The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-09-28
TIE PRINcEToN UNION: rHURsDAY, sEPTEMBER Is 1eo5.

was waiting to take what he could ,i,;d
get, be the amount ever so little. hack
to General Washington. The sailor
had been granted a further leave Of alb
sence by the naval committee at the
generals urgent request, and was glad
to learn that he should soon have
command of the promised ship of war
which was even then making ready in
the Delaware. Honest Bentley-be-
loved Of the soldiery in spite of his
genuinely expressed contempt for land
warriors-was lending what aid he
could in keeping up the spirits of the
men and in other material WAYS in
the camp. Some Of the clothing, some
Of the guns from the Mellish, some Of
the material captured from the Hes
slams had gone into the hands and over
the backs and upon the feet Of the
men. But the clothed and the naked
were equally happy, for had they not
done something at last? Aye! They had
given assurance that they were men
to be reckoned with.
Fired by the example set them by
the Continentals, the Pennsylvania
militia, under Cadwalader and Ewing
and Mimin, had at last crossed the
Delaware and joined GriHn's men.
Washington had followed them. and
the 10th of December found him estab-
lished in new headquarters at Tren-
ton. A number Of mounds in the fields
covered with snow, some bitter recol-
lections and sad stories of plumber,
robbery, raplne and worse, told with
crashing teeth or breaking heart by
the firesides, were all that remained
| Of their strange antagonists in the
town. But the little town and the
little valley were to be once more the
scene of war. The great game was to
be played again, and the little creek
| Of the Assunpink was to run red I'M
der its ice and between its banks.
On the Goth Washington's troops
began to cross the river again. Two
parties of light dragons were sent on
in advance, under Colonel Reed, assist
ed by parties of Pennsylvania rife
men dispatched by CadWalader They
chung tenaciously to the tanks of
Won Donop. That unfortunate COM
mander had been led away from his
camp at Burlington in pursuit of Grit
fms gallant six hundred. When he re-
turned unsuccessful, the news from
Trenton had so alarmed him that he
fed precipitately, abandoning his
heavy baggage and some Of his artil-
lery. It was work Of JOY for the
pursued to pursue, a reversal of con-
ditions which put the heavy German
compared with their alert and active
pursuers. They had marched through
that country with high hand, plum
dering and abusing its inhabitants in
frightful way, and they were now
being made to experience the hatred
they themselves had enkindled. The
country people rose against them and
cut them off without mercy.
1t took two days to get the troops
across on account of the ice in the riv-
er. And now came another difficulty.
The time of the major part Of the
| Americans had expired on the last day
of the year, but Washington had them
paraded and had ridden up and adj
! dressed them in a brilliant, sOldierlike
fashion, and they had to man yolun-
teered to remain with him for six
weeks longer, or as much more time as
was necessary to enable him to COM
plete his campaign before he went in
to winter quarters. He was at last
able to pay them their long deferred
salary out of the $4,000 sent him by
Robert Morris, which Seymour and
Talbot that day had brought him, and
| for their future reward he cheerfully
pledged his own vast estate, an exam
pie of self sacrifice which Greene,
Stark, Talbot, Seymour and others Of
the officers who possessed property at
once emulated. The men were put in
good spirits by promise Of $40 boun-
ty also, and they were ready and ca
ger for fight.
Reed, attended by six young gentle
men Of the Philadelphia troop, had
been sent out to reconnoiter. Up to-
ward Princeton they had surprised a
British outpost composed Of sergeant
and twelve dragons. The sergeant
escaped, but the twelve dragons, pan
ic stricken, were captured after short
resistance, and Reed and his gallant
young cavaliers returned in triumph to
headquarters. Valuable information
was gained from this party. Cornwall
lis had Joined Grant at Princeton and,
with seven or eight thousand men, was
assembling wagons and transportation,
preparing for dash on Trenton. Con-
f1rmation of this not unexpected news
came by a student from the college
who had escaped to Cadwalader and
been sent up to General Washington.
The situation Of Washington was now
critical, but he took prompt measures
to relieve it. Cadwalader from the
| Crosswicks and Miff11n from Borden
town, with $500 men, were ordered
forward at once. They promptly obeyed
orders and by another desperate night
march reached Trenton on the morn
ing Of the first day Of the year.