 Mawhood ordered his light troops to delay Mercer , while he brought up the other detachments . Mercer was walking through William Clark 's orchard when the British light troops appeared . The British light troops ' volley went high which gave time for Mercer to wheel his troops around into battle line . Mercer 's troops advanced , pushing back the British light troops . The Americans took up a position behind a fence at the upper end of the orchard . However , Mawhood had brought up his troops and his artillery . The American gunners opened fire first and for about ten minutes , the outnumbered American infantry exchanged fire with the British . However , many of the Americans had rifles which took longer to load than muskets . Mawhood ordered a bayonet charge and because many of the Americans had rifles , which could not be equipped with bayonets , they were overrun . Both of the Americans ' cannons were captured , and the British turned them on the fleeing troops . Mercer was surrounded by British soldiers and they shouted at him " Surrender you damn rebel ! " . Declining to ask for quarter , Mercer chose to resist instead . The British , thinking they had caught Washington , bayoneted him , and then left him for dead . Mercer 's second in command , Colonel John Haslet , was shot through the head and killed . 
