White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1933-05-18
BY Irving Bachelor
Copyright 1892. by Irving Bachelor
WNU Service
CHAPTER XII-Continued

-l6-
They were rudely awakened on
Christmas night Snow was falling
in bitter northwest wind. 1t was no
time for any sane person to be out-of-
doors. Colonel Rail, in command at
Trenton, had had merry dinner and
with other officers and their ladies was
dancing in the public hall. The fid-
oilers were playing. Between dances
they could hear the cold wind In the
chimney-top and snow pelting the win
dow-panes. What night! They shiv-
cred and gathered before the fireplace
and filled and drained their glasses
again. It was night for JOY with
nothing to fear About midnight
uniformed lackey brought letter to
Colonel Rail who was in command.
Engaged in a pretty story, he put the
letter in his pocket. Then In the
whirl of gaiety he forgot 1t.
Nine miles from Trenton, loyalist
woman had seen Washington with two
thousand men crossing the Delaware
in the darkness. She had ridden post
haste through the storm with the
warning, now hidden in the pocket of
Colonel Rail. Who but an American
would think of crossing a big river
filed with broken ice and marching
nine miles with storm raging In
which two men were frozen to death?
The Europeans were to learn that
fighting for liberty and fighting for
pay were different kind Of business.
At eight o'clock in the morning,
Washington fell on the city with two
detachments Rails Hessians surren-
dered, while other enemy troops fled
in panic. The whole British structure
on the Delaware was shattered by this
stroke. General Donop's army re-
treated. General CORVALLIS aban-
doned his plan of going to Europe and
took command in New Jersey. Wash
ington occupied Trenton.
Soon CORVALLIS and his men came
on to give him battle. On the second
of January, ~, the American COM
mander crossed Assanpink creek and
made pretense of throwing up in
trenchments. CORVALLIS tried to fol-
low and was repulsed by artillery.
Might came and CORVALLIS decided to
wait until morning. Washington
slipped away in the night leaving men
to keep the campfres burning and to
initiate the chorus Of picks, shovels,
axes and OK teams at work. At day
Night, CORVALLIS began to throw his
cannon balls upon empty ground. He
attacked nothing. The American camp
was deserted. "The id Yankees"
were of course far on their way to
Princeton. Before he could arrive
there that link in the British chain
would be broken and washington on
his way to safety. CORVALLIS had
made q shrewd guess. -Four hundred
men were taken at Princeton with
guns and stores. The remainder of
the British force scattered, having
suffered a severe drubbing.
This winter fighting with wounded
men foundering in pools of blood,
unabsorbed on frozen ground, was re-
voting. At Princeton the bleeding
was not severe less than three hun
dred on both sides having been killed
or wounded but the men engaged saw
more blood than they had seen since
the war began. Our men were at
first severely set upon and began to
retreat but the Chief rallied them and
they came through with handsome
victory.
The enlistment period Of two regl-
ments expired that day. The men
had long been looking forward eager
ly to the hour Of their release. 1t
came. Light-hearted they were going
home. They applied for their dis.
charges. General Washington met
them with a grave countenance. He
reminded them that it was critical
time Their country and their homes
were now in greater peril than ever
before. Success depended on the
logged faithfulness Of this body OF
men. He knew that the feet Of many
were bleeding, that all were weary
but relief was near.
The men got together for confer
ence and presently announced that
they had decided to go home. They
were sick of the hardships and the
blood-lettsng.
Again Washington appealed to then
and now with very solemn words.
time had come when each and every
man of them should know and fee
that he held in his hands the fate Of
America. Under those circumstances
could they bear the shame of leaving
him and going to their homes? o.
would they continue to be heroes ant
set needed example to the youth Of
our land? Why stop now when thu
weary march was near it's end?
There were many who heard thu
Chief.
Among them was old Amos Farms
worth who shouted: "They won
leave us. Lord God O. Israel! 4
man that leaves oughter be hung an
Thor oin,t M mistake"