"I was not sorry for the delay, for it gave us time to look at
matters quietly, and prepare for defence. Another six hundred
cavalry now came up, and Mercy placed them so as to cut off,
altogether, the French cavalry, who were quartered away to the
right; then he ordered the infantry to attack us.

"Our position was a good one. The barricade was formed of square
piles, driven into the ground with small narrow openings between
them. I ordered the men to keep behind the timbers until the enemy
came up. The Germans opened a murdering fire as they approached,
but, though the bullets pattered like rain against the palisades,
and whistled in between them, not a man was touched. I waited till
they were within two paces, and then gave the word, and you may
well guess that there was not a bullet thrown away, and the
Germans, mightily astonished, drew back, leaving nigh forty of
their men behind them. Then, falling back a bit, they opened fire
upon us, but it was a game that two could play at. We could see
them, but they could not see us; and while we loaded our muskets
in shelter, they were exposed, and we picked them off by dozens.

"The firing had, of course, given the alarm to our two regiments,
who turned out just as they were, in their nightshirts. Major
O'Mahony, who was in command of Dillon's regiment, as Lally was
away on leave, luckily made his way in safety from his lodgings to
the barracks, got his own men in order, while Colonel Wauchop, who
commanded our regiment, took the command of the two battalions.
Fortunately, a portion of the regiment had been ordered to fall in
early for inspection, and this gave time for the rest to get into
their uniforms; and, as soon as they were ready, Wauchop led them
out and fell suddenly upon a portion of Mercy's force, poured in a