▁the ▁south ▁just ▁a ▁few ▁miles ▁away . ▁Although ▁moving ▁to ▁the ▁North ▁Valley ▁Hills ▁would ▁have ▁given ▁Washington ▁more ▁time ▁to ▁deploy ▁and ▁possibly ▁fort ify , ▁he ▁ordered ▁the ▁army ▁south ▁directly ▁toward ▁the ▁enemy ▁to ▁take ▁up ▁a ▁def ensive ▁position ▁on ▁the ▁South ▁Valley ▁Hills . ▁▁ ▁Washington ▁sent ▁an ▁advance ▁force ▁under ▁General ▁Anthony ▁Wayne ▁to ▁slow ▁the ▁British ▁progress . ▁At ▁about ▁ 2 : 0 0 ▁pm , ▁his ▁men ▁encountered ▁the ▁advance ▁j äger ▁units ▁of ▁the ▁H ess ian ▁column ▁on ▁one ▁road . ▁These ▁forces ▁began ▁sk irm ishing , ▁and ▁the ▁Americans ▁very ▁nearly ▁captured ▁Colonel ▁Carl ▁von ▁Don op ▁when ▁he ▁became ▁separated ▁from ▁his ▁main ▁column ▁with ▁a ▁small ▁company ▁of ▁j ä gers . ▁The ▁main ▁British ▁column , ▁led ▁by ▁General ▁Charles ▁Corn wall is , ▁met ▁with ▁Wayne ' s ▁Pennsylvania ▁milit ia ▁on ▁another ▁road ▁at ▁around ▁ 3 : 0 0 , ▁who ▁gave ▁way ▁in ▁a ▁pan icked ▁retre at , ▁suffering ▁ 1 0 ▁killed ▁or ▁wounded . ▁ ▁While ▁this ▁went ▁on , ▁Washington , ▁who ▁was ▁trying ▁to ▁organ ize ▁the ▁line ▁of ▁battle , ▁had ▁a ▁change ▁of ▁heart ▁about ▁the ▁position ▁and ▁ended ▁up ▁withdraw ing ▁the ▁army ▁north ▁of ▁the ▁ta vern . ▁This ▁withdraw al ▁was ▁just ▁getting ▁under way ▁when ▁it ▁began ▁pour ing ▁rain . ▁H ess ian ▁j äger ▁Captain ▁Johann ▁E wald ▁described ▁it ▁as ▁" an ▁extraordinary ▁th under st orm ,