Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1856-02-02

tne 0lncerS ana tile gnldcS) till they reacheO
Trenton; and with such stiffness did the ar
my move that they were not discovered un.
til they came upon the out-guard Of the enc.
my, which was posted in the outskirt of the
town, at or near the house Of the Rev. Mr.
Frazier, when one Of the sentres called 10
Laning, who was little in advance of the
troops, and asked, Who is there Laning re.
piled. "a friend" "a friend TO whom ?" "a
friend of Washington's" AT this the guard
fired and retreated. The American troops
Immediately returned their fire. and rushed
upon them, and drove them into town. At
the head of King street, Capt Y. Forrest
opened six gun battery, under the immedi-
ate orders of General Washington and Lieut..
James Monroe, (aIterward President of the
United States.) percevng that the enemy
were endeavoring to form n battery in King
street. near where the feeder crosses the
street rushed forward with the advance guard
drove the artillerists from their guns, and
took from them two pieces, which they were
in the act of firing. These officers were both
wounded in this successful enterprise. a
part Of this division marched down Queen
street, and extended to the left, so as 10 cut
off the retreat of the enemy towards Prince
| ton.
The division of the army which came down
the river road under General Sullivan fell up
on the advanced guard Of the British at
Rutherfords's place, adjoining Col. Dickin-
sons near the southwest part of the town,
about the same time that Washington enter
ed it at the north
Both divisions pushed forward, keeping up
n running fire with light arms. meeting with
bnt little opposition. until the enemy were
driven eastward in Second street, near the
| Presbyterian Church, where there was some
fighting the enemy having made niomenta-
~ stand; but finding themselves hemmed in
and overpowered. they laid down their arms
on the field, between the PRESBYTERIAN
Church and Park place, then called the old
| Iron Works.
Gen. Rahl, who commanded the ITessians
and had his headquarters at the house Of
Stacy Potts, opposite Perry street, on the
west side of Warren, occupied for many years
as tavern.) was mortally wounded early in
the engagement, being shot from his horse,
while eXeriing himself TO form his dismayed
and Gisordered troops, but where or by whom
is not at present known by the writer. He
has heard several statements on these sub
jects. but no two Of them agree. When
supported by file Of sergeants, he presented
] his sword 10 General Washington, (whose
countenance beamed with complacency at
the success Of the day. he was pale bleeding,
and covered with blood and. in broken ac-
cents, he seemed to implore those attentions
which the victor was well disposed to bestow
upon him. He was taken to his head.ouar-
tiers, (Stacy Potts's,) where he died of his
wound.
The number Of prisoners was % officers
and S66 privates stand of colors, II drums,
6 brass field pieces, and 1000 stand of arms
ana accoutrements, were the trophies of VIC
tory. The British Lighthouse, and 400 or 500
| liessians escaped at the beginning of the bat
tie, over TIE bridge across the Assunpnk, at
Trents Mills, and fed to Bordentown If
| Gen. Ewing, whose divisions of the army
were opposite Trenton, had been able to
cross the Delaware. as contemplated, aud
take possession Of the bridge on the Assun-
! pink. all the enemy that were in Trenton
would have been captured but there was so
much ice on the shores Of the river, that il
was impossible to get the artillery over."-
The i1essians lost officers, and 90 or 80
men killed; "a Of these we're buried in one
pit. in the Presbyterian burying- ground, by
the American trools.
Immediately after the victory, which great
| y revived the dropping spirits of the army.
Gen. Washington commenced marching his
prisoners up to the eight mile Tor Mex on
| KEY y Terry ana npIufe nlght ali were safely
landed on. the western shore of the Delaware
But Mr.. Muirhead (betore meniioned) said
that General w. would not suffer man to
cross, more than was necessary. until all the
prisoners were over. The Americans lost
two privates killed and two were frozen TO
death. The late Mr. Richard Scudder in
formed the writer, that the night after the
taking of the llrssians. several of the Ameri-
can soldiers, worn down and poorly clad, and
having suffered much from the cold. stayed at
his fathers house, which is about two miles
below the ferry; that several Of them were
very sick in the night and that two or three
died. Might not these have been the persons
referred to in history as having frozen to
death?
The rext day, the British that were at
Princeton, marched on to Trenton in pursuit
of the American army and went up the
Scotch road as far as Mr.. Benjamin Clarks.
now Edward S. M'Ilvain's. Esq, and inquired
which route Gen. Washington had taken ;
and being informed that he had gone with
his prisoners up the river road, they compel.
led their son, John Clark. n lad of l2 years.
TO guide them across to Birmingham (some
Of the American soldiers were at this time in
Clarks house.) His mother, with true Spar
tan courage, unwilling to trust her son with
the enemy, pursued the British and got him
released. Soon after. the British, finding
Washington had crossed the Delaware, re-
turned to Princeton.