Vern and Carboni
There's just a couple of things we should mention about the two men we've tended to satirise here, Vern and Carboni. Because of Carboni, Vere has often been accused of running quite early on. In reality, this is probably not so. Other reports say that while he lumbered off with his clumsy sword, it was at much the same time as the others were also running.
And what of Carboni? Well, he did ultimately hide in a chimney, but there's a wonderful story, told by the other party to it. His putative victim, a soldier, said Carboni charged at him with a pike, the soldier broke and ran rather than stand and fight with his musket and bayonet. To be fair, Carboni, as usual, despite being a small red-haired and bearded man, was probably looking and shouting fiercely. Carboni chased his victim out of the stockade and right up to the edge of the range of the other soldiers' muskets, probably those being held in reserve, then made his way back to the stockade. It seems likely, therefore, that Carboni could not have hidden until after the soldiers were taking the stockade.
And what of Carboni? Well, he did ultimately hide in a chimney, but there's a wonderful story, told by the other party to it. His putative victim, a soldier, said Carboni charged at him with a pike, the soldier broke and ran rather than stand and fight with his musket and bayonet. To be fair, Carboni, as usual, despite being a small red-haired and bearded man, was probably looking and shouting fiercely. Carboni chased his victim out of the stockade and right up to the edge of the range of the other soldiers' muskets, probably those being held in reserve, then made his way back to the stockade. It seems likely, therefore, that Carboni could not have hidden until after the soldiers were taking the stockade.