Despite the fact that the guns of all caliber were muzzle-
loaders, and that the weapons of the infantry were cumber-
some flintlocks, this fire was kept up with such fury by both
artillery and infantry that Snake Hill was known thereafter,
among the British soldiery, as "The Yankee Lighthouse."
General Ripley's report, dated August 17th, from which the
following extract is taken, relates with accuracy and detail
the further occurrences at this point.
"The companies posted at the point of the works which



WAR OF 1812 83

they attempted to escalade were Captain Ropes', Captain Mars-
ton's, Lieutenant Bowman's and Lieutenant Larned's of the
Twenty-first Regiment, not exceeding 250 men, under the com-
mand of Major Wood, of the Engineer Corps. On the enemy's
approach they opened their musketry in a manner the most
powerful.
"Fort Williams (Towson's battery) and this little band
emitted one broad, uninterrupted sheet of light. The enemy
were repulsed. They rallied, came on a second time to the
charge, and a party waded round our line by the lake and came
in on the flank, but a reserve of two companies, posted in the
beginning of the action to support this point, marched up and
fired upon the party, who were all killed or taken. Five times,
in this manner, did the enemy advance to the charge; five
times were their columns beaten back in confusion by a force
one-sixth of their numbers, till at length, finding the contest
unavailing, they retired. At this point we made 147 prisoners.
