midnight
Furious at the successful manner in which the party had entered the town on the 28th of January , Don Frederick kept up for the next few days a terrible cannonade against the gates of the Cross and of St. John , and the wall connecting them . At the end of that time the wall was greatly shattered , part of St. John 's gate was in ruins , and an assault was ordered to take place at midnight . So certain was he of success that Don Frederick ordered the whole of his forces to be under arms opposite all the gates of the city , to prevent the population making their escape . A chosen body of troops were to lead the assault , and at midnight these advanced silently against the breach . The besieged had no suspicion that an attack was intended , and there were but some forty men , posted rather as sentries than guards , at the breach . These , however , when the Spaniards advanced , gave the alarm , the watchers in the churches sounded the tocsins , and the sleeping citizens sprang from their beds , seized their arms , and ran towards the threatened point . Unawed by the overwhelming force advancing against them the sentries took their places at the top of the breach , and defended it with such desperation that they kept their assailants at bay until assistance arrived , when the struggle assumed a more equal character .