Page:America Fallen!.djvu/96

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America Fallen

showed that the garrison had been warned and was offering a heavy resistance. Soon, dispatch riders from the bicycle force came back with the news that it had run into a strong skirmish line, which the garrison had thrown out across the Bath Beach road. The main body of troops was now divided, a force of 1,000 being sent across the Fort Hamilton road with orders to advance from the north as soon as the main attack was pressed home from the south.

Despite the heroic resistance of the garrison, during which our regulars lived up to the finest traditions of the United States Army, the final rush of the German veterans could not be denied, and by 3:00 A.M. Fort Hamilton was in the hands of the enemy.

Leaving half of his force to hold the fort and entrench the position on the land side, the commander of the expedition,