The ball went through and through; I was on foot when I received my wound;
a part of our line had given way but a part still held its ground. To these I
repaired. To encourage my comrades, and to show them I had no better chance of
flight than they, I ordered my horse to the rear. The news of my being hurt
was conveyed to the commander-in-chief, with the usual exaggerations in such
cases. The good General Washington freely expressed his grief that one so
young, and a volunteer in the holy cause of freedom, should so early have
fallen; but he was soon relieved by an assurance that my wound would stop
short of life, when he sent me his love an gratulation that matters were no
worse. On the field of battle the surgeon prepared his dressings, but the shot
fell so thick around us, that in a very little time, if we had remained, we
should both have been past all surgery. Being mounted on my horse I left the
field, and repaired to the bridge near Chester, where I halted and placed a
guard, to stop fugitive soldiers, and direct them to join their respective
regiments. I could do no more; becoming faint, I was carried into a house in
Chester and laid on a table, when my wound received its first dressing. The
general officers soon arrived, when I saluted them by begging that they would
not eat me up, as they appeared to be very hungry, and I was the only dish
upon the table in the house. The good general-in-chief was much gratified on
finding me in such spirits, and caused a litter to be made, on which I was
conveyed to the Indian Queen [a tavern/hotel] in Philadelphia, and was there
waited upon by the members of Congress, who were all booted and spurred and on
the wing for a place of greater safety to hold their sessions. The enemy
continuing to advance, I was removed to Bristol, and thence in the coach of
President Laurens (and coaches were rare in those days) to Reading [here
Lafayette's memory fails him -- he was actually moved to Bethlehem], where I
remained until so much recovered as to be able to repair to head-quarters.