The advancing column seems to have learned nothing from the lesson which the Americans had taught the advance, earlier in the morning; and, with an appearance of bravado, it moved foi'ward, in the midst of the smoke of its own uselessly expended gunpowder, as if there i were not an enemy within a day's march of it, until it had approached within fifty yards of the first line I of the ambuscade, when Colonel Read and his command arose, as they had arisen when the advance had I approached, earlier in the day, and threw on it a j deliberate and destructive fire. The suddenness ot i the attack and the evident strength of its sheltered I assailants brought the advancing column to a sudden i halt; and it is said that the Americans maintained | their ground until they had thrown seven welldirected volleys into the closed ranks of the enemy, i by whom, meanwhile, the fire was returned "'with ; "showers of musquetry and cannon-balls," as Colonel j Glover has stated, concerning it. '

Having thus bravely maintained his ground, until a retreat had become necessary. Colonel Read fell back, without returning to the roadway, until he had

THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION, 1774-1783.

passed the left flank of the Regiment commanded by Colonel Shepard, who had remained, in concealment, on the opposite side of the road, during the entire morning; and there, covering Colonel Shepard's left flank, the Regiment was re-formed, and rested on its arms.

The enemy evidently misunderstood the character of the retreat of Colonel Read and his brave command-- like the Officer commanding the detachment, in the morning, he appears to have supposed that he liad repulsed the Americans; and that nothing remained to be done, except to gather the fruits of his success -- and he cheered and pushed forward, along the narrow roadway, until the head of his column had advanced within easy gun-shot distance from the second line of the ambuscade, on his left flank, where Colonel Shepard and his command were concealed, as we have said, behind "a fine double stone wall ;" when the latter sprang to their feet, and, from behind their all-sufficient shelter, poured into him a welldirected and effective fire.