The french and indians, the number of each not known, had, as we found after, possessed the sides and brow of a hill, in a circular form, from the extreme of which some of them fired upon one of our advanced flank parties. this immediately struck a general panic; the men could not be persuaded to form regularly; in great confusion they fell back . . no order could be restored. –the public advertiser september 20, 1755 based on this passage, which statement is true? the british panicked when they were shot at. the french and the american indians were very alarmed. the british were on a hill in a circle. the british fired and then panicked.