Americans had reposea extravagant confi- In the dangerous situation to which everydence in his military talents, and experience thing dear to the friends of independence of regular European war. Merely to have was reduced, congress transferred extraorlost such an idol of the state at any time, dinary powers to general Washington, "to would have been distressful; but losing him raise and collect together, in the most under circumstances, which favored an opin- speedy and effectual manner, from any or ion that, despairing of the American cause, all of these United States, sixteen battalions he chose to be taken prisoner, was to many of infantry, in addition to those already vot an extinguishment of every hope. ed by congress; to appoint officers for the By the advance of the British into New- said battalions of infantry; to raise, officer, Jersey, the neighborhood of Philadelphia be- and equip three thousand light-horse, three came the seat of war. This prevented that regiments of artillery, and a corps of engiundisturbed attention to public business neers, and to establish their pay; to apply to which the deliberations of congress required. any of the states for such aid of the militia They, therefore, on the 12th of December, as he shall judge necessary; to form such adjourned themselves to meet in eight days magazines of provisions, and in such place at Baltimore, resolving at the same time, as he shall think proper; to displace and "that general Washington should be pos- appoint all officers under the rank of brigasessed of full power to order and direct all dier-general, and to fill up all vacancies in things relative to the department and opera- every other department in the American tions of war." armies; to take, wherever he may be, whatThe activity of the British in the close ever he may want for the use of the army, of the campaign, seemed in some measure if the inhabitants will not sell it, allowing a to compensate for their tardiness in the be- reasonable price for the same; to arrest and ginning of it. confine persons who refuse to take the conHitherto they had succeeded in every tinental currency, or are otherwise disafscheme; they marched up and down the fected to the American cause; and return Jersey side of the river Delaware, and to the states of which they are citizens, through the country, without any molesta- their names and the nature of their offences, tion. All opposition to the re-establishment together with the witnesses to prove them: of royal government seemed to be on the That the foregoing powers be vested in genpoint of expiring. The Americans had thus eral Washington, for and during the term far acted without system, or rather feebly of six months from the date hereof, unless executed what had been tardily adopted. sooner determined by congress." Though the war was changed from its first In this hour of extremity, the attention ground, a redress of grievances to a strug- of congress was employed in devising plans gle for sovereignty, yet some considerable to save the states from sinking under the time elapsed before arrangements conforma-heavy calamities which were bearing them ble to this new system were adopted, and a down. It is remarkable, that neither in the much longer before they were carried into present condition, though trying and severe, nor in any other since the declaration of inEXERTIONS OF CONGRESS. dependence, was congress influenced either IN proportion as difficulties increased, con- by force, distress, artifice, or persuasion, to gress redoubled their exertions to oppose entertain the most distant idea of purchasthem on the tenth of December they ad- ing peace, by returning to the condition of dressed the states in animated language, British subjects. So low were they reduced calculated to remove their despondency, re- in the latter end of 1776, that some memnew their hopes, and confirm their resolu- bers, distrustful of their ability to resist the tions. power of Great Britain, proposed to authorThey at the same time dispatched gentle-ize their commissioners at the court of men of character and influence to excite the France to transfer to that country the same militia to take the field. General Mifflin monopoly of their trade which Great Britwas, on this occasion, particularly useful; ain had hitherto enjoyed. On examination he exerted his great abilities in rousing his it was found, that concessions of this kind fellow-citizens, by animated and affectionate would destroy the force of many arguments addresses, to turn out in defence of their heretofore used in favor of independence, endangered liberties. and probably disunite their citizens. It was Congress also recommended to each of next proposed to offer a monopoly of certain the United States "to appoint a day of sol- enumerated articles of produce. To this emn fasting and humiliation, to implore of the variant interests of the different states Almighty God the forgiveness of their many were so directly opposed, as to occasion a sins, and to beg the countenance and assist- speedy and decided negative. Some proance of his providence in the prosecution posed offering to France a league offensive of the present just and necessary war.” and defensive, in case she would heartily

execution.

