e covered
their retreat by a sharp and well-directed fire from his field-pieces.
His grand stand was made at a place about a mile beyond Dilworth,
which in reconnoitring the neighborhood Washington had pointed out to
him, as well calculated for a second position, should the army be
driven out of the first. Weedon's brigade was drawn up in a narrow
defile, flanked on both sides by woods, and perfectly commanding the
road; while Greene, with Muhlenberg's brigade, passing to the right
took his station on the road. The British came on impetuously,
expecting but faint opposition. They met with a desperate resistance
and were repeatedly driven back. Weedon's brigade on the left
maintained its stand also with great obstinacy, and the check given to
the enemy by these two brigades allowed time for the broken troops to
retreat. Weedon was at length compelled by superior numbers to seek
the protection of the other brigade, which he did in good order, and
Greene gradually drew off the whole division in face of the enemy,
who, checked by this vigorous resistance, and seeing the day far
spent, gave up all further pursuit.

The brave stand made by these brigades had likewise been a great
protection to Wayne. He had for a long time withstood the attacks of
the enemy at Chadd's Ford, until the approach on the right of some of
the enemy's troops, who had been entangled in the woods, showed him
that the right wing had been routed. He now gave up the defence of his
post and retreated by the Chester road. Knyphausen's troops were too
fatigued to pursue him, and the others had been kept back, as we have
shown, by Greene's division. So ended the varied conflict of the day.

Lafayette gives an animated picture of the general retreat in which he
became entangled. All around him was headlong terror and confusion.
Chester road, the common retreat of the broken fragments of the army
from every quarter, was crowded with fugitives, with cannon, with
baggage cars, all hurrying forward pell-mell, and obstructing each
other. At Chester, twelve miles from the field of battle, there was a
deep stream with a bridge, over which the fugitives would have to
pass. Here Lafayette set a guard to prevent their further flight. The
commander-in-chief arriving soon after with Greene and his gallant
division, some degree of order was restored, and the whole army took
its post behind Chester for the night.

The scene of this battle, which decided the fate of Phil