The regiment received orders on the 20d, to march early next morning to Aboukir, to do the hospital duty, because we were too weak to do the duty of a regiment in the line. We were accordingly under arms and marched off an hour before daylight, and left our tents standing for a regiment that was to come from the second line to occupy our place. But we had not proceeded above a mile and a half, when we heard a discharge of several muskets on the left; which caused us to halt and look to the place where the firing had been. In a few seconds we saw a number more muskets fired, (for the darkness made the flash of even the pan of every musket distinctly visible,) and after that a field-piece, and then a general discharge of about 300 muskets; when it ceased. We knew that there was a guard of about 300 men, and a field-piece, with a working party of as many more, on the spot; and as the firing had ceased, we thought it might be a false attack to disturb the working party and alarm the army.--After standing a little, and all continuing quiet, we began with hesitation to proceed on our journey: but we had not moved many steps, when we heard the discharge of a musket on the right of the army: this produced a voluntary halt; and in a few seconds we heard the discharge of two or three more. We were then ordered to return, and had not proceeded far, before a number more discharges were heard in the same direction. This quickened our march, and we made all expedition towards the tent of the commander-in-chief, which was in the rear of the right of the army. Before we got there the firing on the right was beginning to be pretty thick. We were now ordered to resume the position we had left. It was yet dark; but the firing of musketry began to be heavy, and the artillery commenced playing, with the help of lighted lanterns to let them see to load. By the time we got to our position, the action was close and warm on the right, and the firing of musketry and artillery very heavy, which the darkness of the morning made peculiarly awful. There was now no doubt of a powerful and determined attack from the enemy. When we arrived at our position in the line, the day had begun faintly to dawn. The regiment which was to have taken our place, had not done it; a column of the enemy having ascended the brow of the hill in our front, were making towards the opening in the line where we should have been. The regiment on the right was extending its left, and the one on the left its right, and had filled up the one half of the space when we arrived. On our arrival a part of us filled up the opening, and began to fire on the enemy's column, which then retreated under the brow of the hill, out of our sight and below the range of shot. They left, however, a number of sharp-shooters on the edge of the hill, who kept up a straggling fire upon our line. The regiments on the right and left now closed their files, and we got all into line, and in