Delaware weekly Republican. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1841-188?, 1870-02-03

ground so soft as to make the roads almost nn-
travelable by an army. But suddenly the VIII
changed 10 the North, the mild weather gave
place 10 very cold, aud quickly the ground was
hard frozen. Washington aseribed THIS happy
circumstance, as he did the discovery OF Anold's
Treason, not TO fortune, but to PROVIDENCE,
which, said he, "has been 30 ofien and remark
ably manifested In our fayor."t Shame upon
us, if from fear Of being thought supefstillous,
we Hesitate to own the hand of God In events
which determine the destiny Of nations.
The American army noseessly withdrew. n
party was left TO repenish the camp-hres till
dawn and throw up earth-works near the
bridge over the Assanpnk, 10 deceive the enemy
into the belief that the American army was
slumbering within Its late camp. "Ihe line OF
camp-fires;n in the words of the pamphlet cited
| tieffectually hid from the British whatever was
doing behindthem for fame can no more be
seen through than wall, and in this sense,
while pillar of fire to one army was pillar OF
cloud the other.n
The direct road to Princeton could not be
taken because General Lesley was upon IL with
his brigade, at Maidenhead, halfway TO Prince
ton. Washington therefore marched upon the
Quaker-Road, through Allenstown, which was
somewhat circuitous. Newly opened, Il was
fullof stumps, stones, and Inequalities of sur
face The stars with their soft and sVery rays,
gave somewhat Of light, their worn babilimenis
little protected the soldiers from the wind that
chilled them they left no footprints on the
| frozen ground, but il was crimsoned by the
blood from many of thtir ffe,. The British
| regiments the nth, 40tb, and 55th were quar-
tered during the past night, in Princeton, tojoin
| Cornwallis In the morning. The l7th had left,
and the 55tb was about to march also. The
| 17th commanded by Col. Mawhood, crossed
The bridge over StoBny Brook; on the direct road
| TO Trenton, and marching through wood, be-
yond it, and attaining the summit of hill,
about sunrise, the glttering of the arms Of Mer-
| GERS brigade the van of the American army dis
covered il. II was partially hid by the woods,
| and Mawhood supposed it to be party of the
Americans defeated by Cornv allis, and flying.
He made, therefore, a detour TO retard 1t, while
| the regiments In Princeton, apprized by messen-
gers, hastily sent. should surround it. As he
"a crossed Stony nybrook-bridge, he came in full
view of the head of MERGERS brigade. Each
tried to reach an elevated spot near the house of
| a Quaker named CLARK. The Americans ont
stripped the British and formed there, behind
hedge in front of the house and fired, effective
| ly, but when charged, being armed only with
rifles, broke. Mercer dismounted, his horse be
Ing disabled, and in trying to rally his retreat
| ing men, was felled by the butt OF inusBet and
bayoneted. After the battle he was taken ia
sensible, TO Clarks house, where he died Jan.
| 12. Colonel Haslett fell dead, struck in the
head by musket ball. Both were physicians,
and Haslelt, moreover, an Oh dained Presbyterian
clergyman. Both were educated, beloved for
their virtues, and consp.cuously PATRIOTIC
Mawbood pursued the retIeaiing brigade till
~ '',,,,rt !, srd os COON 90 ba sa,
II, he opened hre on Twin DIS aIt,,iery, anu
checked ~ washington caule Up ranleu MeI-
GERS broken troops, anu uisse Nr"a,u ,e sile
checked militia, ana tne ngus uesahe oa,i uespel
ate Ine lth Vlrginla nefilne,s .'ne ~, alu
Mawnoou, sens,pe ., nst snas a.c,nod Svi,t, hesoS
charging with the oayoneI, eSsapeu WIN neayy
! ross, ffiielRR}rS Sornwallls. ne o9ln Ieg,heh'
N the Id eosis sov ~ s'l l9llsMlcis. "
a be I'D TWO. Fart OF " also retraste5 "a
poe otbessy, 'Ann ,.s,.,r, shoitt 20 uftff = -
tses5 5nspsi anlion Ds'es
,ygtou led the pursuit Of the British tee-
4 7S@ f1wards brunswick, but after advancing
about three miles, called a council OF war ol
/ horsahack The QUESTION proposed was, ''shoul(
Nv ,,,,sh on to Brunswjck.D The taking OF the
s'oIes ~ there wouId crown his victory, but his
sUIdis,s yrera exhausted by their march of tht
sS.nnad,n, niaM and fight of that morning, thin
r a,oa ,5,tbont hlankeis many of them bare
g,sa ' ard tba cold intense, and Cornwali
,oo,,ia ,oo soon overtake him, Washington there
fore abandoned the pursuit and retired to Nor
rison.
