History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 14

Author: Snell, James P; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1170

USA > New Jersey > Somerset County > History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 14
USA > New Jersey > Hunterdon County > History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers > Part 14

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The captures made by the Americans at Trenton comprised six brass field-pieces, one thousand stand of arms, four colors, and nine hundred and nine pris- oners, of which latter twenty-three were commissioned officers. In reference to the losses in action of the British and American forces respectively, Gen. Wash- ington said in his report,-

"I do not know exactly how many they had killed, but I fancy not above twenty or thirty, as they never made any regular stand.

"Our loss is very trifling indeed,-only two officers and one or two privates wounded."

Lossing, in his "Field-Book of the Revolution," says (p. 229), "The victory of the Americans at Trenton was complete. They lost in the engagement

* This officer was Capt. William A. Washington. Ile was afterwards a colonel of cavalry, and as such performed distinguished services in the Carolina campaigns against Cornwallis and Lord Rawdon. Another American officer wounded at Trenton-though not mentioned in the above account-was Lieat. James Monroe, afterwards President of the United States.

t Gen. Ewing had been ordored to cross his troops from the Pennsyl- vania side nearly opposite Tronton and attack from the south, in conjunc- tion with the movement of Groene and Sullivan from the north and west. The great quantities of ice running in the Delnwaro provented him from crossing an ordered. The same obstacle prevented Cadwallader from crossing at Bristol as expected.

# The dispatch was from Gen. Sullivan. Raum, in his " History of Tronton," mentions that the soldiers of Sullivan's division found their priming wet, and proceeds : " Capt. Mott, notwithstanding he had taken the precaution to wrap his handkerchief around the lock of his gun, found the priming was wet. 'Well,' said General Sullivan, 'we must fight them with the bayonet.'"

only two privates killed, and two others who were frozen to death."? This statement, that men of the American army were frozen to death in the expedi- tion to Trenton, has several times been made by other writers, but it cannot be regarded otherwise than as of doubtful authenticity, for these reasons : First, that the account of the expedition above quoted from the Pennsylvania Journal mentions that "the com- manding officer of one of the divisions sent word to Gen. Washington, just before they reached the town, that his ammunition had been wet by a shower of rain that had fallen that morning ;" and second, because in the narrative already given, as published by order of Congress and written by " an officer of distinction in the army" who was an eye-witness to the scenes en- acted at Trenton on that occasion, allusion is made to " a part [of the Hessian force] which had got off, in the hazy weather, towards Princeton." The account first noticed was written and published within five years of the time of the Trenton fight, when all the particulars were fresh in the minds of those who took part in the expedition, and it is therefore but reason- able to suppose that no such mistake could have been made as that of mentioning a shower of rain falling on a morning sufficiently cold to freeze men to death. The passage quoted from the account authorized by Congress sustains the other, and seems to prove that on the morning of the 26th of December, 1776, the weather at Trenton, though doubtless damp and chil- ling, was not of such stinging Arctic cold as has fre- quently been stated.

The plan of Washington in recrossing the Delaware had contemplated the probability that, in the event of success at Trenton, he might be able to maintain his position in New Jersey ; but, on account of the inability of Ewing and Cadwallader to cross the river, as was expected, there were still left at Bordentown, Mount Holly, and other points below Trenton and within striking distance several British detachments which were collectively far stronger than the Ameri- can force which could be mustered to hold them at bay. Under these circumstances, Washington thought it his only prudent course to return with his army to the west side of the river; and this he did without delay, remaining in Trenton only a few hours to allow his men sufficient time for rest and refreshment. In the afternoon of the 26th the columns were again put in motion and marched back by the route over which they had come in the morning, and, recrossing at McConkey's Ferry with their prisoners and captured material, were all safely quartered before midnight in the camp which they had left in the evening of the preceding day.

But, thongh he had found it expedient to retire to his strong position on the Pennsylvania shore after

¿ Gordon, in his " History of New Jersey," p. 227, makes the same statement.

