324 NIGHT MARCH OF WASHINGTON-AFFAIR AT PRINCETON. [1777. Hitherto the movements of the Americans had been undiscovered by the enemy. Three regiments of the latter, the 17th, 40th, and 55th, with three troops of dragoons, had been quartered all night in Princeton, under marching orders to join Lord Cornwallis in the morn Such was the plan which Washington re- | road Washington defiled with the main body, volved in his mind on the gloomy banks of the ordering Mercer to continue along the brook Assunpink, and which he laid before his officers with his brigade, until he should arrive at the in a council of war, held after nightfall, at the main road, where he was to secure, and if quarters of General Mercer. It met with instant possible, destroy a bridge over which it passes; concurrence, being of that hardy, adventurous so as to intercept any fugitives from Princeton, kind, which seems congenial with the American and check any retrograde movements of the character. One formidable difficulty presented British troops which might have advanced itself. The weather was unusually mild; there towards Trenton. was a thaw, by which the roads might be rendered deep and miry, and almost impassable. Fortunately, or rather providentially, as Washington was prone to consider it, the wind veered to the north in the course of the evening; the weather became intensely cold, and in two hours the roads were once more hard and frost-ing. The 17th regiment, under Colonel Mawbound. In the mean time, the baggage of the army was silently removed to Burlington, and every other preparation was made for a rapid march. To deceive the enemy, men were employed to dig trenches near the bridge within hearing of the British sentries, with orders to continue noisily at work until daybreak; others were to go the rounds; relieve guards at the bridge and fords; keep up the camp fires, and maintain all the appearance of a regular encampment. At daybreak they were to hasten after the army. In the dead of the night, the army drew quietly out of the encampment and began its march. General Mercer, mounted on a favorite gray horse, was in the advance with the remnant of his flying camp, now but about three hundred and fifty men, principally relics of the brave Delaware and Maryland regiments, with some of the Pennsylvania militia. Among the latter were youths belonging to the best families in Philadelphia. The main body followed, under Washington's immediate command. The Quaker road was a complete roundabout, joining the main road about two miles from Princeton, where Washington expected to arrive before daybreak. The road, however, was new and rugged; cut through woods, where the stumps of trees broke the wheels of some of the baggage trains, and retarded the march of the troops; so that it was near sunrise of a bright, frosty morning, when Washington reached the bridge over Stony Brook, about three miles from Princeton. After crossing the bridge, he led his troops along the bank of the brook to the edge of a wood, where a byroad led off on the right through low grounds, and was said by the guides to be a short cut to Princeton, and less exposed to view. By this hood, was already on the march; the 55th regiment was preparing to follow. Mawhood had crossed the bridge by which the old or main road to Trenton passes over Stony Brook, and was proceeding through a wood beyond, when, as he attained the summit of a hill about sunrise, the glittering of arms betrayed to him the movement of Mercer's troops to the left, who were filing along the Quaker road to secure the bridge, as they had been ordered. The woods prevented him from seeing their number. He supposed them to be some broken portion of the American army flying before Lord Cornwallis. With this idea, he faced about, and made a retrograde movement, to intercept them or hold them in check; while messengers spurred off in all speed, to hasten forward the regiments still lingering at Princeton, so as completely to surround them. The woods concealed him until he had recrossed the bridge of Stony Brook, when he came in full sight of the van of Mercer's brigado. Both parties pushed to get possession of a rising ground on the right near the house of a Mr. Clark, of the peaceful Society of Friends. The Americans being nearest, reached it first, and formed behind a hedge fence which extended along a slope in front of the house; whence, being chiefly armed with rifles, they opened a destructive fire. It was returned with great spirit by the enemy. At the first discharge Mercer was dismounted, "his gallant gray" being crippled