Lee shrugged his shoulders, but as Lafayette sat immovable, his clear hazel eyes interrogating and astonished, he reluctantly gave the Marquis the order to wheel his column to the right and attack the enemy’s left.  He simultaneously weakened Wayne’s detachment and went off to reconnoitre.  He afterward claimed that he saw what looked to be the approach of the entire army, and he ordered his right to fall back.  The brigades of Scott and Maxwell on the left were already moving forward and approaching the right of the Royal forces, when they received an order from Lee to reenter the wood.  At the same time an order was sent to Lafayette to fall back to the Court-house.  With a face as flaming as his unpowdered head, he obeyed.  Upon reaching the Court-house he learned that a general retreat had begun on the right, under the immediate command of Lee.  He had no choice but to follow.

Hamilton, hardly crediting that his worst fears were realized in this unwarranted retreat, galloped over to Lee and urged that possession be taken of a neighbouring hill that commanded the plain on which the enemy were advancing.  But Lee protested violently that the Americans had not a chance against that solid phalanx, and Hamilton, now convinced that he meditated the disgrace of the American arms, galloped with all speed in search of Washington.

The retreat, by this, was a panic.  The troops fled like an army of terrified rabbits, with that reversion to the simplicity of their dumb ancestors which induces the suspicion that all the manly virtues are artificial.  In times of panic man seems to exchange his soul for a tail.  These wretches trampled each other into the shifting sand, and crowded many more into the morass.  The heat was terrific.  They ran with their tongues hanging out, and many dropped dead.

Washington heard of the retreat before Hamilton found him.  He was pushing on to Lee’s relief when a country-man brought him word of the disgraceful rout.  Washington refused to credit the report and spurred forward.  Halfway between the meeting-house and the morass he met the head of the first retreating column.  He commanded it to halt at once, before the panic be communicated to the main army; then made for Lee.  Lee saw him coming and braced himself for the shock.  But it was a greater man than Lee who could stand the shock of Washington’s temper.  He was fearfully roused.  The noble gravity of his face had disappeared.  It was convulsed with rage.

“Sir,” he thundered, “I desire to know what is the reason of this?  Whence arises this confusion and disorder?”

“Sir—­” stammered Lee, “sir—­” He braced himself, and added impudently:  “I thought it best not to beard the enemy in such a situation.  It was contrary to my opinion—­”

“Your opinion!” And then the Chief undammed a torrent of profanity Washingtonian in its grandeur.