twelve o'clock
All the afternoon and evening the fight continued . In vain the mob endeavoured to break down the massive iron bars of the windows , and batter in the doors . Although many of the defenders were wounded , and several killed ; by the fire from the windows of the neighbouring houses , and from the road ; their steady fire , at the points most hotly attacked , drove their assailants back again and again . At twelve o'clock the assault slackened . The soldiers had long left and , so far as could be seen from the roof of the house , had entirely evacuated the town ; and as this fact became known to the mob , the thought of the consequences of their action cooled their fury ; for they knew that , probably , the troops would land from the British ships next day . Each man had his plunder to secure , and gradually the crowd melted away . By two o'clock all was quiet ; and although , occasionally , fresh fires burst out in various quarters of the town , there could be little doubt that the great bulk of the population had followed the example of the army , and had left the city .