to shoot the whole kit of them.  Not liking to see this done, I stopped their fire, and endeavoured to make the Beloochees come out of their holes and give themselves up.  I was standing at this time in the centre of the court, and had heard a few shots whizzing rather close over my head, when I suddenly received a shock, which made me think at the moment I was smashed to bits, by a ball from a ginjall, or native wall piece.  I was knocked senseless to the ground, in which state I suppose I lay for a few minutes, and when I came to myself I found myself kicking away, and coughing up globules of clotted blood at a great pace.  I thought at first I was as good as done for; however, on regaining a little strength, I looked around, and seeing none of our men in the place, and thinking it more than probable, from what I knew of their character, that the very men whom I had been endeavouring to save might take it into their heads to give me the “coup de grace” now I was left alone, I made a desperate effort, got on my legs, and managed to hobble out, when I soon found some of our men, who supported me until a dooly could be brought, into which I was placed, and was soon on my way to the doctor.

You may imagine my feelings all this time to be anything but pleasant.  I still continued coughing up blood, which was flowing also pretty freely from my side.  The idea that you may probably have only a few hours longer to exist, with the many recollections that crowd into your mind at such a time, is anything but a delightful one; and the being so suddenly reduced from a state of vigorous activity to the sick, faintish feeling that came over me, by no means added to the agremens of my situation.

I well recollect being carried through the gate, where General Willshire with his staff and the officers who had been left with the reserve companies were, and who all pressed forward to see who the unfortunate fellow in the dooly was, when the low exclamation of “Poor Holdsworth!” and the mysterious and mournful shaking of heads which passed among them, by no means tended to enliven my spirits.  I soon reached the place where the doctors, with their understrappers, were busily employed among the wounded, dying, and dead.  I was immediately stripped and examined, and then, for the first time, heard that the ball had passed through and out of my body.  I also now discovered that it had struck and gone through my arm as well.  Being very anxious, I begged Hunter, the doctor, to let me know the worst.  He shook his head, and told me “he thought it a rather dangerous case, principally from my having spit so much blood.”  He had not time, however, to waste many words with me, as he had plenty of others to attend.  Dickenson, also, I found here; having been wounded, as I before told you.  He did all he could to keep my spirits up, but, as you may suppose, I felt still very far from being comfortable.  Nor were the various objects that met my eye of a consolatory nature:  men lying, some dead, others at their last gasp, while the agonizing groans of those who were undergoing operations at the hands of the hospital assistants, added to the horror of the scene.  I may now say that I have seen, on a small scale, every different feature of a fight.