Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, W.T. [i.e. Wis.]) 1843-1844, 1843-06-17
BATTLE OF TRENTON.
FROM THE MANUSCRIPT OF AN EyE-wIrNEs
"whose bullets on the night air sang"

had scarce put my foot IN the stirrup before
an aid.decamp from the commander-in chief
galloped up to me with a summons to The side
of Washington. bowed in reply, and dashed
up the road. The general in chief was already
on horseback, surrounded by his staff, and on
the point of setting out. He was calm and
collected as if in his cabinet. No sooner did
he see me than he waved his hand as a signal
TO halt. | checked my steed on the instant,
and lifting my hat, waited for his commands.
you are native of this country?
'Yes!--your excellency.'
you know the roads from M'Conkey's fer
~ to Trenton-by the river and Pennington
the bye roads and ALL
As well as know my alphabet and ! pat
ted the neck of my impatient charger.
Then will have occasion for you-you will
remain with the staff-ah. that's spirited an
mal you ride, Lieu,enan, Archer he added
smiling, as the fiery beast made demivault
that set half the group in commoion.
Your excellency'-
Never mind,' said Washington, smiling a.
gain, as another impatient spring of my char
ger, cut short the sentence, Il see the heads OF
the columns are in, moion--you will remem-
ber,' and waving his hand he gave the rein TO
his steed; while Eel back bewildered into the
staff. s.,
The ferry was close at hand, but the intense
cold made the march any thing but pleasant.
We all however hoped on the morrow to re.
deem our country by striking a single blow,
and every heart beat high with the anllcl.
pated victory. Column after column OF
our little army de6led at the ferry. aud the
night had scarcely set in before the embarka-
ton began.
At last we crossed the Delaware. The
whole night had been consumed in the trans
por,aiion of men and artillery. aud the morning
was within an hour or two Of dawuing before
the last detachment had embarked, AS wheel
ed my horse on the little bank above the landing
place, paused an instant 10 look back through
the obscurity Of the scene. The night was
dark, wild, and threatning. the clouds beioken-
ed an approaching tempest; and could with
difficulty penetrate with my eye, the fast
increasing gloom. AS put my hand across
my brow to pierce into the darkness, gust Of
wind, sweeping the river, whired the snow in
nv face and momentarily blinded my sight.
At las, discerned the opposite shore amid the
obscurity. The anscape was wild and gloo-
my. A few desolate lookink houses Only were
in sight, and the scarcely perceptible in the
shadowy twilight. The bare trees lifted their
hoary arms on high, groaning and c1eaklng
in the gale. The river was covered with drift
ing ice, that now jammed with crash to-
gether. and then fioated slowly apart, leaving
scarcely space for the boats to pass. The
dangers Of the navigation can better be imagn-
ed than described, for the utmost exerIions
could often just prevent the fraiI structures
from being crushed. Occasionally stray fife
would be heard, shooting shriliy over the wa
tiers, minging feebly with the fiercer piping OF
the winds; and anon the deep roll Of the drum
would boom across the night, the neigh OF the
horses would float from the opposite shore,
or the crash ofthe jamming ice would be heard
like far off thunder. The cannoniers beneath
me were dragging piece of artillery up the
ascent, and the men were rapidly forming on
the shore below as they landed. !. was stir.
ring scene. At this instant the head of the
- regiment struck up an enivening air,
and plunging my rowells into my steed, |
whrled him around into the road, and went
off in gallon to overtake the Generals staff.
1t was now four o'clock. and so much time
had been consumed that il became impossible
TO reach our destination before day break, and
consequently all certainty OF surprise was
over. A hasty council was therefore called on
horseback TO determine whether TO retreat or
not. A few minutes decided it. All were
unanimous TO proceed at every peril.
'Genilemen,' said Washington, after they
had severaly spoken, then all agree-the at
tack shall take place. General he continued,
turning TO Sullivan, 'your brigade shall march
by the river road, while take that by Pen.
nington; let Us arrive as near eight O'Clock as
possible. But do not pause when you reach
their out posts. Drive them in before their
ranks can form, and pursue them to The very
centre of the town. | shall be there to take
them in the TANKS the rest we must leave 10
the God of battles. And now, gentleman, to
our posts 10 FIVE minutes we were in mo-
ton.
The eagernes of our troops to come up with
the enemy was never more conspicuous than
on the morning of that eyenlful DAY. We
had scarcely lost sight of Sullivan detach.
ment across intervening fields. before The long
threalning storm burst over US. The night
was intensity cold, the sleet and hale ratified
necessarily upon the mems knapsacks; and
the wind shrieked, howled, and roared among
the old pine trees. with terrific violence. At
times the snow fell perpendcularly downward;
then it beat horizontally into our faces with fu.
rious impeiuosiiy; and again it was whiried
wildly on high, eddying around and around,
sweeping away on the whistling tempest far
down into the glooom. The tramp ofthe men;
the low orders of the officers; the occasional
rattle of muskei, were almost lost 10 the
shriIl voice Of the gale, or the deep sullen roar
of tortured forests. Even the sounds at
length ceased, and we continued the march in
profound silence, increasing as we drew near
er to the outpos, of the enemy. The redoubled
violence of the gale, though it added 10 the
sufferings Of our brave cOn,inenials, was even