The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1877-01-06

was three O'Clock on the morning of fbe
18th before the whole force was landed On
the Jersey shore. At eight O'clock. hay.
| ing marched on the jersey side nine Mills
Washington and his command reached
Trenton, In the midst Of a driving storm.
and soon after nine o'clock the results of
their seventeen hours Of hard work and
harder suffering were secured Those no.
suits were nearly thousand Hessian pris-
oners, twelve hundred muskets, six brass
held pieces and the corresponding muni-
tons OF war and the commissariat. These
are small numbers nowadays, but thew
were important at that time and under the
existing circumstances. The actual en-
gagement lasted little over a half hour
not man was killed on the side of the
Americans in the combat, though two Or
more perished from the inclemency of the
weather. The Hessian troops. command
ed by General Rail, lost seventeen killed.
and their commander was mortally youpd-
ed. About one hundred and fifty escaped
as many were absent on military duty
elsewherJ, and the rest, as stated, threw
down their arms and surrendered.
IL was surprise-but such surprise
as no commander should have suffered.
On Sunday, the American forces marched
N two divisions by separate roads, enter
ing the town at different points, and SO
rapidly charging that the Hessians had
not time to form, dull as they must have
been after a nights revel. The attack
was begun by Washingtons party attack.
ing an outer picket. The Hessians who
came out of the barracks to support the
patrol, instead Of running in when over.
powered, ran away and made their escape,
leaving their comrades in the town to take
their turn at being surprised. When the
surrender of the Hessians was reported 10
him, Washington, whose strong win had
been strained for seventeen hours. gave
way to his feelings and with ciasped
hands, raised his eyes, cleaning with
thankfulness to heaven
II was enough to move his gratitude
that so desperate venture had been sue
cessful. Under no circumstance but i'm
perative necessity would he have undertak.
en- it. He had cause for higher than
personal thankfuluess when he saw ma
ton prosperously founded, whose deliver
ance might be said to date from the
morning Of December 26th, 1776.
On the night of the same day Washing
ton went back with his prisoners and
captured stores to Pennsylvania. On the
18th he returned again to New Jersey.
The battles which opened the New Year
do not belong to the series of which this
is the last.
Watson, the annalist, quotes the follow
ing as to the appearance Of the prisoners
who were escorted through Philadelphia
81 well remember (says an elderly gentle
NAM seeing the Hessian prisoners which
had been taken at Trenton. / stood on
the porch of Pemberton's house on Ches-
nut, above Third street. They marched
up Chestnut street past the State House.
They made long line--all fine, hearty
looking men, and well clad, with large
knapsacks, spatterdashes on legs: their
looks were satisfied. On each side, in a
single file, we're their guards, mostly in
light summer dress, and some without
shoes, but stepping light and cheerful"
The battle Of hundred years ago at
Trenton is to be fought over again to-day
at Trenton by ''sham fight, as one of the
series of Centennial commemorations OF
1876.