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 had 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. The column was again brought to a sudden and unexpected halt ; and a longcontinued and well-sustained fire was kept up, by each of the belligerent parties -- it is saidthat seventeen volleys were fired by the Americans ; and that the enemy's line was broken, " several times, once, in " particular, so far that a soldier of Colonel Shep- " ard's" [Regiment] " leaped over a wall, and took a " hat and canteen off of a Captain that lay dead on " the ground they retreated from."
But the disparity of numbers between the opposing forces was so very great that prudence dictated a retreat of the two Regiments who had so successfully held the enemy in check ; and Colonel Glover ordered them to fall back and re-form and rest on their arms, in the rear of the third line of the ambuscade, behind which the Regiment commanded by Colonel Baldwin was concealed.