THE CapTuRE OF PLyMouTnH. 185

and house, from the windows of which and from behind the
fences they poured an incessant fire. But nothing could
check our progress, and within an hour they were driven into
Fort Williams, or into the entrenched camp at the west of
the town. The fort was on our left, and the camp in front.
In a few minutes the Fifty-sixth came up on our right by an-
- other street, and by their arrival decided the contest, for im-
mediately on the appearance of this additional force, the en-
emy threw down their arms‘and raised the white flag. Cap-
tain Lockhart, of the Fifty-sixth, ran in to receive the sur-
render and instantly both regiments poured into the camp.”

This shows beyond question that the Twenty-fourth Regi-
ment, when it reached the town, kept its right on Second
street and passed through the town to the west end, keeping
between Second and Third, or on Third street, as nothing
could pass up Second street, owing to the rapid fire kept up
by the battery at the west end.

In the account given by Mr. Ludwig of the part taken by
the Eighth Regiment on page 400 of Vol 1, it is stated: “At
early dawn on the morning of the 20th the signal rockets went
up, and the order came to advance. In the meantime a bat-
tery of artillery took position in front (on the left) of the
Eighth Regiment and opened a rapid fire on the fort in our
front. The regiment, in fact the whole brigade, as ordered
moved off in common time. Not a rifle was fired, not a
word spoken. The artillery was doing its full duty in keep-
ing the enemy’s infantry quiet. When the regiment had
advanced to within about 150 yards of the fort, the order to
charge was given. The “yell” was raised, and the regiment
rushed forward to mount the fort. Just at the moment the
“yell” was raised, the enemy’s infantry poured a destructive
fire into the ranks of the regiment. Our artillery ceased
firing as the regiment approached near the fort. The men
rushed on, leaped into the ditch and attempted to scale the
fort. While the men were attempting to climb over the out-
side of the fort, the enemy threw hand grenades into the
ditch. Those who were in the ditch had to get out of it.
The regiment then swung around to the right, and attempted
to break through the palisades on that side of the fort. The