Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-01-06
CROSSING THE DELAWARE,
4 Leaf from Revolutionary History ...The
Capture 0f the uessiMns.

A Leaf from Revolutionary His,ory...The
Capture Ut the HessiMns.
The darkest period Of the American
Revolution was the month of December,
l776. After the disastrous summer in
New York and Long Island, Fort wash
ington was captured on the fifteenth OF
November. with 5000 prisoners, and
Washington hurriedly retreated through
the Jerseys into Pennsylvania, followed
by CORVALLIS. who only paused at the
rivers side TO wait until it should he
bridged over by ice. The British COM
mander took possession Of New Bruins
wick, Princeton and Trenton. General
Lee allowed himself to be captured Mt
Morristown; hundreds Of Jerseymen ac-
cepted the termsof Howes proclamation.
and abandoned the cause Of the country;
Congress was vacilating and irresolutc,
and finally adjourned to Baltimore,
while many of the subordinates of WASH
ington showed n lack of loyalty to him.
Howe went into winter quarters in New
York, and prepared to embark for Eng
land, convinced that the rebellion of the
colonies was Mt an end.
Washington crossed into Pennsylvania
on the eighth of December and gathered
his ragged army Mt Newton, where he
was joined by Lees division under Gen
eml Sullivan, nearly two weeks later.
The army ut this time numbered abont
5000 men, miserably equipped, and
weakened by desertion and disease. The
plan of Washington's campaign was to
cross the Delaware Mt three points--at
Burlington; opposite Trenton; and Mt
McConkey's ferry. A simultaneous adj
vance by these three divisions, it was be-
lieved, would secure the capture of the
1000 Hessians and Yagers ut Trenton
and the British detachments at Borden
town and Mount Holly.
The time fixed for crossing was Christ
mas night, 1776 The Delaware was
tilled with running ice, and General Cad
walader, at Burlington, and Ewing, OPP
posite Trenton, found themselves utterly
unable to make their way to the Jersey
shore. Washington. with his command
of some 2, 400 men, made the attempt Mt
six o'clock on Christmas night, at Nc
Conkey's ferry, and succeeded in landing
his soldiers and twenty field pieces ut
three o'clock the following morning
Snow and slect fell all night, but the
march was at once taken up and the force
many of whom were shoeless and only
half clothed-pushed their way Il mile
inland to Bear tavern, where they turned
to the right and marched to the hamlet
of Birmingham. Here the army was di-
vided, General Sullivan taking his COM
mand and starting down the river road
toward Trenton, while Washington, ac-
companied by Generals Lord Stirling,
Greene, Mercer and Stevens. advanced
still further inland until they struck
the Pennington road General Sullivan
made his attack just three minutes after
Washington began driving in the pickets
on the Pennington road.
The Hessians were totally unprepared,
though there is reason to believe that
Colonel Rail was warned of his danger
Washington pushed his advantage, and
reaching the head of town, where King
and Queen streets joined, Forrest formed
his six-gun battery with which to rake
the street. The Hessians at the same
time were doing their utmost to form
battery in the same street, when Captain
William Washington and Lieutenant
Monroe-afterwarl Presidcnt-chnrged
upon, captured and turned it against the
enemy. In this brilliant affair both of
these officers were wounded.
The Hessians continued falling back,
hard pressed by the Continentals. Col.
Pail, while engaged in rallying his men,
was struck by musket ball and MORALLY
wounded. Meanwhile General Sullivan
advanced into the lower part of the town
and holly engaged Knyphausen's regi-
ment. a portion Of these made an at
tempt to escape i'll the direction OF Bor-
dentown, but they were driven tothe wall
and compelled to surrender.
The main body of Hessians retreated,
fighting as they fell back, until, in
scarcely more than half an hour from the
opening of the fight, they were huddled
together in IN orchard in what is now
Hanover street. Here, as Captain Nor
al t, ~,
canister, the enemy hauled down their
colors and the bleeding Colonel Rail
handed his sword to the commander of
the American armies The result of this
action was the capture of nearly thou
sand prisoners, including twenty three
officers, 1900 small arms and accoutre-
ments and six field pieces. The failure
of the other divisions of the army to
cross the river prevented the full success
OF Washingtons campaign, aud allowed
n number to escape Mt the beginning of
the fight in the direction of Borden
town.
Washington returned at once to Nc
Conkeys ferry, and by dusk his COM
mand and prisoners were safely landed
on the Pennsylvania Shore He was thus
on the march for nearly forty-eight hours,
during the worst weather, besides fight
ing and winning the battle of Trenton.
His loss was two killed and two frozen to
death, with a few wounded. To have
in Pennsylvania would have
reduced the engagement to n simple sue
cessful raid upon the enemy. On the
twenty-ninth Washington crossed again
into Jersey and occupied Trenton. Here ,
he was attacked by Lord CORVALLIS, at
on the second Of January, the
enemy numbering all of five thou ,
sand men. The Americans had
fortified themselves on the opposite
side of Assanpink creek, running
through the middle of the town. Nah ,
lon Stacys mill built nearly n hundred