The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-09-21


without orders So eager were they to
advance that Sullivan had difficulty in
restraining them until the signal was
given. Such were their temper ard
spirit that in the excitement Of the mo-
ment they rocked little Of the freez-
ing cold and the hardships Of their ter
ribie march. The retreat1ng army was
at last on the offensive. They were
about to attack now, and no attack is
SO dangerous as that delivered by men
from whom the compelling necessity
of retreat has been suddenly removed.
1t was about 8 O'clock in the morn
Ing when they came in sight Of the
town. The village of Trenton then con-
tanned about 100 houses, mostly frame,
scattered along both sides Of two long
streets and chiefly located on the west
bank of the Assunpink which here
bent sharply to the north before it
flowed into the Delaware. The Assam
pink was fordable in places at low wa
ter, but it was spanned by substan-
tial stone bridge, which gave on the
road followed by Sullivan, at the west
end of the village. Washington came
down from the north and entered the
village from the other side. About half
a mile from the edge of the town the
column led by him came abreast of an
old man chopping wood in a farmyard
by the roadside.
Which is the way to the Hessian
pickett? said the general.
Il don't know" replied the man sui
lenly.
"You may tell" said Captain Forest,
riding near the general at the head Of
his battery, ''for this is General Wash
tngton"
The mans expression altered at once.
God bless and prosper your he
cried eagerly, raising his hands to
heaven. There! The picket Is in that
house yonder, and the sentry stands
near that tree"
The intense cold and heavy snow had
driven the twenty-five men who COM
posed the advance picket to shelter,
and they were huddled together in one
of the rude huts which served as q
oAOASS. 4 AC SAO" OC[1uOAEO IuS
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
stepped out Of the house by chance
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 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 scattered
volley, which hurt no one, they fed
precipitateT back toward the village,
giving the alarm and rallying on the
main guam, posted nearer the center
of the town, which had been speedily
drawn up, to the number Of seventy
five men. Meanwhile Sul;ivan's men,
with Stark at the head, had routed the
pickets On the other road in the same
gallant style. This picket was CON-
posed of about fifty Hessian chasseurs
and twenty English. light dragons,
under command Of Lieutenant Grot-
hansen Of the chasseurs. They all fed
30 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 coward;ce 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 tie 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.
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 We're 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, be thrust out his head and
asked the acting brigade adjutant,
Biel, who was hurriedly galloping
past, what it was all about. There was
total misapprehension 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 boon