noon
The day was Sunday ; a beautiful Spring Sunday ; but it was no Sabbath for the old battery . All day the men worked , making and strengthening their redoubt to guard the pass , and by the next morning , with the old battery at the top , it was impregnable . They were just in time . Before noon their vedettes brought in word that the enemy were ascending the mountain , and the sun had hardly turned when the advance guard rode up , came within range of the picket , and were fired on . It was apparent that they supposed the force there only a small one , for they retired and soon came up again reinforced in some numbers , and a sharp little skirmish ensued , hot enough to make them more prudent afterwards , though the picket retired up the mountain . This gave them encouragement and probably misled them , for they now advanced boldly . They saw the redoubt on the crest as they came on , and unlimbering a section or two , flung a few shells up at it , which either fell short or passed over without doing material damage .