support American independence; but this stances, the bold resolution was formed of was also rejected. The more enlightened recrossing into the state of Jersey, and atinembers of congress argued, "Though the tacking that part of the enemy which was friendship of small states might be purchas- posted at Trenton. ed, that of France could not." They al- HESSIANS CAPTURED AT TRENTON. leged, that if she would risk a war with WHEN the Americans retreated over the Great Britain, by openly espousing their Delaware, the boats in the vicinity were recause, it would not be so much from the moved out of the way of their pursuers. prospect of direct advantages, as from a na- This arrested their progress: but the Brittural desire to lessen the overgrown power ish commanders, in the security of conquest, of a dangerous rival. It was therefore sup- cantoned their army at Burlington, Bordenposed, that the only inducement likely to ton, Trenton, and other towns of New-Jerinfluence France to an interference, was an sey, in daily expectation of being enabled assurance that the United States were de- to cross over into Pennsylvania, by means termined to persevere in refusing a return of the ice which is generally formed about to their former allegiance. Instead of lis- that time.

tening to the terms of the royal commis- In the evening of Christmas-day, general sioners, or to any founded on the idea of Washington made arrangements for recrosstheir resuming the character of British sub-ing the Delaware in three divisions; at jects, it was therefore again resolved, to M'Konkey's Ferry, at Trenton Ferry, and abide by their declared independence, and at or near Bordenton. The troops which proffered freedom of trade to every foreign were to have crossed at the two last places, nation, trusting the event to Providence, were commanded by generals Ewing and and risking all consequences. Copies of Cadwallader; they made every exertion to these resolutions were sent to the principal get over, but the quantity of ice was so courts of Europe, and proper persons were great, that they could not effect their purappointed to solicit their friendship to the pose. The main body, which was comnew-formed states. These dispatches fell manded by general Washington, crossed at into the hands of the British, and were by M'Konkey's Ferry, but the ice in the river them published. This was the very thing retarded their passage so long, that it was wished for by congress; they well knew, three o'clock in the morning before the arthat an apprehension of their making up all tillery could be got over. Ön their landing differences with Great Britain was the prin- in Jersey, they were formed into two divicipal objection to the interference of foreign sions commanded by generals Sullivan and courts, in what was represented to be no Greene, who had under their command brigmore than a domestic quarrel. A resolution adiers lord Stirling, Mercer, and St. Clair. adopted in the deepest distress and the One of these divisions was ordered to proworst of times, that congress would listen ceed on the lower, or river road, the other to no terms of reunion with their parent on the upper, or Pennington road. Colonel state, convinced those who wished for the Stark, with some light troops, was also didismemberment of the British empire, that rected to advance near to the river, and to it was sound policy to interfere, so far as possess himself of that part of the town would prevent the conquest of the United which is beyond the bridge. The divisions States. having nearly the same distance to march, These judicious determinations in the were ordered immediately, on forcing the cabinet were accompanied with vigorous out-guards, to push directly into Trenton, exertions in the field. The delay so judi- that they might charge the enemy before ciously contrived on the retreat through Jer- they had time to form. Though they marchsey, afforded time for these volunteer rein- ed different roads, yet they arrived at the forcements to join general Washington. The enemy's advanced post within three minutes umber of troops under his command at that of each other. The out-guards of the Hestime fluctuated between two and three thou-sian troops at Trenton soon fell back, but sand men. To turn round and face a victo- kept up a constant retreating fire. Their rious and numerous foe, with this inconsid- main body being hard pressed by the Amererable force, was risking much; but the ur- icans, who had already got possession of gency of the case required that something half their artillery, attempted to file off by a should be attempted. The recruiting busi- road leading towards Princeton, but were ness for the proposed new continental army checked by a body of troops thrown in their was at a stand, while the British were driv-way. Finding they were surrounded, they ing the Americans before them. The pres- laid down their arms. The number which

ent regular soldiers could, as a matter of submitted was twenty-three officers, and right, in less than a week claim their dis-eight hundred and eighty-six men. Becharge, and scarce a single recruit offered tween thirty and forty of the Hessians were to supply their place. Under these circum-killed and wounded. Colonel Rahl was VOL. IV.

