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PAS ON THE HEASTAN FORCES AT THEXTON.

[1775

ordson and its anwary himself, and discovered the enemy, they would ancimeurity, at the have been upon him before his men could es on his troops were scramble to their tee "Der feind! der ross the Tela tend! heraus! heraus!" (the enemy! the i have been their enemy! turn out! turn out!) was now the been more vigilantery. Te at first, he says, toade a stand, thinkwas the troops coming he had a mere marauding party to deal creased in violence with; but seeing heary battalions at hand, gave way, and fell back upon a company sta tioned to support the picket, but which ap pears to have been no better prepared against surprise..

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a driving the sleet was the cold that two to death that night. The Sullivan halted

discovered that the By this time the American artillery was m of the muskets wet limbered; Washington kept beside it, and the be done?" ingquired column proceeded. The report of fire-arins Yes have nothing for told that Sullivan was at the lower end of the ad use the bayonet," was town. Colonel Stark led his advanced-guard, of the soldiers were and did it in gallant style. The attacks, as in-kets, and squib-concerted, were simultaneous. The outposts Cepatched an officer were driven in: they retreated, firing from la rie whit of the con- hind houses. The Hessian drums beat to TES; Home back half-dis- the trumpets of the light-horse sounded the st of Washington, alarm; the whole place was in an upro instantly and tell Some of the enemy made a wild and undirect ce and charge." fire from the windows of their quarters; others ock when Washing- rushed forward in disorder, and attempted to vicinity of the form in the main street, while dragoons hastily mounted, and galloping about, added to the confusion. Washington advanced with s column to the head of King Street; riding b side Captain Forest of the artillery. When Forest's battery of six guns was oponed, the general kept on the left and advanced with it, giving directions to the fire. His position was an exposed one, and he was repeatedly co treated to fall back; but all such entreaties were useless, when once he became heated in action.

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dened the tread of tapling of the artillery. ed the village, Washington, to a man that was ok by the med ide, and inquired, ist Hessian picket?" "I don't was the sly ply. You may tell," Captain Forest of the artillery, for that Bampot Washington." The aspect of the e an instant. Raising his hands God bless and prosper you!" cried The picket is in that house, and the nis near that free."* es et ass led by a brave young 1. Washington, seconds Monroe (in after years ed States). They received the picket. Here happened the very lieutenant whose cenSearchgence of Colonel Rahl we redty his own account, he was bg entrapped in the guard-lionse. nutes, he says, were not alert enough; and had he not staged out of the picket house

Semoirs, vol. i., p. 129.

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The enemy were training a couple of cannca in the main street to form a battery, which might have given the Americans a serione check; but Captain Washington and Lieutenant Monroe, with a part of the advanced guard rushed forward, drove the artillerists from their guns, and took the two pieces when on the point of being fired. Both of these officers were wounded; the captain in the wrist, the lieutenant in the shoulder.

While Washington advanced on the north of the town, Sullivan approached on the west, and detached Stark to press on the lover or south end of the town. The British lighthorse, and about five hundred Hessians and Chasseurs, had been quartered in the over part of the town. Seeing Washington's culmin

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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!"

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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!" oried 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

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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.

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