Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1904-09-29

~guardhouse. The snow deadened the
sound of the American advance, and
the careless sentry did not perceive
them. No warning was given until the
lieutenant in command of the guard
and gave the alarm In great surprise
The picket rushed out, and the men
lined up IN the road In front OF the
column. the thick snow preventing
them from forming a correct idea OF
the approaching force. The advance
guard of the Continentals, led by Cap
tain William A. Washington and Lieu
tenant James Monroe, instantly swept
down upon them. After a scattered
yolley. which hurt no one, they fed
precipitately back toward the village,
giving the alarm and rallying on the
main guard, posted nearer the center
of the town. which had been speedily
drawn up, to the number Of seventy
FIVE men. Meanwhile Sullivan's men,
with Stark at the head, had routed the
pickets on the other road In the same
gallant style. This picket was com
posed of about fifty Hessian chasseurs
and twenty English light dragons,
under command OF Lieutenant Grot-
hansen OF the c~hasseurs. They all fled
so precipitately that they did not stop
to alarm the brigade which they had
been stationed to protect, but rapidly
galloped down the road and, crossing
the bridge over the Assunplnk, made
good their escape toward Bordentown.
~ -a-l{aN atYA.hAA
thereafter TO their commanding officer.
Had Ewing performed his part In the
plan the bridge would have been held
and they would have been captured
with the rest. Stark's men, followed
by the rest OF Sullivan's division. were
now pushed on rapidly for the town,
and the cheers Of the New England
men were distinctly heard by Wash
ington and his men on the main road
The main guard on the upper road, al
most as completely surprised as the
other by the dashing onslaught of the
Americans, made another futile at
tempt al resistance TO Greene's column,
but they soon fell back In great diser-
der upon the main body.
1t was broad daylight now, and the
violence of the storm had somewhat
abated. In the town, where the firing
had been heard, the drums of the three
regiments were rapidly beating the as
sembly. Colonel Rail- was in bed
sleeping off the effects OF his previous
nights indulgences when he heard the
commotion. Jumping from the bed and
running rapidly to the window, still
undressed, he thrust out his head and
asked the acting brigade adjutant,
Biel, who was hurriedly g%alloping
past, what II was all about. There was
a total misapprehension on all sides
ever ut this hour as to the serious ma
ture of the attack, 80 the confused
colonel, satisfied with Biel's surmise
that II was a raid. ordered him to take
a company and 90 to the assistance OF
the main guard In the s~upposition that
II was only a skirmishing party and
eve dreaming Of a general attack
Nevertheless be then dressed rapidly
and, running down to the street.
mounted his horse, which had been
brought around. The three regiments
which comprised his brigade and COM
mand were already forming. They
the regiment Rail-, the regiment
Won Lossburg and the regiment Won
Knyphausen. At this moment the adj
rance party and the main guard came
running through the streets In great
confusiOn, crying that the whole rebel
army was down upon them The regl
ment Rahl and the regiment Won Loss
burg at once began ~retreating to an
apple orchard back of the town, firing
tneffectfvely in their excitement, az
they ran, from behind the houses. at
the head Of the column which had now
appeared In the street, while the regi-
ment Won Knyphausen, under the com
mand Of Major von Dechow, the Sec
ond In command Of the brigade. sepa-
rated from the two others and made
for the bridge over the Assunpink.
King and Queen streets run together
at the east end Of the town. There
Washington stationed himself, on the
left Of Forests battery. which was Inn
mediately unlimbered and opened up q
hot fire. The generate position was
much exposed, and after his horse had
been wounded his officers repeatedly
requested him to fall back to a safer
point, which he peremptorily refused
to do. The Joy Of battle sparkled In
his eyes. He had ~instinctively chosen
that position on the field from whence
he could best see and direct the con-
flict, Inc nothing but a successful
charge OF the enemy could have moved
him to retire.
A few OF the cooler headed men
among the Hessians had rallied some
Of the Lossburg regiment, and two
guns had bee III out into the street
and pointed up toward the place where
Washington stood to form a battery
which might, could 1t have cen serv-
ed. have held the American army in
check until such time as the startled
Germans could ecover their wits and
make a stand. General WashingtoR
pointed them out to the officer Of the
advance guard, which had already done
such good service. with a wave Of his
sword. The little handful Of men, led