One hundred British, at least, were killed j.
the hattle of Princeton on the spot, some wound
sl0 "a "a nasr tbree hundred made prisoners, in
: oI,S;nr fourteen officers. The loss of tn
{ Ansrieons was twenty. five or thirty, including
} hasidaa Mercer and Haslett, several valuabl
! oesnars --,.s .,,.......i..-
Cornwallis left his marque on the morning @
. Ian,,arv IA. az the day dawned, to bag the fos
6 ss ba had Wanted he would do. When he look
Q ed shroad there was the Assanpink flowing OIL
. ! 1ofa ndu
s sna,uss sis assaplts. and there was the felt
], sss'anS., hold hy tbe American army, but ther
y ,'as ,,o ar,nv there To his dismay and col
r mAsaa' ~ AZ tr,,,l, fasbed upon hiu-instead
It ,nslon eus to. ba was ontreneralled. Wasl
9 III marched TO surpIise his regimen
/ ! a. Princeton. and captnre lis military che
y and stores AZ Brunswick. Not moment vi
= iost Ris army was foi med and marched pr
L JUs ni,,,a,ais srhe thunder of cannon and ratt
cipNs.ey, pa -" soon showed the wbereabou
y ~ ostha sLnAs nnaericsns. Cornwals reached Ston
Il ply =. Wy o,, after washington retired fro
er pi'oo+s,, and tonnd the bridge over 1t destro
le ID and for5ed h with the water breasbbigh
" ~ aasa;a,s pr.ssinp forward RAPIDLY, he four
Nav Rrnnswick anassaied. His stores al
o. ,,srr' chest were safe, but his reputation dir
b. noaS He was SHARED the painful anticipate
A t,,et IL xgss n he more deepiy humiiated by u
Of s,'r,,a,dor of lila sword and a British army
sai,s sh;s saa,"a Wssb,ngton.
ut 'ni1 oon,9 ,,as SvI, tbe main beby of Ills arm
a. ,,.o ss,tars in the city Of New York, al
ut u, m,nseI asad concentrsted in Amboy and Ne
et, ,oS Ine Ies,uJe Washincton found Morristown
ZEE ,as pIaeSM for b,s winter quarters that he ma
n s,.'. .,,a.n JIe was safe from approaeh frc
Is .heA .ie oast In a great degree. Behipdit We
OF , % rih egs dei,es where he could be secure frc
or tI,a enemy, II driven from his camp, anaa col
ng, 1y inss ooUo roe ,rers United IN beautiful vail
os- ms ,ao nVUps its sotIlp sounding name from
he peueld srea@Ies me- comrasf wu bewesn these
led mics in their winter quarters. New York v
the to ,n I5e British a Capula. "New York, writes
,a. British historian. (Bssetts History oi tie Ie
M of George Sd, vol. j, page 42e) pore Tue asp
~ Of gay and volupluous, city IN time % OF PEI pei
bis rather than that OF military statlohior wa. M
md ing and annoying the enemy IN wall -,
,ver enjoyed the luxurles oi Lonu9n--ganlhe