“As soon as they were in, they aided us in strengthening the position.  Seeing that Vaudemont’s corps was on the point of attacking the redoubt, the Marquis de Queslin sent orders to the little garrison there to withdraw across the bridge, and destroy the boats.  This they effected, in spite of the heavy fire kept up by the enemy.

“In the meantime, fighting had been going on all over the town.  The gate of Mantua had been held by Captain Lynch, of Dillon’s battalion, and thirty-five men.  As soon as he heard the din of battle in the town, he collected a few fugitives, entrenched his position at the guardhouse, and maintained it for the whole day; not only that, but, finding that his position was commanded by a party of Austrians, who had taken post in the church of Saint Marie, close by, he sallied out, drove them from the church, and maintained possession of that as well; until, late in the afternoon, he was reinforced by two companies of our regiment, who made their way this time without opposition.

“The enemy fell back, but not unmolested, as, sallying out, we pressed hotly upon them.  There now remained only the gate of Saint Margaret in the hands of the Austrians.  Here a large body of troops had been stationed, and succeeded in repulsing the repeated attacks made upon them by Revel’s force.

“The fight had now lasted for eleven hours, and the position of the Austrians had become critical.  The desperate resistance of our men had entirely changed the position.  They had repulsed every attack upon them, had given time for the scattered French to gather, and the one gate remaining in Eugene’s possession was seriously threatened.  Vaudemont’s corps was helpless on the other side of the river, and could render no assistance, and Eugene gave the order for his troops to retire, which they did in good order.

“It had been a hot day, indeed, for us, and we were only too glad to see them go.  We had lost three hundred and fifty men, out of the six hundred with which we began the fight; altogether, the garrison had lost, in killed, wounded, and in prisoners, fourteen hundred men and officers, while Eugene’s loss was between fifteen and sixteen hundred.

“Personally, I have had hotter fighting, but taking the day altogether, it was the most terrible through which I have ever passed.  Throughout the day we were in total ignorance of what was going on elsewhere, though we knew, by the firing in other parts of the town, that the French there had not been overpowered, and, each time the regiments left us, I was expecting every moment to be attacked by an overwhelming force.  Faith, it was enough to make one’s hair white!  However, I have no reason to grumble.  I obtained great praise for the defence of the barrier, and was given my majority; and, if it had not been for the wound I received, two years ago, which incapacitated me from active service, I might now be in command of the regiment.”