ade. Both
parties pushed to get possession of a rising ground on the right near
the house of a Mr. Clark. The Americans being nearest, reached it
first, and formed behind a hedge fence which extended along a slope in
front of the house; whence, being chiefly armed with rifles, they
opened a destructive fire. It was returned with great spirit by the
enemy. At the first discharge Mercer was dismounted. One of his
colonels, also, was mortally wounded and carried to the rear. Availing
themselves of the confusion thus occasioned, the British charged with
the bayonet; the American riflemen having no weapon of the kind were
thrown into disorder and retreated. Mercer, who was on foot,
endeavored to rally them, when a blow from the butt end of a musket
felled him to the ground. He rose and defended himself with his sword,
but was surrounded, bayoneted repeatedly, and left for dead. Mawhood
pursued the broken and retreating troops to the brow of the rising
ground, on which Clark's house was situated, when he beheld a large
force emerging from a wood and advancing to the rescue. It was a body
of Pennsylvania militia, which Washington, on hearing the firing, had
detached to the support of Mercer. Mawhood instantly ceased pursuit,
drew up his artillery, and by a heavy discharge brought the militia to
a stand.

At this moment Washington himself arrived at the scene of action,
having galloped from the by-road in advance of his troops. From a
rising ground he beheld Mercer's troops retreating in confusion, and
the detachment of militia checked by Mawhood's artillery. Everything
was at peril. Putting spurs to his horse he dashed past the hesitating
militia, waving his hat and cheering them on. His commanding figure
and white horse made him a conspicuous object for the enemy's
marksmen; but he heeded it not. Galloping forward under the fire of
Mawhood's battery, he called upon Mercer's broken brigade. The
Pennsylvanians rallied at the sound of his voice, and caught fire from
his example. At the same time the 7th Virginia regiment emerged from
the wood, and moved forward with loud cheers, while a fire of
grapeshot was opened by Captain Moulder of the American artillery from
the brow of a ridge to the south.

Colonel Mawhood, who a moment before had thought his triumph secure,
found himself assailed on every side and separated from the other
British regiments. He fought, however, with great bravery, and for a
short time the action was d