OVER ON THE HRASTEN FOR 23 AT TREXTON.

tamison and its unwary 1

te ci eurity, at the
Gul lus troops were

pross the Thela
i have been their
fen more vigilant!

Was the troops.commcreased in violence wra driving the sleet was the cold that two touch that night.

discovered that the
of the muskets wet
she done?" ingoired
You has nothing for
and use the bayonet," was
of the soldiers were and
ton-kets, and squib-
dapatched an officer
de chief of the con-hind
Home back half-dis-te

st of Washington,
instantly and tell
ice and charge."

k when Washingthe vicinity of the 3d rendered the very one within adened the tread of bling of the artillery. d the village, Washington,

to a man that was

and discovered the enemy, they would be upon him before his men could Me to their arms "Der feind! der he was heraus!" (the enemy! the Furn out turn out !) was now the The at first, he says, made a stand, thinkTad a mere marauding party to deal but seeing heavy battalions at hand, way, and fell back upon a company sta pport the picket, but which ap have been no better prepared against

the the American artillery was

Washington kept beside it, and the proceeded. The report of fire-arms that Sullivan was at the lower end of the Colonel Stark led his advanced-guard, in gallant style. The attacks, as arted, were simultaneous. The outposts drvetu: they retreated, firing from be uses. The Hessian drums beat to arms; pets of the light-horse sounded the the whole place was in an uproar. The eneiny made a wild and undirected They from the windows of their quarters; others he forward in disorder, and attempted to By the min street, while dragoons hastily mos, dd, and alloping about, added to the Washington advanced with his Comma to the head of King Street; riding be Captain Forest of the artillery. When Pattery of six guns was oponed, the kept on the left and advanced with it, His position was exposed one, and he was repeatedly estreated to fall back; but all such entreaties were useless, when once he became heated in action.

wood by the weide, and inquired,pinag directions to the fire. ach way lets picket?" "I don't was the sus reply. You may tell," 41 Captain Forest of the artillery, "for that Bemoral Washington." The aspect of the ced in an instant. Raising his hands 4od bless and prosper you!" cried The picket is in that house, and the entration is near that free."*

ehosi a as led by a brave young

1. Washington, second-
Monroe (in after years

The enemy were training a couple of cannon in the molu street to form a battery, which

have given the Americans a serious Tod, bux Capt to Washington and LieutenMonroe, with a part of the advanced guard forward, drove the artillerists from et gans ord took the two pieces when on ed States). They receivede point of being fired. Both of these officers The picket. Here happened here aded; the captain in the wrist, the the very lieutenant whose cen- lieutenant in the shoulder. chgesen of Colonel Rahl we red By his own account, he was bg entrapped in the guard-house. inutes, he says, were not alert enough; I had he not rod and of the picket house

Washington advanced on the north Boat, Sullivare approached on the nd detached Stark to press on the lower om end of the town The British lights d about five hundred Hessians and had been quartered in the lower Hohe Town, Socing Washington's commun

ET. 44.]

THE SURPRISAL—SURRENDER OF THE HESSIANS.

317

pressing in front, and hearing Stark thunder- | fell from his horse. His men, left without ing in their rear, they took headlong flight by their chief, were struck with dismay; heedless the bridge across the Assunpink, and so along of the orders of the second in command, they the banks of the Delaware toward Count Do- retreated by the right up the banks of the nop's encampment at Bordentown. Had Wash- Assunpink, intending to escape to Princeton. ington's plan been carried into full effect, their Washington saw their design, and threw Colretreat would have been cut off by General onel Hand's corps of Pennsylvania riflemen in Ewing; but that officer had been prevented their way; while a body of Virginia troops from crossing the river by the ice. gained their left. Brought to a stand, and perfectly bewildered, Washington thought they were forming in order of battle, and ordered a discharge of canister shot. "Sir, they have struck," exclaimed Forest. "Struck!" echoed the general. "Yes, sir, their colors are down." "So they are!" replied Washington, and spurred in that direction, followed by Forest and his whole command. The men grounded their arms and surrendered at discretion; "but had not Colonel Rahl been severely wounded," remarks his loyal corporal, we would never have been taken alive!"

Colonel Rahl, according to the account of the lieutenant who had commanded the picket, completely lost his head in the confusion of the surprise. The latter, when driven in by the American advance, found the colonel on horseback, endeavoring to rally his panic-stricken and disordered men, but himself sorely bewildered. He asked the lieutenant what was the force of the assailants. The latter answered that he had seen four or five battalions in the woods; three of them had fired upon him before he had retreated-"but," added he, there are other troops to the right and left, and the town will soon be surrounded." The colonel rode in front of his troops :"Forward! march! advance! advance!" cried he. With some difficulty he succeeded in extricating his troops from the town, and leading them into an adjacent orchard. Now was the time, writes the lieutenant, for him to have pushed for another place, there to make a stand. At this critical moment he might have done so with credit, and without loss. The colonel seems to have had such an intention. A rapid retreat by the Princeton road was apparently in his thoughts; but he lacked decision. The idea of flying before the rebels was intolerable. Some one, too, exclaimed at the ruinous loss of leaving all their baggage to be plundered by the enemy. Changing his mind, he made a rash resolve. "All who are my grenadiers, forward!" cried he, and went back, writes his corporal, like a storm upon the town. "What madness was this!" writes the critical lieutenant. "A town that was of no use to us; that but ten or fifteen minutes before he had gladly left; that was now filled with three or four thousand enemies, stationed in houses or behind walls and hedges, and a battery of six cannon planted on the main street. And he to think of retaking it with his six or seven hundred men and their bayonets! "

Still he led his grenadiers bravely but rashly on, when, in the midst of his career, he received a fatal wound from a musket ball, and

The skirmishing had now ceased in every direction. Major Wilkinson, who was with the lower column, was sent to the commander-in-chief for orders. He rode up, he says, at the moment that Colonel Rahl, supported by a file of sergeants, was presenting his sword. "On my approach," continues he, "the commander-in-chief took me by the hand, and observed, 'Major Wilkinson, this is a glorious day for our country!' his countenance beaming with complacency; whilst the unfortunate Rahl, who the day before would not have changed fortunes with him, now pale, bleeding, and covered with blood, in broken accents seemed to implore those attentions which the victor was well disposed to bestow on him."

He was, in fact, conveyed with great care to his quarters, which were in the house of a kind and respectable Quaker family.

The number of prisoners taken in this affair was nearly one thousand, of which thirtytwo were officers. The veteran Major Von Dechow, who had urged in vain the throwing up of breast works, received a mortal wound, of which he died in Trenton. Washington's triumph, however, was impaired by the failure of the two simultaneous attacks. General Ewing, who was to have crossed before day at Trenton Ferry, and taken possession of the bridge leading out of the town, over which the light-horse and Hessians retreated, was prevented by the quantity of ice in the river. Cadwalader was hindered by the same obstacle.