HUNTERDON AND SOMERSET COUNTIES IN THE REVOLUTION.

the victory at Trenton, Washington had by no means abandoned his plan of repossessing West Jersey, and he at once commenced preparations for a second expedition to that end. On the 29th of December- only three days after the Trenton exploit-he wrote from his headquarters at Newtown, Pa., to Congress, saying,-

" I am just setting out to attempt a second passage over the Delaware with the troops that were with me on the morning of the 26th. Gen. Cad- wallader crossed over on the 27th, and is nt Bordentown with about one thousand eight hundred mon. Gen. Mifflin will be to-day at Borden- lown with about one thousand six hundred moro. . . . In view of the measures proposed to be pursued, I think a fair opportunity is offered of driving the enemy entirely from Jersey, or at least to the extremity of the province."

In anticipation of the projected resumption of opera- tions in New Jersey, orders had been sent to Gen. Heath, who was still at Peekskill-on-the-Hudson, to leaveonly a small detachment of his troops at that place, and to move at once with his main body, eross into New Jersey, and march towards the British cantonment, to divert their attention, but without intending an at- tack. Gen: William Maxwell, who in the retreat through this State had been left at Morristown with a considerable force (in which was included a large proportion of the soldiers of Hunterdon and Somerset Counties), was ordered to advance his troops towards New Brunswick as if threatening an attack and harass all the contiguous posts of the enemy as much as pos- sible ; and finally, Gens. Cadwallader and Mifflin, at Bordentown and Crosswieks, were directed to hold their forces (then amounting to more than three thou- sand five hundred men) in constant readiness to rein- force the main body under Washington when it should make its appearance at Trenton. These dispositions having been made, and all preparations completed, Washington moved his army across the Delaware into New Jersey on the 30th of December and marched to Trenton. At this point he was under serious embar- rassment, for the terms of service of a large part of the Eastern militia expired on the 1st of January, and it was very doubtful whether they could be persuaded to remain. The arguments of the commander-in- chief, however, were successful in prevailing on them to continue for an additional ferm of six weeks, in view of the brightening prospects of the American cause and the promise of a bounty of ten dollars per man. There was no money in the military chest to pay these promised bounties, but Washington at once sent a messenger to Robert Morris, at Philadelphia, asking him to supply the means if possible; and that patriotie financier promptly responded by sending fifty thousand dollars in cash, borrowed from a rich Quaker on Morris' individual note and the pledge of his honor to repay it.

At the time of the Hessian disaster at Trenton the British forces in New Jersey were under command of Cien. Grant, whose headquarters were at New Bruns- wick. Lord Cornwallis was at New York, making preparations to sail for England, in the belief that

the rebellion was virtually crushed and the war nearly over. Upon receipt of the amazing news from Tren- ton he at once relinquished his voyage, returned to New Jersey, and put his troops in motion towards Trenton. The British post at Bordentown, previously held by a strong force under Count Donop, had been abandoned on the 27th of December, and the troops which had been stationed there retreated to Prineeton, where they joined the force of Gen. Leslie and threw up defensive earthworks. When Cornwallis ad- vanced from New Brunswick, the force at Princeton, excepting three regiments under Col. Mawhood, joined the main column, which moved towards Trenton and arrived there at about four o'clock in the afternoon of Thursday, the 2d of January, 1777.

The two hostile armies which then and there con- fronted each other were each about five thousand strong, but one-half the force of Washington* was made up of undisciplined militia, while that of his adversary included many of the finest troops of the British army. Before the advance of Cornwallis, Washington's forces retired across the bridge to the south side of Assanpink Creek, where it was soon afterwards joined by General Greene's division, which had been sent out to reconnoitre and skirmish with the enemy, hoping to so delay his movements that no engagement would be brought on until morning. But the British regulars promptly drove Greene's detach- ment into Trenton and across the Assanpink, and then with very little delay moved in two columns, one down Green Street towards the bridge, and the other down Main Street towards the point where the lower bridge now stands, intending to force a passage over the bridge and across the ford; but they were repulsed by the vigorous fire of Washington's artil- lery, which, being posted on the high southern bank of the stream, was so effective that the assailants failed to eross, and were compelled to retire, but with what loss is not known.t After the failure of this attempt of the British to cross, the Americans kept up their artillery-fire till dark, and the British withdrew to the higher ground in the outskirts of the town, along the Princeton road, where Cornwallis established his

* Cudwalloder and MIflin, with their forces from Bordentown, had Joined Washington on the night of the Ist of January.

