midnight
Eleven guns were spiked and in five minutes they were back again within our lines with the loss only of twelve killed and wounded . Scarcely anything took place in the garrison with which the enemy were not made acquainted . The general , therefore , never allowed any of his intentions to transpire till the moment of execution . It was therefore without much surprise that I heard at midnight that boats were in readiness to convey the troops over to the Gloucester side , and that the seamen were to keep up as heavy a fire as we could , to deceive the enemy . When the troops had passed over we were to make a rush for the boats and get across to follow them as best we could . What was then to be done we were left to divine . The sick and wounded and prisoners , and our guns and stores , were of course to be abandoned .