Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1905-04-01

with ctark a. 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 chasseurs. They all fed
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 Assunpink, made
| good their escape toward Bordentown
| Grave suspicious Of cowardice attached
| 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 at resistance to Greene's column,
but they soon fell back in great disor-
der upon the main body.
It 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,
Bel, who was hurriedly galloping
past, what it was all about. There was
a total misrepresentation on all sides
even at this hour as to the serious ma
ture of the attack, so the confused
colonel. satisfied with Biel's surmise
that it was raid, ordered him to take
a company and go to the assistance Of
the main guard in the supposition that
it was only skirmishing party and
never dreaming of general attack.
Nevertheless he 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
were the regiment Rail-, the regiment
Won Lossburg and the regiment Won
knyphausen. At this moment the ad-
vance party and the main guard came
running through the streets in great
army was down upon them. The regi-
ment Rail and the regiment Won Loss
burg at once began retreating to an
apple orchard back Of the town, firing
fnefectively in their excitement, as
they ram 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 Won 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
left of Forests battery, which was i'm
mediately numbered and opened up
hot fire. The generals position was
much exposed, and after his horse had
been wounded his officers repeatedly
requested him to fall back to 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-
fict, and 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 been run out into the street |
and pointed up toward the place where |
Washington stood to form battery |
which might, could it have been serv-
ed, have held the American army in
check until such time as the startled
Germans could recover their wits and
make stand. General Washington i
pointed them out to the officer of the
advance guard, which had already done
such good service, with wave Of his
sword The little handful Of men, led
by Captain Washington and Lieutenant
charged down upon the guns,
which the party had not had time to
load. A scattering volley received
them. Captain Washington and Mon
roe and one of the men were wounded.
Another fell dead. The men hesitated.
Talbot sprang to the head of the col
umn in obedience to the generals nod
and they rallied, advanced on the run,
and the guns were Immediately cap
tured.
Meanwhile the fire Of Stark's rifemen
could be heard at the other end of the
town. st. Glars brigade held the
bridge. The regiment Won Knyphausen
lost a few precious moments endeavor-
ing to extricate it's guns, which had
become nira6 i'm the mOraSS near the