+ The " battle of Assnapink" hus frequently been described as a fearfut conflict, in which the stream was filled with the bodies of slain British soldiers, That this is a gross exaggeration, and that there was really no battle at all (but merely a brisk cantonade from the American artillery on the south bank, preventing the enemy from crowding the stream), is pretty clearly shown by an authority as high us Gen. Washington him- self, in the report which ho unde to Congress, dated Plurkamin, Jan. 5, 1777, In which, referring to this affair, he says, "On the 2d, according to my expectations, the enemy began to advance upon us ; and after some skirmishing the head of their column reached Trenton alwnul four o'clock, whilst their rear wus ns far back as Maidenhead. They attempted to pass Sanpluk Creek, which runs through Treuton, but, finding the fords guarded, haited and kiudled their fires. We were drawn up on the other wile of the ereck. In this situation we remained until dark, command- ing the enemy and receiving the tire of their feld-pleces, which did ns lut little damage." This is all the mention Duulo by the commander-in- chief, in hals official report, of the so-called " battle of Assanpink."

HUNTERDON AND SOMERSET COUNTIES, NEW JERSEY.

headquarters and directed dispositions to be made for a renewal of the battle in the morning, when, he said, he would " catch that old fox," Washington, whom he imagined he had now so securely entrapped beyond the Assanpink. But his boast failed most signally of execution.

The situation of Washington was now perilous in the extreme, for nothing could be more certain than that Cornwallis would renew the battle in the morning, and it was almost equally certain that in such an event the victory would be with the disci- plined soldiers of Britain. If snch should be the result, the American army could hardly escape the alterna- tive of surrender or annihilation, for a retreat across the Delaware in presence of such an enemy would be impossible. Immediately after dark a council of war was called, at which were assembled the commander- in-chief and Generals Greene, Sullivan, Knox, Mer- cer, St. Clair, Dickinson, Stevens, Cadwallader, Mif- flin, Stark, Wilkinson, and others. Some of the more impetuous officers advised a stand for a battle in their present position ; others favored a retreat down the left bank of the Delaware and a crossing of the river at Philadelphia under protection of the guns of Gen. Putnam ; but the plan which was adopted was that of a rapid night-movement around the enemy's flank to his rear, and a sudden attack on the British force at Princeton, which consisted of only three regiments of cavalry and three squadrons of dragoons. The execution of this plan was singularly favored by Providence, for, even while the council of war was engaged in its deliberations, the weather, which had been warm during the day, turned suddenly cold ; so that in a few hours the muddy roads were frozen suf- ficiently hard to bear up the artillery and greatly to facilitate the marching of the troops.

The movement to Princeton being decided on, its immediate execution was ordered. The camp-fires of the American army along the shore of the Assanpink were kept brightly burning, and were replenished with fresh fuel about midnight; and soon afterwards, leaving the sentinels on their posts, to delude the enemy, the forces were all put in motion, and marched rapidly but silently away in the darkness, with Elias Phillips, Ezekiel Anderson, and Patrick Lamb as gnides. The baggage-train of the army was sent away quietly on the road to Burlington. The route taken led, by way of Sandtown, across Miry Rnn, and, farther up, across the Assanpink, around the left flank of the British army ; then, veering to the left, along the " Quaker road" to and across Stony Brook, where the main column left the highway and took a by-road passing through lowlands directly to Princeton ; while Gen. Mercer, with about three hundred and fifty men and two pieces of artillery under Capt. Neal, con- tinned along the Quaker road, with orders to proceed to Worth's Mill and take possession of the bridge by which the old road from Princeton to Trenton crossed Stony Brook.

The march of the American forces had been slow during the two or three hours immediately following their departure from their camp on the Assanpink, be- cause on that part of their route they had been com- pelled (in order to avoid the outposts of the enemy's left flank) to traverse a new road, from which the logs and stumps had not been cleared. But the last part of their march had been made very rapidly over the hard-frozen highway ; so that when the sun rose they were already nearing Princeton. And never was a sunrise more auspicious than that which sent its rosy rays through the frosty air on the morning of the 3d of January, 1777. To Cornwallis at Trenton* it re- vealed the mortifying fact that the "fox" had escaped from his trap, and the unpleasant truth was soon after emphasized by the dull sound of distant artillery coming from the northward. To the eyes of Wash- ington and his officers that sunrise was welcome, for it showed them the position of the foes they had come to seek; and it lighted them on their way to one of the most important victories achieved in the war for independence.

