Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1876-06-30
CENTENNIAL PICTUREs-NO. VII.
BY DANIEL WISE, DID.

Washington's marvellous success
at Trenton reused the astonished
generals of the English army from
their dream of completed victory.
CORVALLIS, hastily collecting his
scattered regiments, speedily ap-
peared in such force at Trenton that
Washington was obliged to retire
beyond the Assanpink, where, though
he occupied favorable position, he
did not feel strong enough to risk a
general action. Accordingly, under
cover of darkness, on the night of
the second of January, l777, he qui-
etly marched from his encampment
by a by-road to Princeton, at which
place a body of the enemy was post
ed. He attacked this force with
such skill and vigor that, after a
brisk action of twenty minutes, it
fed In disorder, with loss of four
hundred and thirty killed, wounded,
or captured. His own loss was triv-
iaI. with the exception that the he
roic Mercer, one Of his best gener-
ais. was mortally Wounded
The surprisafof CORVALLIS when
he discsFefed ht daybFeak that the
patriot army had disappeared duriag
the night. csn belreadily Imagined.
But his asonishment became con
sternation when the noise of the
guns at Princeton came roaring
through the air. He was fearful
that this daring adversary might
make a dash upon his magazines
at Brunswick. Hence he started in
such swift pursuit that Washing
ton, finding his bare-footed and half
clothed troops unable to follow up
their mornings victory by marching
on to Brunswick, as he had designed,
retired across the Milestone River,
and halted at Somerset. Cornwall
lis, lacking that tireless energy which
is the indispensable condition of mil
itary success, did not pursue him.
These dashing movements reused
the latent courage of the men Of
Jersey. Rising from mountain, val
ley and glen, the militia boldly as
sailed every detached party of the
enemy, and made the State so hot
for them, that by January 20, not a
red-coat was to be seen, except at
Brunswick, Amboy and Paulus
Hook. By tactics which were as
daring as skillful, by refusing to be
drawn into general action with in
ferior forces, Washington had coy.
cred the invaders of his country
with shame, won almost universal
admiration for his rare military gen.
ius, and secured the enthusiastic af.
lection of his little army. Robert
Morris only expressed the opinion OF
multitudes when he wrote, some.
what extravagantly: " He is the
greatest man on earth" No doubt
however, they were confirmed in this
opinion when, on the thirtieth of the
following June, Howe, after being
again bsffled by our wary chief in
his endeavors to force a general &C
ton, finally evacuated New Jersey,
and embarked his well-appointed
but now chagrined army, for Phil
adelphia. rs AO0I
Nevertheless, in spite of thii
grand result, gained without tbs
risk and loss of great battle,- Con
gress gave its chief very insufficient
support, and harrassed him by com
plants, and by acceding to the sci
fish and impolite wishes of his sub
ordinate generals. Had his patri
otism been less than perfect h
would have thrown down his com
mission in disgust.
Howe, fearing to ascend the Della
ware, landed his splendid force o
twenty thousand on the Elk river
fftv-four miles from Philadelphia
for which city he began his marcl
Sepfember Sd. 20 oppose this fine
ly equipped army Washington ha,
but about. eleven thousand five hun
dred troops, sadly lacking in equip
ments. lie had, in fact. weakene
himself by sending many of hi
best soldiers to assist in opposinI
the advance of Burgoyne on tn
upper Hudson. Yet he SO harrasse
the foe by incessant skirmishes an
by considerable battle on the Bran
DIVINE river, which he lost throug
a seriens mistake on the part of SuI
| livan, that it took Howe thirty day
to reach Philadelphia, which he oC
eupied September 26th. o'
The Importance of this delay t
the national cause cannot be overei
timated. It broke vital link in tn
plans of the British for this can
paign, which they had boastfull
proclaimed was I" to end the war.
That plan, devised but not execute
| in 1916, was to bring an army froI
Canada, by way of Lakes Champlal
and George, to the Hudson. Thl
army was to cooperate with a fore
to be sent up the river by How
The conquest Of the line Of the Hue
son, it was thought. would, by Gu
ting off communication between th
Eastern and Middle States, brin
the war to a speedy end. Ha
Howe kept Washington busy
New Jersey, while dispatching a
auxiliary army to aid Burgoyne, Z
had his occupation of Pbiladelphi
taken place some weeks earlier tina
it did, so that he could have sent
frnrn ihnnrn nnr Nnrihnrn arm