lected by Washington as the object of attack. On the CHAPTER XXXV. evening of Christmas, with two thousand five hundred of his best men and six pieces of artillery, including the 1776. New York company under Alexander Hamilton, he commenced crossing the Delaware about nine miles above Trenton. Two corps of militia, one opposite Trenton, the other lower down, at Bristol, under General Cadwallader, were to have crossed at the same time; but the quantity of floating ice made the passage impossible. It was only with great difficulty, and after struggling all night, that Washington's troops got over at last. About four o'clock Dec. 26. in the morning, in the midst of a snow storm, they commenced their march for Trenton in two columns, one led by Greene, the other by Sullivan, Stark's New Hampshire regiment heading Sullivan's advance. The two columns took different roads-Sullivan along the bank of the river, the other some distance inland. It was eight o'clock before they reached the town; but the Hessians, sleepy with the night's debauch, were completely surprised. Some little resistance was made by the guard of the artillery, but they were soon overpowered, and the pieces taken. Washington's artillery was planted to sweep the streets of the town. The Hessian commander, while attempting to form his troops, was mortally wounded. The light horse and a portion of the infantry, who fled on the first alarm, escaped to Bordentown. The main body attempted to retreat by the Princeton road, but found it already occupied by Colonel Hand and his regiment of Pennsylvania riflemen. Thus cut off, ignorant of the force opposed to them, and without enthusiasm for the cause, they threw down their arms and surrendered. About a thousand prisoners were taken and six cannon. The Americans had two frozen to death, two killed, and a few wounded in assaulting the XXXV. CHAPTER artillery, among them James Monroe, then a lieutenant, afterward President of the United States. Had the mi1776. litia lower down been able to cross, the success might have been still more complete. Washington recrossed the Delaware with his prisoners, who were sent to Philadelphia, and paraded through the streets in a sort of triumph. The British, astonished at such a stroke from an enemy whom they reckoned already subdued, broke up their encampments along the Delaware, and retired to Princeton. Washington thereupon reoccupied Trenton, where he was speedily joined by three thousand six hundred Pennsylvania militia, relieved, by the withdrawal of the enemy, from Dec. 31. their late duty of guarding the Delaware. At this moment the term of service of the New England, regiments expired; but the persuasions of their officers, and a bounty of ten dollars, induced them to remain for six weeks longer. Alarmed by the surprise at Trenton, and the signs of new activity in the American army, Howe detained Cornwallis, then just on the point of embarking for England, and sent him to take the command at Princeton. Re-enforcements came up from Brunswick, and Cornwallis advanced in force upon Trenton. Washington 1777. occupied the high ground on the eastern bank of a small Jan. 2. river which enters the Delaware at that town. The bridge and the ford above it were guarded by artillery. After a sharp cannonade, the British kindled their fires and encamped for the night. Washington was now in a dangerous predicament. He had about five thousand men, half of them militia, but a few days in camp. Could such an army stand the attack of British regulars, equal in numbers, and far superior in discipline and equipments? To attempt XXXV. to cross the Delaware in the face of the enemy would CHAPTER be more hazardous than a battle. Washington, according to his custom, called a council of war. The large 1777. force which Cornwallis evidently had with him led to the inference that the corps in the rear could not be very strong. The bold plan was adopted of gaining that rear, beating up the enemy's quarters at Princeton, and, if fortune favored, falling on his stores and baggage at Brunswick. In execution of this plan, the American baggage was silently sent off down the river to Burlington; and, after replenishing the camp fires, and leaving small parties to throw up intrenchments within hearing of the enemy's sentinels, the army marched off about midnight by a circuitous route toward Princeton. Three British regiments had spent the night in that town; and by sunrise, when the Americans entered it, two of Jan. 3. them were already on their march for Trenton. The leading regiment was attacked and broken; but it presently rallied, regained the Trenton road, and continued its march to join Cornwallis. General Mercer, who had led this attack with a column of militia, was not very well supported; he fell mortally wounded while attempting to bring up his men to the charge, and was taken prisoner. The marching regiment in the rear, after a sharp action, gave way, and fled toward Brunswick. The regiment in the town occupied the college, and made some show of resistance; but some pieces of artillery being brought to bear upon them, they soon surrendered. Three hundred prisoners fell into the hands of the Americans, besides a severe loss to the enemy in killed and wounded. The American loss was about a hundred, including several valuable officers. When Cornwallis heard the roar of the cannon at Princeton, he penetrated at once the whole of Wash CHAPTER ington's plan. Alarmed for his magazines at BrunsXXXV. wick, he hastily put his troops in motion, and by the 1777. time the Americans were ready to leave Princeton, he was again close upon them. Again Washington was in Another proclamation was presently issued, requiring Jan. 25. all those who had taken British protections either to remove within the enemy's lines, or else to repair to the nearest general officer, give up their protections, and take XXXV. an oath of allegiance to the United States. Objections CHAPTER were made to this proclamation, and one of the New Jersey delegates in Congress raised some question about it, 1777. on the ground that it was an interference with state rights, allegiance being due to the state, and not to the confederacy; but Congress sustained Washington in the course he had taken. Huts were erected at Morristown, and there the main body of the American army remained during the winter. The right was at Princeton, under Putnam; the left in the Highlands, under Heath; cantonments were established at various places along this extended line. Skirmishes occasionally took place between advanced parties, but for six months no important movement was made upon either side. either side. Washington, busy in organizing the new army, was, in fact, very weak. Recruits came in but slowly; and detachments of militia, principally from the Eastern States, had to be called out for temporary service. These were judiciously posted, so as to make the best possible show; but, for several months, there was little more than the shadow of an army. The enemy, made cautious by their losses, fortunately were ignorant of Washington's real situation. The strong ground occupied by the Americans, and the winter, which had now fairly set in, seemed to forbid the hope of successful attack. In skirmishes, the Americans were generally successful; the British quarters were straitened, their supplies were cut off, and they were reduced to great distress for forage and fresh provisions. The recovery of the Jerseys by the fragments of a defeated army, which had seemed just before on the point of dissolution, gained Washington a high reputation, not at home only, but in Europe also, where the progress of the campaign had been watched with t |