The following letter to Washington, cited by Sparks, contains
Lafayette's own account of this affair: "After having spent the most
part of the day in making myself well acquainted with the certainty of
the enemy's motions, I came pretty late into the Gloucester road
between the two creeks. I had 10 light horse, almost 150 riflemen, and
2 pickets of militia. Colonel Armand, Colonel Laumoy, and the
Chevaliers Duplessis and Gimat were the Frenchmen with me. A scout of
my men, under Duplessis, went to ascertain how near to Gloucester were
the enemy's first pickets, and they found at the distance of two miles
and a half from that place a strong post of 350 Hessians, with field
pieces, and they engaged immediately. As my little reconnoitering party
were all in fine spirits I supported them. We pushed the Hessians more
than half a mile from the place where their main body had been and we
made them run very fast. British reinforcements came twice to them,
but, very far from recovering their ground, they always retreated. The
darkness of the night prevented us from pursuing our advantage. After
standing on the ground we had gained, I ordered them to return very
slowly to Haddonfield."

The Marquis had only one man killed and six wounded. "I take the
greatest pleasure," he added, "in letting you know that the conduct of
our soldiers was above all praise. I never saw men so merry, so
spirited, and so desirous to go on to the enemy, whatever force they
might have, as that same small party in this little fight."

Washington, in a letter to Congress dated November 26, 1777, mentions
this affair with commendation, and suggests, as he had repeatedly done
before, Lafayette's appointment to one of the vacant divisions of the
army, and on the same day that this letter was received Congress voted