
with their bayonets against the walls of the building, until they 
had covered the sand with the blood and bodies of their ene¬ 
mies; where they remain heaped, at this hour, a striking monu¬ 
ment of the tremendous glory of that day. JNot fewer than se» 
ven hundred Frenchmen were bayonelted or shot among: those 
ruins. 
By some unaccountable negligence, the principal part of the 
artillery and ammunition had not been brought to the station 
then occupied by our army; hence originated a saying, that 
the French had been defeated by an enemy destitute of artil¬ 
lery. Certain it is, that both the 28th and 42d regiments, to¬ 
ward the termination of the contest, were reduced to the neces¬ 
sity of throwing stones.* General Sir liqlph Abercrombie, 
with a view, as it is related, of rallying the 42d, and restoring 
order among tlieir ranks, hastening toward the dreadful conflict 
m the ruin upon the right, wliere the action was hottest, was 
nearly surrounded by a party of French cavalry. A dragoon 
made a thrust at him; but Sir Rapb, receiving the sabre be¬ 
tween his breast and bis left arm, wrested the Weapon from his 
antagonist. At this instant, an English soldier, seeing another 
“ The French on the right, during the want of ammunition among the British, hav¬ 
ing also exhausted theirs, pelted stones from the ditch at the 28th; who returned 
these unusual, yet not altogether harmless, instruments of violence, as a sergeant of 
i>:e 28th was killed by one breaking through his forehead.” Hist- of the Exped. p, - 
a 2- 