The British troops in Princeton were a body of cav- alry and the Seventeenth, Fortieth, and Fifty-fifth Infantry Regiments of the line, all nnder command of Lieut .- Col. Mawhood. He had during the night re- ceived orders to march at daylight with the greater part of his command for Trenton, to give his assistance in the battle which Cornwallis intended to open along the shores of the Assanpink on the morning of the 3d, and in obedience to that order he had put the Seventeenth and Fifty-fifth Regiments, with a part of the cavalry, in motion, and, accompanying them in person, moved out on the old Trenton road. The commanding officer, with the Seventeenth Regiment and nearly all his cavalry, was fully a mile in ad- vance of the rear division of the column, and had already crossed the Stony Brook bridge at Worth's Mill when he discovered Mercer's force moving rapidly along the opposite bank of the stream towards the mill. Upon this he promptly countermarched his men, moved them on the double-quick back to the bridge, recrossed it, and hastened on to secure a com- manding position on high ground to the right of the road. Gen. Mercer, as his detachment emerged from a piece of woods near the Quaker meeting-house, dis- covered the British, and, divining their object, double- quicked his troops towards the same eminence, deter- mined to occupy it in advance of the enemy if pos- sible. Having reached the house and orchard of

#: "Great was his [Cornwallis'] astonishment and alarm at dawn to find the patriot camp-fires still burning, but not a man, nor hoof, nor tent, nor cannon thero. All was silent and dreary on the south side of the Assanpink, and no man of the British army knew whither the Ameri- cans had fled until the din ot battle in the direction of Princeton came faintly upon the keen morning air at sunrise. Cornwallis heard the booming of cannon, and, although mid-winter, he thought it was the rumbling of distant thunder. The quick ear of Erskine decided other- wise, and he oxclaimed, ' To arms, general | Washington has outgeneraled usl Lot us fly to Princeton ""-Lossing, vol. ii. p. 234.

HUNTERDON AND SOMERSET COUNTIES IN THE REVOLUTION.

William Clarke, he perceived the enemy's line ad- vancing up the opposite slope. The Americans pushed on to the slight cover of a rail-fence which was between the opposing forces, and there they de- livered their volley with precision and deadly effect, firing afterwards at will. The British promptly re- turned the fire and charged with the bayonet. Mer- cer's riflemen had no bayonets on their pieces, and, being unable to withstand the furious onset of the British, fled in precipitation and disorder, abandon- ing their two field-pieces and closely pursued by Maw- hood's grenadiers; but when they reached the east brow of the slope near Clarke's house, they were met by the Continentals and militia under Washington, who had left the by-road on which he was marching, at a point near the Olden farm, and hurried up to the support of Mercer. The fugitive Americans were here rallied and reformed on a new line, and a section of one of Washington's batteries, commanded by Capt. William Moulder, poured a storm of canister into the faces of the pursners.

At this point, Mawhood, discovering for the first time the presence of Washington and his force, ceased the pursuit, brought up his artillery-pieces, and opened on Moulder's section, which he immediately afterwards charged in a desperate but unsuccessful attempt to capture the guns. The scene of the con- fliet at this moment, when the lines of the opposing forces confronted each other and the men of each awaited the command to fire, is thus described by Bancroft:

"Gen. Washington, from his desire to animate his troops by example, rode into the very front of danger, and when within less than thirty yards of the British he reined his horse with its head towards them as both parties were about to fire, meaning to tell him faltering forces that they must stail firm or leave him to confront the enemy nione. The two shiles gave a volley at the anme moment, when, as the smoke cleared uway, it was thought a miracle that Washington wos untouched." By

