About a quarter of a mile from it, there
was a huge plantation drainage canal, such as are common in Louisiana
lowlands. At this, General Packenham formed his first attacking column.
His formation was a column in mass of about fifty files front. This was
formed under the fire of the regular artillerists in a little redoubt in
Coffee's front and that of some cannon taken from a man-of-war, placed
in a battery on the river and served by sailors. Coffee, seeing the
direction of the attack, which was intended to turn his flank, dashed
down the line saying to his men:
"Hold your fire until you can see their belt-buckles."
The riflemen were formed in two ranks so that one rank would load while
the other was firing.
Fernando's position behind the earthworks was near an old oak tree,
which threw out its branches about his head. Sukey stood at his side
holding his long rifle in one hand and his broiled meat and sea-biscuit
in the other. The enemy came boldly forward, and a finer display was
never seen on review. Their lines were well dressed and Packenham, on
his snow white charger, rode as boldly as if he had no fear of death. As
Sukey munched his hard biscuit, his eyes were steadfastly fixed on Lord
Packenham.
"Say, Fernando, ain't that fellow on the big horse General Packenham?"
"No doubt of it, Sukey."
"He'd wipe out the score of what's left of one hundred and eight," said
Sukey, swallowing his last bite of biscuit at one gulp and examining the
priming in his gun.
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