ten o'clock
The next morning it opened with terrible effect , yet they endured it , and made the enemy suffer so much from their fire that they began to think seriously of giving up the contest , when one of the men in the fort deserted to them , and his tale of the weakness of the garrison inspiring the British with renewed hope of conquest they prepared for a more general and vigorous assault . `` At daylight on the 15th two men-of-war , the _ Iris _ and the _ Somerset _ , passed up the channel in front of the fort on Mud Island . Two others -- the _ Vigilant _ and a hulk with three twenty-four pounders -- passed through the narrow channel on the west side and were placed in a position to act in concert with the batteries of Province Island in enfilading the American works . `` At ten o'clock all was silent , and doubtless our men were awaiting the coming onslaught with intense anxiety , when a signal bugle sounded and instantly all the ships and batteries poured a storm of shot and shell from the mouths of their many guns upon the devoted little garrison . '' `` Oh , how dreadful ! '' sighed Grace . `` Could they stand it , papa ? ''