“Our position was a good one.  The barricade was formed of square piles, driven into the ground with small narrow openings between them.  I ordered the men to keep behind the timbers until the enemy came up.  The Germans opened a murdering fire as they approached, but, though the bullets pattered like rain against the palisades, and whistled in between them, not a man was touched.  I waited till they were within two paces, and then gave the word, and you may well guess that there was not a bullet thrown away, and the Germans, mightily astonished, drew back, leaving nigh forty of their men behind them.  Then, falling back a bit, they opened fire upon us, but it was a game that two could play at.  We could see them, but they could not see us; and while we loaded our muskets in shelter, they were exposed, and we picked them off by dozens.

“The firing had, of course, given the alarm to our two regiments, who turned out just as they were, in their nightshirts.  Major O’Mahony, who was in command of Dillon’s regiment, as Lally was away on leave, luckily made his way in safety from his lodgings to the barracks, got his own men in order, while Colonel Wauchop, who commanded our regiment, took the command of the two battalions.  Fortunately, a portion of the regiment had been ordered to fall in early for inspection, and this gave time for the rest to get into their uniforms; and, as soon as they were ready, Wauchop led them out and fell suddenly upon a portion of Mercy’s force, poured in a volley, and then charged them.

“Horse and foot fell back before the attack.  Then they turned the cannon on the ramparts, and thus secured possession of the Po gate, and, pushing on, the guns helping them, drove the Austrians from the houses they occupied, and so opened communications with the French cavalry.

“A brigadier now came up, and ordered the battalions to barricade all the streets they had won, with barrels and carts.  A French regiment arrived, and occupied the church of Saint Salvador, and the battery which commanded the bridge, across which Vaudemont’s corps could now be seen approaching.  The redoubt on the other side of the bridge was only held by fifty men, and they were now strengthened by a hundred of the French soldiers.  The Austrians approached, making sure that the town had already been taken, and looking out for a signal that was to be hoisted.  Their astonishment was great, when a heavy musketry fire was opened upon them by the garrison of the outpost, while the guns of the battery on the wall plunged their shot in among them.

“The column was at once halted.  Eugene had regarded the struggle as over, when news was brought to him of the defeat of Mercy’s corps by the Irish.  Everywhere else things had gone most favourably.  Marshal Villeroy had been wounded and made prisoner.  His marechal de camp shared the same fate.  The Chevalier D’Entregues, who advanced to meet the enemy, was defeated and killed, as was Lieutenant General de Trenan, and the Spanish Governor of the town mortally wounded.