Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1904-10-13

I~ HE quaker rOnu leu Soutnedst
from Trenton until 1t reach
e<=-S ed the village Of Sandtown.
G9 where II turned TO the north
west again. and ii was not until that
point was reached that the surprised
soldiers realized the daring nature of
that night march, which they had at
first considered another hopeless re-
treat. 1t was astonishing, then. with
what spirit and zeal the soldiers
tramped silently over the frozen roads;
the raw, green militia Wed with the
veterans in the fortitude with which
they sustained the dreadful fatigue of
the severe march. The long distance
to be traversed on ccoun Of the de
tour to be made rendered II necessary
that the men be moved at the highest
possible speed. The road itself being
a new one, lately cleared. the stumps
and roots Of trees no yet grubbed up,
lery and the wagons; but the tired
men cheerfully assisted the tired
horses and the little army made great
progress. The morning OF Friday,
Jan. 5, dawned clear and cold, with
the ground covered with boar frost.
About sunrise the army, with Wash
ington again in the lead, reached the
bridge over Stony brook about three
miles from the village of Princeton.
Leading the main body acros the
bridge they struck off from the main
highway through a byroad which was
concealed by a grove OF trees in the
lower ground and AFFORDED a short cut
10 the town.
General Mercer was an old friend
and comrade of b commander in
chief; he had been a companion of
Prince Charles Edward in his romantic
invasion of England in '45, a member
of Braddock's unfortunate expedition.
and wounded when that generals army
was annihilated, and some time com
mander of Fort Duquesne after its
capture by General Forbes. He was
detailed, with a small advance party
comprising the remnants of Small
woods M~arylanders, Haslet's Della
ILL Nhil - 81 ~ dlih
a small body of young men from the
first families of Philadelphia, to the
total number of 300, to continue up
the road along the brook until he
reached the main road, where he was
to try and hold the bridge in order to
intercept fugitives from Princeton, or
check any retrograde movements of
tln ,-,,,Na ,rhg.I, ,Afpht Iau az lxa nod
toward Trenton. The little band had
proceeded but a short distance on their
way when they Unexpectedly came In
sight Of a column OF the enemy.
Ii was the advance of the British. a
part of Won Donop's leading brigade,
en- route for Trenton TO assist Corn
wallis in bagging the 'oid fox ac-
cording to orders-the Seventeenth
regiment, under Colonel MANHOOD.
MERGERS troops being screened by the
wood, their character was not visible
to MANHOOD, who conjectured that
they must be a body of fugitives from
the front. Under this impression, and
never dreaming Of the true situation,
MANHOOD promptly %deployed his regi-
ment and moved off to the left to inter
cept Mercer, at the same time dis
patching messengers 20 bring up the
other two regiments, the Fortieth and
Fifty-ffth, which had o yet left
Princeton. Both parties rushed for a
little rising ground on the edge of a
cleared field, near the house of a peace
full Quaker named Clark. The Ameri-
cans were nearer the goal than their
opponents and reached it first, Hastily
deploying his column, Mercer sought
shelter behind d hedge fence which
crowned the eminence and immediate
ly opened up a destructive tire from
his rifenen, which temporarily check
ed the advancing enemy. The British,
excellently led. returned the fire with
great spirit, and with such good effect
that, after a few volleys. MERGERS horse
was wounded In the leg and his rider
thrown violently to the ground. Tai
bots was killed under him and several
of the officers and men ~fell-among
them the brave Colonel Haslet, who
was MORALLY wounded.
In the confusion thus unfortunately
caused the Americans could hear sharp
commands Of the English officers, then
the rafting OF steel on the gun bar
rels, and the next moment the red
coated pen broke out Of the smoke
and. unchecked by q scattering frs
from the Spericans. calamity rushed
no at theQ 18th liked bayonets. Thers