opposed to him, and compelled them to make a precipitate and disorderly
retreat. General Washington, with the part of his army which he was
able to keep together, retired with his artillery and baggage to
Chester, where he halted within eight miles of the British army, till
next morning, when he retreated to Philadelphia.

Among the foreign officers engaged in this battle besides Lafayette,
who was wounded in the leg during the action, were General Deborre, a
French officer; [6] General Conway, an Irishman, who had served in
France; Capt. Louis Fleury, a French engineer, and Count Pulaski, a
Polish nobleman, subsequently distinguished as a commander of cavalry.

As must ever be the case in new-raised armies, unused to danger and
from which undeserving officers have not been expelled, their conduct
was not uniform. Some regiments, especially those which had served the
preceding campaign, maintained their ground with the firmness and
intrepidity of veterans, while others gave way as soon as they were
pressed. The author of a very correct history of the war, speaking of
this action, says: "A part of the troops, among whom were particularly
numbered some Virginia regiments, and the whole corps of artillery,
behaved exceedingly well in some of the actions of this day, exhibiting
a degree of order, firmness, and resolution, and preserving such a
countenance in extremely sharp service, as would not have discredited
veterans. Some other bodies of their troops behaved very badly."

The official letter of Sir William Howe stated his loss at rather less
than 100 killed and 400 wounded, and this account was accepted at the
time as true. A late discovery shows its falsehood. Mr. Headley, in his
recent "Life of Washington," notices the finding of a document which
settles the question.