New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-12-27
TRENTONs CENTENNIAL.

NC or TUE pFl.AwARE-How THE CONTEST OF
THE MODERN coNTINENTALs AND nEssIANs WAS
wAGED.
tvsox A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE rRIBUNE.l
TRENTON, n. j., Dec. 26-The Centennial
anniversary Of the battle Of Trenton was celebrated 10
dav on an extensive scale The city Of Trenton which
has NOT wholly oberated the vestgcs Of Revolutionary
landmarks put away the reposeiu nv
of the last century, was stirred !" Ns
very depths with old-time patriotic ierVor anu
Centennial excitement The great feature OF the eeieDr
ton was O sham battle, in which the hght Oh huhulou
wears AGO was fought again, as nearly as possoe
in the footprints the Continental army Twelve null
dred men showed how the victory was won wnlch oau
croft says turned the shadow OF death INTO te morn
no But for Trenton, historians seem 10 agree the
voupo Republic might have been straDged in It's INFANCY
sh battles are difficult kind OF dramatic representa-
ton II confined to small limits they are apt 10 prONe
less exciting than the average corner hhooA
down. where physical vigor Is shown III d"
earnest Trenton has had battles before ana Ola
Inhabitants remember with pride sueh eeieolauUn
which took place lust prior the breaking out OF the
Rendition The great crowd seriously impeded military
maneuvers to-day, and the strong leaning toward 4u
and mpsquerading turned the whole afalr mo seni
heroic burles0ue But when IL came 10 the O'Clock am
ner and the afternoon OTaton the patriots OF lo'o
r,valed their Rreatgrandsires in earesness ana ateh
-, ton.
veterinarians exploit may be described in few words
He was at point above Trenton, ON the PehhSyNdh"
Mercer Sterling, and Sullivan and 2'4Oo brave ou'
vretchedly-empped men. Before him were Loo well
fed Hessians warmly quartered 10 Trenton; behna hlh
iear-strcken Congress, small resources thorousny
IMPOVERISHED fanthearted officers, and broken plans
for those who were to cooperate from points Iuruer
down the river completely tailed without MAKING
ranch effort Washington bad already written the
watehword, "victory DeathP and ne "ouiu
not retract; he determined to act alone Chr'slnaS
afternoon at O'Clock the march began ana INC h''o
army whose trail marked by the blood OF lee-Oruseu
feet arrived at MackOnkey's ferry in the twilight WASH
inpt crossing the Delaware" is one OF the most ara
matte incidents OF the nations history Inc s"it cur
rent the running ice, the snow, ana hnaiy 'oleH'
storm of seet and hail. combined to render the crossing
di0aeut At 4 O'Clock on the morning OF Dec 70
all were over and the march on Trentoi' mhe
miles TO the southeast, had begun An american
natrol had already attacked a Hessian outpost
and Col Rail had ordered the Hessan brigade uhuer
arms and sent part of his regiment in pursuit But Us
those who returned reported no danger ka continued
his usual late reve ut the cOnee-hOuse WHICH
stood at State and King NOW Warren) streets.
while playing cards he thrust note warning HIM OF
danger into his pocket where IL remained unread AT
Birmingham Washington sent sullivan WIN VI
vision Of troops continue along the river whe ne
passed Nd into the Pennington road. suiVans ammu-
milton was wet aud he received orders 10 use
the bayonet and penetrate the town. 1t was
now broad daylight tanning, one OF Wasmngtons
guides was challenged by the Hessan pickets on the
Pennsylvania road. "WhO goes tbereF was the cry
"a friend" was the reply. "a friend OF wbomp "of
Cen washington :" and with this the charged the
nicsets and pursued them into town. Sullivan drove in
the picets troops the Rveoad at the point OF
the bayOnet Tue concerted dash ana action Oh the TWO
divisions resulted in hemmiDg in the Hcssians near ran
headouarters. In the space OF 80 minutes
from the first attack, Kuyphausen's regment-loo
of whom had escaped the AssanpinK
bridge as Sullivan advanced-surrendered TO Gen. ster-
Ing and the remaining regiments OF Hessans were
beaten and were budding together short distance
north of State and east Of Queens nOw Greene street.
Rail- who had been wounded by a musketbal, was
raised from the ground the Hessians struck their
cors just as Washington had given orders to open hre
again with the artillery. Rail died in the evening and Is
buried in the First Presbyterian Churchyard The Amer
leans sustained no loss The Hessians had17 killed and
DAG taken prisoners, Of whom 78 were wounded
The movements in tho sham battle followed those OF
the original fight as closely the changes in the town
east of Greenest would permit There were about Soo
men and goodsized boys in the Continental army winch
consisted Of the Exton Guards eight oOmpanies wash
ington Pioneer Corps, Capt. G. A MDette; princeton
continental ouards Capt A. Green Trenton Guards,
Capt W. II. Bilbee Artillery Corps, Capt stahl Lieut.
r. Landot; Cavalry, Company b. N g. 5. N J' capt t.
g. McIlvaine.
The Continental general officers and chief were repre-
scented as follows: Gen. Washington, Gen. Wm' 3.
Treux. Cen Greene, Gen. E. L. Campbell; Gen. Mercer,
Cant r g. Johnston; Gen. Sullivan, Mr. Martin Keegan;
Gen Sterling Col W. p. WILSON, Gen. Knox, Capt T. C.
Btahl.
The Hessian troops 300 or 400 strong, were repre-
ssuted by the 7th Regiment Infantry N g. 8 N. j. SIX
compapies; artillery-Capt c. vansyoken. Capt S. M
Youmans personated the Hesslan commander COL ball.
and Capt Peer wilkes the Hessan LeutCoi schaeier
Tho war correspondent Of THE TRIBUNE arrived at the
ante-belum headquarters the United States HOTEL at
midnight Practically the heroic drama was Degun
Can't Loye-t and 67 men Of Company ID OF the E1ton
Guards were marching through the snow on the Penn
sy1yanla side Of the Delaware nine miles to Washmgtons
Crashing The Princeton Continental Guard in full uni
form were quartered the hotel they occupied rooms
en- birOuae To say they slept indeed that any other
puest Of the hotel slept to tmpute weakness ana
Suasmodic character to their war-whoop Col. John
Sullivan Of Boston, great grandson OF Cen
Sullivan, was at headquarters. While these reves
worthy of Col. Rail, the Hessian commander were
drawing the night to length, the patriotic men
under Capt. LOvett reached Iaylorsyie with loss Oh
folr men tagged out and crossed tho river on I6 ice
between ana q. IN. at WashingtoDs Crossing Ibey
marched in single fe preceded by man wn trenton
was cOniectured that this valiant band would pecOe
surrounded and captured BY a6pasS s Sgs At e places
OF entertainment on the route They reached trenton ~
time TO participate In the battle with PATRIOTISM SeVeral
fbe morning 6rOfe gray and cold At 7:3o o'clock the
seN was sounded N t S % OF re-
cTuits Gen Washington Gen. Treux) appeared Wltn ms
stan at $50 ne rode gray FS'f r anS 9 GUARDS and
the Chambersburg Cavalry seven strong were soon ia
battle array In front Of the hotel General SeeaS Dsn
awakened alarm lest somebody should be tramed on OF
the riders thrown Later in the dsy %1eR ihe ben ram
over two boys the public fear realized Ihe
q the 5 asede amy M er touch Of
10 represent the tattered and motley ralnent OF Ose
Who hundred years oei0Ee oG @ e and drum were
heard on sides and the different squads were taxing
up position Suvan's division at the end OF west state
AZ audG Gen. FeeOe's