16

among the former, and seven of his officers night, cannonading the enemy and receiv among the latter. Captain Washington, of ing their fire. In this critical hour, two arthe Virginia troops, and five or six of the mies, on which the success or failure of the Americans, were wounded; two were kill- American revolution materially depended, ed, and two or three were frozen to death. were crowded into the small village of TrenThe detachment in Trenton consisted of ton, and only separated by a creek, in many the regiments of Rahl, Losberg, and Knip- places fordable. The British, believing they hausen, amounting in the whole to about had all the advantages they could wish for fifteen hundred men, and a troop of British and that they could use them when they light-horse. About six hundred escaped by pleased, discontinued all further operations, the road leading to Bordenton.

and kept themselves in readiness to make The British had a strong battalion of light the attack next morning. The next morninfantry at Princeton, and a force yet re- ing presented a scene as brilliant on the one maining near the Delaware, superior to the side, as it was unexpected on the other. American army. General Washington, there- Soon after it became dark, general Washfore, in the evening of the same day, thought ington ordered all his baggage to be silently it most prudent to recross into Pennsylvania removed, and having left guards for the purwith his prisoners. pose of deception, marched with his whole

The effects of this successful enterprise force, by a circuitous route, to Princeton. were speedily felt in recruiting the Ameri- This manœuvre was determined upon in a can army. About fourteen hundred regular council of war, from a conviction that it soldiers, whose time of service was on the would avoid the appearance of a retreat, and point of expiring, agreed to serve six weeks at the same time the hazard of an action in longer, on a promised gratuity of ten paper a bad position, and that it was the most dollars to each. Men of influence were sent likely way to preserve the city of Philadel to different parts of the country to rouse the phia from falling into the hands of the Britmilitia. ish. General Washington also presumed, The Hessian prisoners, taken on the that from an eagerness to efface the imprestwenty-sixth, being secured, general Wash- sions made by the late capture of the Hesington recrossed the Delaware, and took sians at Trenton, the British commanders possession of Trenton. The detachments had pushed forward their principal force, which had been distributed over New-Jer- and that of course the remainder in the rear sey, previous to the capture of the Hessians, at Princeton was not more than equal to his immediately after that event, assembled at own. The event verified this conjecture. Princeton, and were joined by the army from The more effectually to disguise the deparBrunswick, under lord Cornwallis. From ture of the Americans from Trenton, fires this position, on the second of January, 1777, were lighted up in front of their camp. they came forward towards Trenton in great These not only gave an appearance of going force, hoping, by a vigorous onset, to repair to rest, but as flame cannot be seen through, the injury their cause had sustained by the concealed from the British what was translate defeat. Truly delicate was the situa- acting behind them. In this relative position of the feeble American army. To re- tion, they were a pillar of fire to the one treat, was to hazard the city of Philadel- army, and a pillar of cloud to the other. phia, and to destroy every ray of hope which Providence favored this movement of the had begun to dawn from their late success. Americans. The weather had been for some To risk an action with a superior force in time so warm and moist, that the ground front, and a river in the rear, was danger- was soft, and the roads so deep as to be ous in the extreme. To get round the ad- scarcely passable: but the wind suddenly vanced party of the British, and by pushing changed to the north-west, and the ground forwards to attack in their rear, was deemed in a short time was frozen so hard, that when preferable to either. The British on their the Americans took up their line of march, advance from Princeton, about four o'clock they were no more retarded than if they had in the afternoon, attacked a body of Ameri- been upon a solid pavement. cans which were posted, with four field- General Washington reached Princeton pieces, a little to the northward of Trenton, early the next morning, and would have and compelled them to retreat. The pur- completely surprised the British, had not a suing British being checked at the bridge party, which was on their way to Trenton, over Sanpink Creek, which runs through descried his troops, when they were about that town, by some field-pieces which were two miles distant, and sent back couriers to posted on the opposite banks of that rivulet, alarm their unsuspecting fellow-soldiers in fell back so far as to be out of reach of the their rear. These consisted of the sevencannon, and kindled their fires. The Ameri- teenth, the fortieth, and sixty-fifth regiments cans were drawn up on the other side of of British infantry, and some of the royal the creek, and in that position remained till artillery, with two field-pieces, and three

