A half-century of conflict. France and England in North America. Part ...

1747.] AN UNSUCCESSFUL ATTACK. 195which had not been attacked, together with suchothers as had not been killed or captured, had drawntogether at the stone house in the middle of thevillage,that La Corne was blockading them there,and that he ordered Beaujeu and his party to joinhim at once. When Beaujeu reached the place hefound La Corne posted at the house where Noblehad been killed,and which was within easy musketshotof the stone house occupied by the English,against whom a spattering fire was kept up by theFrench from the cover of neighboring buildings.Those in the stone house returned the fire; but nogreat harm was done on either side, till the English,now commanded by Captain Goldthwait, attemptedto recapture the house where La Corne and his partywere posted. Two companies made a sally ; but theyhad among them only eighteen pairs of snow-shoes,the rest having been left on board the two vesselswhich had brought the stores of the detachment fromAnnapolis, and which now lay moored hard by, inthe power of the enemy, at or near the mouth of theGaspereau. Hence the sallying party flounderedhelpless among the drifts, plunging so deep in thedry snow that they could not use their guns andcould scarcely move, while bullets showered uponthem from La Corne's men in the house, and othershovering about them on snow-shoes. The attemptwas hopeless, and after some lossthe two companiesfell back. The firing continued, as before, till noon,or, according to Beaujeu, till three in the afternoon,