A bullet in
the body could not stop him. The light infantry were overwhelmed;
and such of them as were left alive were driven back in confusion
upon the battalions behind them, along the front of which they
remained dispersed for some minutes, preventing the troops from
firing on the advancing French, whothus had time to reform their
ranks. At length the light infantrygot themselves out of the way
and retired to the rear, where, having lost nearly all their officers,
they remained during the rest of the fight. Another struggle followed
for the house and mill of Dumont, of which the French again got
possession, to be again driven out; and it remained, as if by mutual
consent, unoccupied for some time by either party. For above an hour
more the fight was hot and fierce. "We drove them back as
long as we had ammunition for our cannon," says Sergeant
Johnson; but now it failed, and no more was to be had, because,
in the eccentric phrase of the sergeant, the tumbrils were "bogged
in deep pits of snow."
While this was passing on the English right, it fared still
worse with them on the left. The advance of the line was no
less disastrous here than there. It brought the troops close to
the woods which circled round to this point from the French
rear, and from which the Canadians, covered by the trees, now
poured on them a deadly fire. Here, as on the right, Levis had
ordered his troops to fall back for a time; but when the fire of
the English cannon ceased, they advanced again, and their
artillery, though consisting of only three pieces, played its part
with good effect.
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