Scarcely were the garrison at their posts, when the French were seen
approaching. At once they broke into a run, and, gallantly led, dashed
across the space of cleared rock, in spite of the heavy fire of
musketry and grape.
When they came, however, to the edge of the deep gulf in the solid
rock, they paused. They had had no idea of meeting with such an
obstacle as this. It was easy enough to leap down, but impossible to
climb up the steep face, ten feet high, in front of them; and which,
in the dim light, could be plainly seen. It was, however, impossible
for those in front to pause. Pressed upon by those behind, who did not
know what was stopping them, large numbers were compelled to jump into
the trench, where they found themselves unable either to advance or
retreat.
By this time, every gun on the upper side of the castle had opened on
the assailing columns, taking them in flank, while the fire of the
battery was continued without a moment's intermission. Bussy himself,
who was commanding one of the columns, pushed his way through his
struggling soldiers to the edge of the trench; when, seeing the
impossibility of scaling the sides, unprovided as he was with scaling
ladders, he gave the orders to retreat; and the columns, harassed by
the flanking fire of the guns of the castle, and pursued by that of
the battery, retreated, having lost some hundreds of their number;
besides a hundred and fifty of their best men, prisoners in the deep
trench around the battery.
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