by a musket ball in the leg. One of his colonels, also, was mortally wounded, and carried to the rear. Availing themselves of the confusion thus occasioned, the British charged with the bayonet; the American riflemen having no weapon of the kind, were thrown into disorder and retreated. Mercer, who was on foot; endeavored to rally thein, when a blow from the butt end of a musket felled him to the geotud. -lle rose and defended himself with his sword, d-up was sur rounded, bayoneted repeatedly, and loft for dead Mawfood pursued the broken and rotreating troops to the brow of the rising ground, on which Clark's bonse was situated, when he be held a large force, enterging from a wood and advancing to the rescue. It was a body of Pensylvanis militie, which Washington, on hearing the firing had detached to the support of Bercer. Mayhood instantly cease pursuit, drew-up his artillery, and by a beavy discharge brought the militia to a stand. Away, my dour, ectonof, and bring up the freeps, "-La thu midy; "the day is our own!” it was one of those occasions. In which the latent fire of Washington's character blazed forb Mawhool, by the thun, had forced Ina vor at the pout of the Yagorush, through gathering foes, though with heavy bus, hack to the pain road, and was in all resmat, toward. Trentou to join Cornwallis, Whington detached Major Kelly with a party of Pennsylvania trosipa, to destroy the bridge at Story Brook, over which Newhood had retreated, so as in impede the advance of General Leslie from Maiden Hend. the mean time, the 55th regiment, which had been on the left and Learer Princeton, had At this moment Washington himself arrived been encountered by the American advance t-the scene of action, having galloped from guard under General St. Clair, and after some the by-road in advance of his troops. Fron sharp fighting in a ravine had given way, and atising ground he behelderer's troops re- was Tetreating across fields and along a bytreating in contusion, and the detachment of road to Brunswick.. The retaining regiment, ilitia checked by Mawhood's artillery, Every the 40th, had not been able to come up in time thing was at peril. Putting spurs to his horse for the action; a part of it fled toward Brunsho duched pest the hesitating militia, waving wick; the resilho took refuge in the collego na his hat and cheering them on. His command- Princeton, recently occupied by them as barJag figure, and white horse, made him a consracks., Anillery was now brought to bear on spicuous object for the enemy's inarksmen; but the collegaand a few shot compelled those he heeded it not. - Galloping forward under the † within to surrender. ûre of Mawhood's battery, he called upon My cer's broken brigade. The Pennsylvanians rallied, at the sound of his voice, and caught fire from bis example. At the same time the 7th Virginia regiment emerged from the wood, and moved forward with loud cheers, while a fire of grapeliot was opened by Captain Moulder of the American artillery, from the brow of a ridge to the south. In this brief but brilliant action, about one hundred of the British were left dead on the field, and nearly three hundred taken prisoners, fourtech of whom were officers. Among the slain was Captain Leslie, son of the Earl of Leven. His death was greatly-lamented by his captured companions: The loss of the Americans was about twentyfive or thirty men, and several officers. Among the latter was Colonel Haslet, who had distinraishe unself throughout the campaign, by being among the foremost in services of danger. He was indeed a gallant officer, and gallantly) seconded by his Delaware troops. Colonel Mawhood, who a moment before bad thought his trinmplr Fecure, found himself assailed on every side, and separated from the other hitisi regiments. He fought, however, with great bravery, and for a short time the ection was desperate. Washington was in the anidst of it'; equally endangered by the random fire of his own meu, and the artillery and mus-house of Mr. Clark, whither he had boun Jetry, of the enemy. His aide-de-camp, Colonel Fitzgerald, a young and ardent Irishman, losing sight of him in the heat of the fight when enveloped in dusk and smoke, dropped the bridle on the neck of his horse and drew his hat over his eyes; giving him up for lost. When he saw bin, however, emnerge from the Zond, waving his hat, and beheld the enemy giving way, he spurred up to his side. "Thank God, cried be, your excellency is safe!ho was in good hands inking fastla A greater loss was that of General Morect. veyed by his aide-de-camp, Majer Atzel me |