troops of light dragoons. The centre of the round, and marched to the aid of their comAmericans, consisting of the Philadelphia panions. The Americans, by destroying militia, while on their line of march, was bridges, retarded these, though close in their briskly charged by a party of the British, rear, so long as to gain time for themselves and gave way in disorder. The moment to move off, in good order, to Pluckemin. was critical: general Washington pushed So great was the consternation of the forward, and placed himself between his British at these unexpected movements, that own men and the British, with his horse's they instantly evacuated both Trenton and head fronting the latter. The Americans, Princeton, and retreated with their whole encouraged by his example and exhorta- force to New-Brunswick. The American tions, made a stand, and returned the Brit- militia collected, and forming themselves ish fire. The general, though between both into parties, waylaid their enemies, and cut parties, was providentially uninjured by ei- them off whenever an opportunity presentther. A party of the British fled into the ed. In a few days, they overran the Jerseys. college, and were there attacked with field- General Maxwell surprised Elizabeth Town, pieces which were fired into it. The seat and took near 100 prisoners. Newark was of the muses became for some time the scene abandoned, and the late conquerors were of action. The party which had taken forced to leave Woodbridge. The royal refuge in the college, after receiving a few troops were confined to Amboy and Brunsdischarges from the American field-pieces, wick, which held a water communication came out and surrendered themselves pris- with New-York. Thus, in the short space oners of war. In the course of the engage- of a month, that part of Jersey, which lies ment, sixty of the British were killed, and between New-Brunswick and Delaware, was a greater number wounded, and about three both overrun by the British, and recovered hundred of them were taken prisoners. by the Americans.

The rest made their escape, some by push- The victories of Trenton and Princeton ing on towards Trenton, others by return- seemed to be like a resurrection from the ing towards Brunswick. The Americans dead to the desponding friends of indepenlost only a few; but colonel Haslet and Pot-dence. A melancholy gloom had in the ter, and captain Neal, of the artillery, were first twenty-five days of December overamong the slain. General Mercer received spread the United States; but from the memthree bayonet-wounds, of which he died in a orable era of the 26th of the same month, short time. He was a Scotchman by birth, their prospects began to brighten. The rebut from principle and affection had engaged cruiting service, which for some time had to support the liberties of his adopted coun- been at a stand, was successfully renewed; try, with a zeal equal to that of any of its and hopes were soon indulged, that the native sons. In private life he was amiable, commander-in-chief would be enabled to and his character as an officer stood high in take the field in the spring, with a permathe public esteem. nent regular force. General Washington While they were fighting in Princeton, retired to Morristown, that he might afford the British in Trenton were under arms, shelter to his suffering army. The American and on the point of making an assault on militia had some successful skirmishes with the evacuated camp of the Americans. With detachments of their adversaries. Within so much address had the movement to four days after the affair at Princeton, bePrinceton been conducted, that though, from tween forty and fifty Waldeckers were killthe critical situation of the two armies, ed, wounded, or taken, at Springfield, by an every ear may be supposed to have been equal number of the same New-Jersey miliopen, and every degree of watchfulness to tia, which but a month before suffered the have been employed, yet general Washing- British to overrun their country without ton moved completely off the ground with opposition. This enterprise was conducted his whole force, stores, baggage, and artil- by colonel Spencer, whose gallantry on the lery, unknown to, and unsuspected by, his occasion was rewarded with the command adversaries. The British in Trenton were of a regiment. so entirely deceived, that when they heard During the winter movements, which the report of the artillery a Princeton, have been just related, the soldiers of both though it was in the depth of winter, they armies underwent great hardships; but the supposed it to be thunder. Americans suffered by far the greater. That part of the royal army, which hav- Many of them were without shoes, though ing escaped from Princeton, retreated to- marching over frozen ground, which so wards New-Brunswick, was pursued for gashed their naked feet, that each step was three or four miles. Another party, which marked with blood: there was scarcely a had advanced as far as Maidenhead, on their tent in their whole army: the city of Philaway to Trenton, hearing the frequent dis- delphia had been twice laid under contribucharge of fire-arms in their rear, wheeled tion to provide them with blankets: officers

