it was impregnable. They were just in time. Before noon their vedettes
brought in word that the enemy were ascending the mountain,
and the sun had hardly turned when the advance guard rode up,
came within range of the picket, and were fired on.

It was apparent that they supposed the force there only a small one,
for they retired and soon came up again reinforced in some numbers,
and a sharp little skirmish ensued, hot enough to make them
more prudent afterwards, though the picket retired up the mountain.
This gave them encouragement and probably misled them, for they now
advanced boldly. They saw the redoubt on the crest as they came on,
and unlimbering a section or two, flung a few shells up at it,
which either fell short or passed over without doing material damage.
None of the guns was allowed to respond, as the distance was too great
with the ammunition the battery had, and, indifferent as it was,
it was too precious to be wasted in a duel at an ineffectual range.
Doubtless deceived by this, the enemy came on in force, being obliged
by the character of the ground to keep almost entirely to the road,
which really made them advance in column. The battery waited.
Under orders of the Colonel the guns standing in line were double-shotted
with canister, and, loaded to the muzzle, were trained down
to sweep the road at from four to five hundred yards' distance.
And when the column reached this point the six guns, aimed by
old and skilful gunners, at a given word swept road and mountain-side with
a storm of leaden hail. It was a fire no mortal man could stand up against,
and the practised gunners rammed their pieces full again,
and before the smoke had cleared or the reverberation had died away
among the mountains, had fired the guns again and yet again.
The road was cleared of living things when the draught setting down the river
drew the smoke away; but it was no discredit to the other force;