All this time the pickets were constantly engaged with the enemy, well aware that ten thousand men were threatening them, and knowing that the struggle was to be a desperate one. Earthworks had been reared breast-high, enclosing an area of fifteen to eighteen acres, and surrounded by a ditch. Outside of this was a circle of twenty-one mines, and still further down were pits to embarrass the progress of the enemy. During the night of the 17th they were getting ready for the defence, and heard the sounds of preparation in the camp of the enemy for the attack on the morrow. At nine o’clock on the morning of the 18th, the drums beat to arms, and the terrible struggle commenced. The enemy’s force had increased to twenty thousand men and thirteen pieces of artillery. They came as one dark moving mass of armed men, as far as the eye could reach. Two batteries were planted by them in front, one on the left, one on the right, and one in the rear, and opened with a terrible fire, which was answered with the utmost bravery and determination. The batteries opened at nine o’clock, and never ceased to pour deadly shot upon the garrison. About noon the hospital was taken. It was situated on the left, outside of the intrenchments. They besieged it, took it, and from the balcony and roof their sharpshooters poured a deadly fire upon the Federal troops. The hospital contained the chaplain and one hundred and twenty wounded men. But it could not be allowed to remain the possession of the enemy. The Montgomery Guard, Captain Gleason, of the Irish Brigade, was brought out, and the word to “charge” given. They stormed up the slope to the hospital, took it, and drove the enemy in wild confusion down the hill. The fire of the rebels was for the time lessened, only to be increased towards evening, and word was sent that if the Federal troops did not surrender before the next morning, the black flag would be hoisted and no quarter given.