Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1886-03-05
.Aliseellaneuns.
HOW Warrington Celebrated one Chris1-
mas.


The autumn of 1776 was most gloomy
period in American history. 1t was marked
by series of disastrous defeats on the
part of the al my and when Gen. Wasnlng-
ton was compelled to evacuate New YORK
and withdraw his shattered force towards
the Highlands, his condition was desper-
ate in the extreme. He had but few
thousand men, many of whom were raw
militia. wholly unused to military duties,
and daily deserving from q cause that
seemed utterly hopeless. They had been
unpaid for months, were almost destitute
of food, and in rags yet with this ragged,
Vanished shadow of our army he bravery
struggled on. threw up strong breastworks
at Harlem Heights to check the advancing
foe, met him in bloody engagement at
White Plains, marched and counter
marched, disputing every foot of the
ground that Law between him and the Hud-
son. which he was finally obliged to cross
on the 18th of November. Fort Washing
ton. With more than two thousand men,
fell into the hands of the British. Then
prisoners were taken to New York and
suffered all the horrors of the notorious
prison-ships, from which, during the war
of the Revolution. 1000 victims were
carried out TO their graves on the sandy
shore of what is now the Brooklyn Navy
Yard.
Two days after Washington crossed the
Hudson. Lord CORVALLIS followed him
with 6 600 men, and so rapid was his ap,
proach that the Americans were obliged
to leave all their baggage and stores be-
hind them and fly for their lives and now
commenced scene OF unparalleled hard
ship and suffering. The rain fell amost
necessarily The roads were nearly i'm
passabe. The soldiers designated those
dreary marches the 'mud rounds" and
always spoke of them with shudder.
For three weeks, Washington with his
rapidly diminishing army fled before the
victorious and exulting enemy. So close
ly was he pursued that his rear guard.
employed in pulling up the bridges, was
constantly Sn!.'n,1 within sight and shot of the
During all this time of misery, Wash
ington, whatever he may have felt at
heart, appeared serene and cheerful be-
fore his men, as If he were conqueror
instead OF defeated and hunted fugitive.
His faith in the justice of his cause was
perfect. and he never for moment dis
trusted the final result; yet when his
weary and suffering army crossed the
Delaware and sat down on the Pennsyl-
vania shore, on the 9Th Of December, it
was almost in despair that he surveyed its
forlern and wretched condition. Without
tents to shelter them from the keen. win
try air, or even blankets to cover them,
their feet naked and bleeding. half fam
ished, that handful of despairing but reso-
lutte men waited in sullen silence the APP
proach of the British army.
Gen. Howe, the British commander. did
not Immediately follow up his success
as he might have done, but ordered Corn
wallis to wait the freezing of the river SO
that the army could cross on the ice. He
placed large attachments along the Jer
sey shore of the river to watch the Amer
leans. The British officers. welcomed
everywhere by the tory inhabitants, re-
mitted their vigilence and spent their
time in feasting and dancing, till the ice.
which was floating in great masses down
the river, should become firm enough to
give them safe passage to the other
side.
AS the Christmas season approached,
the sagacous mind of Washington per-
ceived the opportunity for striking an eff
fective blow at the enemy. Fifteen hun
dred Hessians were stationed at Trenton.
The name Hessian has become synonym
in our language for cruelty and rapacity.
They were German soldiers whom King
George had sent over to help subdue his
native born subjects. Their excuses were
frightful. They preyed upon friend and
foe alike, and were a terror to the neigh
borhood where they were stationed.
Washington guessed rightly in supposing
the Hessians would spend Christmas in
drinking and sporting. and planned to at
tack them when they were wrapped in
the heavy slumber that would follow their
day and night of carousal.
The 25th of December, 1776, passed
slowly away to the hungry, ragged and
shivering patriots, who indulged in no
Christmas festivities, but impatiently
waited for nightfall to embark upon their
hazardous enterprise. Darkness came on
early and was almost impenetrable. An
icy rain, accompanied by piercing wind,
swept through the shivering ranks and
dashed into fury the ice charged waters of
the river. Amid the Egyptian darkness
and raging tempest Washington embarked
his little band to make the passage of the
Delaware. The Crossing of the Dele
ware" on that memorable occasion, has
been celebrated by the artist, poet and
historian. 1t was one of the most heroic
deeds ever recorded in the pages OF histo-
~. The place selected for crossing was
at &cConkey's Ferry, nine miles above
Trenton. The river at that place is six
hundred feet wide, and the current swift
and strong.
The passage was made with great diff
Guilty, and it was nearly four O'Clock in
the morning before Washington succeed
ed in landing twenty-four hundred men
and six cannon on the Jersey shore. He
had Vet nine miles to march through a
heavy snow storm over almost impassi-
BILE roads. Two men were frozen to
death. 1t was after sunrise when he ar.
rived at Trenton. Rail. the Hessian COM
mander, had spent the night in card play
ing and was still over his wine when the
alarm was given. In attempting to rally
his troops he fell, MORALLY wounded
Washington placed his cannon to sweep
the streets of the town. Little resistance
was made. The main body of the Hessians
in attempting to retreat to Princeton, were
cut off and obliged to surrender. The
Americans had two men killed and few
wounded. Among the latter was James
Monroe, then a lieutenant, afterward
President of the United States. Alexan-