prevented them from making regular use of their arms. They were involuntarily precipitated amongst the enemy, and the bottom of the ridge was so narrow, and the footing on all sides so soft, that neither party were able, for want of room, to make use of the bayonet; but they struck at each other with the butts of their firelocks, and some individuals were fighting with their fists.--For three quarters of an hour we maintained a furious action, and drove the enemy to a considerable distance; but so many had been killed, and wounded, and scattered, that the officers could no longer collect any great number into one body. We then began to retreat: the enemy turned upon us, and we lost a number of men by their fire during the retreat. Our previous advance had exhausted our bodily strength, and we were much in want of water. I was very thirsty, and began to grow very weak. In the course of the retreat we came to a pretty steep rise of sand. I felt myself unable to go over it in a straight line, so had to make a circuit, to get over it where it was lower; although it was almost a matter of life and death with me, for a party of the enemy was close behind us. As I was making this circuit, a party, I think in number about six or seven, fired at me all at once; (I was their only object;) and I distinctly observed several balls strike the sand ridge, both before and behind me, about breast high. I really believe that had I been a span-breadth farther forward or backwards from the spot where I at the moment was, there would have been several balls through my body. Before any more fired at me, I got over the ridge, which then secured me; and I joined the regiment, which was near, and had taken up a position in the interior of the sand-hills; and some fresh troops arriving, the enemy was repulsed. I no doubt had many hair-breadth escapes during the action, of which I was insensible; but the one I have mentioned, appeared to me as a wonderful mercy of Providence, and I looked upon it as laying me under an additional obligation to devote my whole life to the service of God. If I was bound to serve him, because he was my Creator, I was now doubly bound to serve him, for my wonderful preservation; and I thought that the ties by which I was now bound, would undoubtedly have this effect. I thought I should never indulge in any thing that was sinful; but I was still blind to my own weakness; I had thought the same thing, and had promised accordingly, in prayer to God, at the outset of the action; yet the action was scarcely begun, before I joined my comrades in furious, opprobrious, and profane language against the enemy. Many sins were thus unobserved by me, and did not affect my conscience at the time.