The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1876-12-09

WI bhd III Ndln cuAiluOutu W JtAu
for the defence Of Philadelphia, consid-
cred himself as holding an independent
command, and announced his purpose to
harass the rear Of the British forces, In
stead of reinforcing Washington on the
west of the Delaware, he undertook a
separate campaign, which soon ended dis
astrously. He had advanced to the vicin-
ity of Morristown, and, from carelessness
or bravado, lodged at Baskingridge, three
miles from his camp. He was seized on
the 18th, while yet he had hardly break
tasted, by scouting party of thirty
British Dragons, and conveyed prisoner
to Princeton. His force, under command
of General Sullivan, crossed the Delaware
at Easton, and on the Goth joined the
Commander-in-chief, at his headquarters,
at Newtown, Bucks county, Pennsylvania.
The force of Washington is stated by some
authorities at seven thousand men, but
careful examination reduces it to nearly
two thousand. Many of these were mill
tia, and other men who, by the persuasion
of this commander, overstayed the limits
Of their enlistment !, The capture Of Lee
and the withdrawal of his detachment had
put the British into the most confident
hopes; and they fancied that by the spring
the patriot army would melt away with the
SHOWS.
But this small army was destined to de-
liver America; for on their heroism and
endurance the fortune of tho new Repub-
lie turned from dependence to hope
Washington at this crisis showed himself
entirely great. He conceived the daring
thought of simultaneous attack on the
British posts on the Delaware. The army
was designed to cross in three detach-
ments, one commanded by Washington in
person, at a point nine miles above Tren.
ton; another under command of General
Irvine, at Trenton, and the third at Bur
lingtOn. OF the three Washington alone
succeeded in crossing the Delaware, and,
considering the inclemency of the season
on the night of December 25th, the won
der is not so much that the others failed
as that Washington succeeded.
Washington's immediate command, con.
sisting of about two thousand men, arrived
at Trenton, at eight o'clock, on the morn
ing of the 26th. This had reached the
jersey side at three o'clock, and q snow
storm which had commenced in the night,
grew to furious gale, as at four o'clock
they commenced their nine miles march to
Trenton. Under such circumstances of
extreme fatigue, ill-clad, exhausted, and
their ammunition damaged, they reached
Trenton. Two things were made evident
by the days work--one being that night
march and exposure are less enervating
than night Of revel-the other that the
Hessian troops who were in service only
because their Sovereign was in need Of
money, and so engaged in cause in which
they had no heart, were no match for men
fighting for their homes aud their rights
Washington's army advanced upon Tren-
ton in two directions. So sudden was
their charge that the Hessian troops had
not time even fairly to form. An action
Of little over half an hour closed with the
capture of nearly thousand Hessian
prisoners, twelve hundred small arms, and
six brass field pieces.
But the plans of Washington were de-
feated of their full success by the failure
of the other detachments to cross the
Delaware. To remain in Trenton would
have been to receive the charge of the
British troops posted at other places, and
this, in the exhausted condition of his
troops, with thousand prisoners to guard
could not be risked. On the night Of the
day of the battle Washington recrossed to
the Pennsylvania side Of the Delaware
with his prisoners and their captured arms,
thus encountering nearly forty-eight hours
of continuous marching, including two
terrible nights amid the ice of the Della
ware in mid-winter. The loss of the
Americans in these two days was two men
frozen. None were killed in the attack at
Trenton, and few were wounded. Seven
teen of the Eessian troops were killed,
and their General Rail was mortally woun.
ded. The wounded privates were about
seventy-fve in number
The hard work was not yet done. To
remain on the Pennsylvania side of the
Delaware would have been to reduce the
battle of Trenton to the mere character Of
o successful foray. On the 29th Wash.
ington again crossed to Jersey, and by the
first of January the whole force under his
immediate command was in Trenton. Sc
ended the years work in the field for 1776.
In their session at Baltimore the Con-
gress of the United States, aroused at last
to the imperative necessity of acting, con
ferred upon Washington such powers as
authorized contemporary writers to sum.
marize their action thus: "He was ap.
pointed Dictator for the limited term Of
six months; to reform and new model the
military arrangements, in such manner as
he may judge most advantageous for the
public service.p "Much good" wrote DR..
James Thacher at the time, ''is expected
to result from this measure" Much good
did result; and the Centennial ceremonies
Of this year endorse DIR. Thacher as 0
prophet. Philadelphia Ledger.