when a column of smoke shot up from the wall in front.—­“Now look out!” exclaimed some one.  I looked, but saw nothing to follow, and had turned my attention elsewhere, when I heard a hissing noise, as of something rushing swiftly past, and at the same time turf is thrown into the air, the horses start aside in affright, and outcries of pain and terror assail the ear.  After a confused moment, I saw that the shot had struck in the line of infantry a few feet on our right.  One man, the drummer of the party, was running about in the fluttered crowd with his hand hanging by a shred, crying, “Cut it off! cut it off!  D—­your souls, why don’t some of you cut it off?” Another lay struggling on the ground, with the fleshy part of his thighs torn abruptly off, calling upon some one for God’s sake to take him away from there.  But the dismallest sight was a bloody shape, with face to the ground, fingers clutching the grass with aimless eagerness, and shivering silently with an invisible wound.  Twisting convulsively, it rolled down into the road under our horses’ feet,—­and there this human form, which some call godlike, writhed and floundered like a severed worm, and disguised itself in blood and dust.

But it is dangerous to look long upon the wounded; an old soldier never rests his eye there; it is the greatest mistake of the raw one; and it was well enough for some of us that our attention was timely drawn away by alarm of another shot from the town.  We spurred our horses up the bank on the left; the foot-soldiers rushed behind the adobe; and this time the shot passed harmlessly down the road.  Before another, General Henningsen had ordered us all to move forward and get to cover.  The foot stopped in the right branch of a by-lane which crossed the road a little way ahead.  The rangers moved into the same lane,—­but on the left, and divided by the highway from the foot.  Here we were entirely hidden from the town by a belt of small trees and bushes.  Nevertheless, the enemy’s round shot, tearing through the trees, still pursued, and the Minie-balls, though thrown from smooth-bored guns, sang above and far beyond us.  At this place, as near as I recollect, above a dozen men were killed and wounded,—­most of them by that first round shot.

Our company shortly after was separated, and placed, for the most part, as videttes, at various points near the town.  Some hours after our arrival, (which time was spent by the filibusters in drinking spirits and resting from the late unsuccessful assault,—­by the enemy in barricading their position, and drinking spirits, perhaps, likewise,) General Henningsen led an attack with part of the foot,—­taking several of us rangers along in the capacity of couriers, to ride off to Rivas at any important turn of the fight and report to General Walker.  The enemy had taken position about the plaza, in the church, and behind the stone wall at its side, where they had by this time strengthened themselves with barricades.  They had cannon looking towards every assailable point; and also on top of the church, in the cupola, they had mounted a small piece, from which they threw grape against our men advancing on any side.  It proved a great source of annoyance throughout the day.  Their number was not certainly known, at least among the ranks, but was rumored as high as two thousand men,—­Costa-Ricans, Guatemalans, and Chamorristas.