hree miles, was alarmed by the approach of a large body of
American troops on its left flank, which it mistook for foes, and fell
back in defiance of every effort of its officers to rally it. In its
retreat it came upon Stephen's division and threw it into a panic,
being, in its turn, mistaken for the enemy; thus all fell into
confusion, and our army fled from their own victory.

In the meantime the enemy, having recovered from the first effects of
the surprise, advanced in their turn. General Grey brought up the left
wing, and pressed upon the American troops as they receded. Lord
Cornwallis, with a squadron of light-horse from Philadelphia, arrived
just in time to join in the pursuit. The retreat of the Americans was
attended with less loss than might have been expected, and they
carried off all their cannon and wounded. The retreat continued
through the day to Perkiomen Creek, a distance of twenty miles.

The loss of the enemy in this action is stated by them to be
seventy-one killed, four hundred and fifteen wounded, and fourteen
missing: among the killed was Brigadier-general Agnew. The American
loss was one hundred and fifty killed, five hundred and twenty-one
wounded, and about four hundred taken prisoners. Among the killed was
General Nash of North Carolina. Among the prisoners was Colonel
Mathews of Virginia.

The sudden retreat of the army gave Washington surprise, chagrin and
mortification. "Every account," said he subsequently, in a letter to
the President of Congress, "confirms the opinion I at first
entertained, that our troops retreated at the instant when victory was
declaring herself in our favor. The tumult, disorder, and even despair
which it seems had taken place in the British army, were scarcely to
be paralleled; and it is said, so strongly did the ideas of a retreat
prevail, that Chester was fixed on for their rendezvous. I can
discover no other cause for not improving this happy opportunity, than
the extreme haziness of the weather."

The plan of attack was too widely extended for strict concert, and too
complicated for precise co-operation, as it had to be conducted in the
night, and with a large proportion of undisciplined militia.

But although the Americans were balked of the victory, which seemed
within their grasp, the impression made by the audacity of this
attempt upon Germantown was greater we are told than that caused by
any single incident of the war after Lexington and Bunker's H