assembled the American troops. The final dispositions were concluded
by September 22nd, and were as follows: The American troops under
Lincoln formed the left of the line, their left resting upon the swamp
and the entire division facing the Springhill redoubt and her two
sister defences; then came the division of M. de Noailles, composed of
nine hundred men. D'Estaing's division of one thousand men beside the
artillery, came next, and formed the centre of the French army. On
D'Estaing's right was Count Dillon's division of nine hundred men; on
the right of Dillon were the powder magazine, cattle depot, and a
small field hospital; on the right of the depot and a little in
advance, were Dejean's dragoons, numbering fifty men; upon the same
alignment and to the right of the dragoons were Rouvrais' Volunteer
Chasseurs, numbering seven hundred and fifty men; still further on to
the right and two hundred yards in advance of Rouvrais, was Framais,
comanding the Grenadier Volunteers, and two hundred men besides, his
right resting upon the swampy wood that bordered the river, thus
completely closing in the city on the land side. The frigate, La
Truite, and two galleys, lay within cannon shot of the town, and with
the aid of the armed store ship, La Bricole, and the frigate, La
Chimere, effectually cut off all communication by water.

On the 23rd, both the French and the Americans opened their trenches;
and on the 24th, a small detachment of the besieged made a sortie
against the French. The attack was easily repulsed, but the French
pursuing, approached so near the entrenchments of the enemy that they
were fired upon and several were killed. On the night of the 27th
another sortie was made which threw the besiegers into some confusion
and caused the French and Americans to fire upon each other.
Cannonading continued with but little result until October 8th.