He thought, however, that if he led the regulars to the attack, the others would come forward, and he therefore gave the word for the advance.  The French soldiers advanced steadily, until the trees grew thinner.  They were deployed into line, and opened fire in regular volleys.  Scarcely had they done so, however, when Captain Eyre, who commanded the artillery, opened upon them with grape from his three guns, while from waggon, and boat, and fallen log, the musketry fire flashed out hot and bitter, and, reeling under the shower of iron and lead, the French line broke up, the soldiers took shelter behind trees, and thence returned the fire of the defenders.

Johnson received a flesh wound in the thigh, and retired to his tent, where he spent the rest of the day.  Lyman took the command, and to him the credit of the victory is entirely due.

For four hours the combat raged.  The young soldiers had soon got over their first uneasiness, and fought as steadily and coolly as veterans.  The musketry fire was unbroken.  From every tree, bush, and rock the rifles flashed out, and the leaden hail flew in a storm over the camp, and cut the leaves in a shower from the forest.  Through this Lyman moved to and fro among the men, directing, encouraging, cheering them on, escaping as by a miracle the balls which whistled round him.  Save the Indians on the English side, not a man but was engaged, the waggoners taking their guns and joining in the fight.

The Mohawks, however, held aloof, saying that they had come to see their English brothers fight, but, animated no doubt with the idea that, if they abstained from taking part in the fray, and the day went against the English, their friends the Iroquois would not harm them.

The French Indians worked round on to high ground, beyond the swamp on the left, and their fire thence took the defenders in the flank.  Captain Eyre speedily turned his guns in that direction, and a few well-directed shells soon drove the Indians from their vantage ground.  Dieskau directed his first attack against the left and centre; but the Connecticut men fought so stoutly, that he next tried to force the right, where the Massachusetts regiments of Titcomb, Ruggles, and Williams held the line.  For an hour he strove hard to break his way through the intrenchments, but the Massachusetts men stood firm, although Titcomb was killed and their loss was heavy.

At length Dieskau, exposing himself within short range of the English lines, was hit in the leg.  While his adjutant Montreuil was dressing the wound, the general was again hit in the knee and thigh.  He had himself placed behind a tree, and ordered Montreuil to lead the regulars in a last effort against the camp.

But it was too late.  The blood of the colonists was now up, and, singly or in small bodies, they were crossing their lines of barricade, and working up among the trees towards their assailants.  The movement became general, and Lyman, seeing the spirit of his men, gave the word, and the whole of the troops, with a shout, leaped up and dashed through the wood against the enemy, falling upon them with their hatchets and the butts of their guns.