George Bancroft, History of the United States from the Discovery of the American Continent, Vol. 10

[521] the storming party threw themselves into the ditch,

Chap. XXV.} 1781. Oct. 14.

broke through the fraises and mounted the parapet. Foremost was Charles de Lameth, who had volunteered for this attack, and who was wounded in both knees by two different musket-balls. The order being now given, the French leaped into the redoubt, and charged the enemy with the bayonet. At this moment, the Count de Deux Ponts raised the cry of ‘Vive le roi,’ which was repeated by all of his companions who were able to lift their voices. De Sireuil, a very young captain of yagers, who had been wounded twice before, was now wounded for the third time and mortally. Within six minutes, the redoubt was mastered and manned; but in that short time nearly one hundred of the assailants were killed or wounded.

Louis the Sixteenth distinguished the regiment of Gatinois by naming it the ‘Royal Auvergne.’ Washington acknowledged the emulous courage, intrepidity, coolness, and firmness of the attacking troops. On that night ‘victory twined double garlands around the banners’¹ of France and America.

By the unwearied labor of the French and Americans, both redoubts were included in the second parallel in the night of their capture. Just before the break of day of the sixteenth, the British made a

16.

sortie upon a part of the second parallel and spiked four French pieces of artillery and two of the American; but on the quick advance of the guards in the trenches they retreated precipitately. The spikes were easily extracted; and in six hours the cannon again took part in the fire which enfiladed the British works.