ten o'clock in the evening
There Andre , with half the band , were to station themselves , and to hold the gate against any armed body that might arrive ; while Leigh , with the others , entered the prison and aided , if necessary , to overpower the warders and blow open the doors of the cells . The prisoners were all to be told that Charette 's army was on the other side of the Loire , and that their best plan was to make their way down to the river , seize boats , and get across . At five o'clock in the afternoon Charette 's guns opened against the barricades that had been thrown up at the bridge . Canclaux , seeing that the attack upon the north had rendered it useless for him to retain the advanced post , ordered the troops there to fall back into the town , at ten o'clock in the evening ; and at eleven the whole garrison were concentrated in Nantes . Finding that , with the exception of the cannonade on both sides across the river , all remained quiet , Leigh passed the word round among his followers to remain as they were , until further orders . Jean and his men came up by twos and threes before twelve ; and these , too , lay down as if to sleep , or seated themselves on the steps of the houses . Few of the inhabitants had retired to rest .