had been appointed to examine every house, the whole American army before New-York and, after leaving a scanty covering for the consisted of seventeen thousand two hunfamily, to bring off the rest for the use of dred and twenty-five men, but of that numthe troops in the field; but notwithstanding ber only ten thousand five hundred and these exertions, the quantity procured was fourteen were fit for duty. These numerfar short of decency, much less of comfort. ous sick suffered much from the want of The officers and soldiers of the American necessaries; hurry and confusion added army were about this time inoculated in much to their distresses: there was besides their cantonment at Morristown; as very a real want of the requisites for their relief. few of them had ever had the small-pox, RESULT OF THE CAMPAIGN. the inoculation was nearly universal. The THE campaign of 1776 did not end till it disorder had previously spread among them had been protracted into the first month of in the natural way, and proved mortal to the year 1777. The British had counted on many: but after inoculation was introduced, the complete and speedy reduction of their though whole regiments were inoculated late colonies, but they found the work more in a day, there was little or no mortality from difficult of execution than was supposed. the small-pox, and the disorder was so slight, They wholly failed in their designs on the that from the beginning to the end of it, southern states. In Canada they recovered there was not a single day in which they what in the preceding year they had lost; could not, and if called upon, would not, drove the Americans out of their borders, have turned out and fought the British. To and destroyed their fleet on the lakes; but induce the inhabitants to accommodate of- they failed in making their intended impresficers and soldiers in their houses, while sion on the north-western frontier of the under the small-pox, they and their families states. They obtained possession of Rhodewere inoculated gratis by the military sur- Island; but the acquisition was of little sergeons. Thus in a short time, the whole vice; perhaps was of detriment. For near army and the inhabitants in and near Mor- three years several thousand men stationed ristown were subjected to the small-pox, and thereon for its security, were lost to every with very little inconvenience to either. purpose of active co-operation with the royal Three months, which followed the actions forces in the field, and the possession of it of Trenton and Princeton, passed away with- secured no equivalent advantages. The out any important military enterprise on British completely succeeded against the either side. Major-general Putnam was di- city of New-York and the adjacent country; rected to take post at Princeton, and cover but when they pursued their victories into the country in the vicinity. He had only a New-Jersey, and subdivided their army, the few hundred troops, though he was no more recoiling Americans soon recovered the than eighteen miles distant from the strong greater part of what they had lost. garrison of the British at Brunswick. At Sir William Howe, after having nearly one period he had fewer men for duty than reached Philadelphia, was confined to limits he had miles of frontier to guard. The sit- so narrow, that the fee-simple of all he comuation of general Washington at Morris-manded would not reimburse the expense town was not more eligible. His force was incurred by its conquest. trifling when compared with that of the The war on the part of the Americans, British; but the enemy and his own coun- was but barely begun. Hitherto they had trymen believed the contrary. Their decep- engaged with temporary forces for a redress tion was cherished, and artfully continued by of grievances, but towards the close of this the specious parade of a considerable army. year they made arrangements for raising a Throughout the campaign of 1776, an un-permanent army to contend with Great common degree of sickness raged in the Britain for the sovereignty of the country. American army. Husbandmen, transferred To have thus far stood their ground with at once from the conveniencies of domestic their new levies, was a matter of great life, to the hardships of a field encampment, importance, because to them delay was could not accommodate themselves to the victory, and not to be conquered was to sudden change. On the eighth of August, conquer.