The main guard on the upper road, almost as completely surprised as the other by the dashing onslaught of the Americans, made another futile attempt at resistance to Greene's column, but they soon fell back in great disorder upon the main body.
It was broad daylight now, and the violence of the storm had somewhat abated.

In the town, where the firing had been heard, the drums of the three regiments were rapidly beating the assembly.

Colonel Rahl was in bed, sleeping off the effects of his previous night's indulgences, when he heard the commotion.

Jumping from the bed and running rapidly to the window, still undressed, he thrust out his head and asked the acting brigade adjutant, Biel,--who was hurriedly galloping past,--what it was all about.

There was a total misapprehension on all sides, even at this hour, as to the serious nature of the attack; so the confused colonel, satisfied with Biel's surmise that it was a raid, ordered him to take a company and go to the assistance of the main guard, in the supposition that it was only a skirmishing party, and never dreaming of a general attack.