"We'll drive them out of those woods." "None too soon for me," said St.Clair, looking ruefully at his torn uniform.

"I'd take it as a politeness on their part if they used bullets only and not shells." They had not yet come down to the stern discipline of war, but their talk was stopped speedily by the senior officers, who put them to work arranging the young recruits along the earthworks, whence they could reply with comparative safety to the fire from the wood.

But Harry noted that the raking fire of their own cannon had been effective.
The Northern troops had retreated to a more distant point in the forest, where they were beyond the range of rifles, but it seemed that they had no intention of going any further, as from time to time a shell from their cannon still curved and fell in the fort or near it.

The Southern guns, including those that had been captured, replied, but, of necessity, shot and shell were sent at random into the forest which now hid the whole Northern force.
"It seems to me," said St.Clair to Harry, "that while we have taken the fort we have merely made an exchange.

Instead of being besiegers we have turned ourselves into the besieged." "And while I'm expecting everything to turn out for the best," said Langdon, "I don't know that we've made anything at all by the exchange.
We're in the fort, but the mechanics and mill hands are on the slope in a good position to pepper us." "Or to wait for reinforcements," said Harry.
"I hadn't thought of that," said St.Clair.