* In Custis' "' Recollections of the Life and Character of Washington," this part of the battle of Princeton, and the Inchlent of the commander- in-chief spurring his horse to the front, between the hostile lines, are mentioned thus: " Tho aldo-de-camp [ Col. Fitzgerald] had been ordered to bring up the troops from the renr of the column when the band under Gon. Mercer became engaged. Upon returning to the spot where he had left the commander-in-chief, he was no longer there, and won lacking around the aldo discovered hit ondenvoring to rally the line, which had been thrown Into disorder by a rapid onset of the foe. Washington, after several ineffectual efforts to restore the fortunes of the light, is geen to rein up his horse with his head to the enemy, and in that position to remain Inimovalde. It was a last appeal to his soldiers, and memed to say, "Will you give up your general to the foo? Such an appeal was not noule in valu. The discomilted Americans rally on the instant and form Into line. The enemy halt and dress their live. The American cblof in between the adverso posta, as though he had been placed there n target for both. The urms of both aro leveled. Can escape fromn death be possible ? Fitzgerald, horror-struck ut the death of his beloved com- mandor, dropped the reins upon his horse's neck, and drew his hat over his face that he might not see him die. A roar of musketry sin creds. and then a shout ! It was the shout of victory. The aidedecamp von- tures to raise his eyes. Oh, glorious sight! The enemy are broken and flying, while dimly amid the glimpses of the smoke is zon the chief, allvo, unharmed, and without a wonnd, waving his hat and cheering his comrades to the pursuit. Col. Fitzgerald, celebrated sa one of the finest horsemen in the American army, now dashed the rowels In his charger's Banks, and, headless of the dead and dying in his way, flew to the side of the chief, exclaiming, 'Thank God Your Excellency Is safe" while

this time, Hitchcock. for whom a raging hertie made this day nearly fils Inst, came up with his brigule, and Hand's riffemen began to turn the left of the English. These, after repeated exertions of the greatest conr- age and discipline, retreated before they were wholly surrounded, and lled over the fields and fences up Stony Brook. The action, from the first conflict with Mercer, did not lust more than twenty minutes. Washing- ton, on the battle-ground, took Hitchcock by the hand, and before his uriny thanked him for his services."

Col. Mawhood, with the Seventeenth British Regi- ment and his cavalry, fled from the battle-field to the same road over which they had marched in the morn- ing, and, crossing the Stony Brook bridge at Worth's Mill, moved rapidly on towards Maidenhead, where they knew Gen. Leslie had passed the night with his division, the rear-guard of Cornwallis' army. Leslic, however, hearing the eannonade in the direction of Princeton, was already on the march towards Stony Brook, and in his advance met the routed troops of Mawhood, which latter had been pursued only a short distance by the Americans, because Washing- ton knew of the proximity of Gen. Leslie in the diree- tion in which they retreated. Mawhood's artillery- pieces were left on the field, and fell into the hands of the Americans ; but, as they could not take them away for want of horses, they afterwards returned to the possession of the enemy.

At the close of the action near Clarke's house Gen. Washington sent a detachment, under Maj. Kelley, of the Pennsylvania militia, to destroy the bridge over Stony Brook, for the purpose of delaying the advance of Gen. Leslie with the reserve division of Cornwallis; but before they had accomplished the work the enemy came in sight on Millett's Hill and opened a fire on the working-party from their artillery, which finally drove them from the bridge, though not until it had been rendered impassable for the British artillery and trains. The commanding officer of the detachment, Maj. Kelley, was knocked off the bridge into the stream, but, succeeding in crawling out, was making his way towards Princeton, when he fell into the hands of the enemy. The British commander, Corn- wallis, on coming up to the bridge, found it impassable for his column; but so great was his anxiety for the safety of his magazines of supply at New Brunswick (which he fully believed to be Washington's destina- tion ) that, bitterly cold as it was, he ordered his troops to ford the stream, which they did, and then, with their clothing frozen stiff, pushed on as fast as they were able in pursuit of the Americans.

In the battle with Mawhoud the left wing of his force, the Fitty-fifth Regiment, was cut off from the right, and was driven into the town, where it took a position in a ravine near the college. There it was attacked by the New England regiments of Stark, Poor, Patterson, aud Reed, and after a desperate re-

the favorite alde, a gallant and warm-hearted son of Erin, n man of thousand sinews, and allait unused to the melting mixed, gave le ne to his feelings and wept like a child for Joy. Washington, ever calm and scones of the greatest avcitement, affectionately grasped the hand of his nido and friend, and then ordered, ' Away, my har colonel, and Iring up the troops ; the day is our own.'"

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History of Hunterdon and Somerset counties, New Jersey : with illustrations and biographical sketches of its prominent men and pioneers, Part 14

Author: Snell, James P; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885 Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck Number of Pages: 1170

Author: Snell, James P; Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Philadelphia : Everts & Peck
Number of Pages: 1170