USA > New Jersey > Mercer County > Trenton > History of the city of Trenton, New Jersey : embracing a period of nearly two hundred years, commencing in 1676, the first settlement of the town, and extending up to the present time, with official records of the population, extent of the town at different periods, its manufactories, church history, and fire department > Part 15
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The Mr. Scudder above named lived about two miles and a half below McConkey's ferry.
* Some years after this battle, several skeletons and coffins were found where the waters of the river washed the bank in the southwestern part of the city, and many persons supposed that the Hessians killed in this engagement were buried there; but it has been ascertained that this was the ground where the soldiers and others who died in the barracks and hospital at White Hill were buried. In excavating on the south bank of the Assanpink, within a few years, human bones have been found.
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The following is Washington's account of the battle of Tren- ton, as communicated by him to congress, in a letter, dated headquarters, Newtown, 27th of December, 1776:
" I have the pleasure of congratulating you upon the success of an enterprise which I had formed against a detachment of the enemy lying in Trenton, and which was executed yesterday morning. The evening of the 25th, I ordered the troops intended for this service, to parade back of McConkey's ferry, [now Taylorsville], that they might begin to pass as soon as it grew dark-imagining that we should be able to throw them all over, with the necessary artillery, by twelve o'clock, and that we might easily arrive at Trenton by five o'clock in the morning, the distance being about nine miles.
" But the quantity of ice made that night impeded the passage of the boats so much, that it was three o'clock before the artillery could all be got over, and near four before the troops took up their line of march.
" I formed my detachment in two divisions-one to march up the lower or river road, the other by the upper or Pennington road.
" As the divisions had nearly the same distance to march, I ordered each of them, immediately upon forcing the outguards, to push directly into the town, that they might charge the enemy before they had time to form.
"The upper division arrived at the enemy's advanced post exactly at eight o'clock, and in three minutes after, I found from the fire on the lower road, that that division had also got up. The outguards made but a small opposition; though, for their numbers, they behaved very well-keeping up a constant retreat- ing fire from behind houses. We presently saw their main body formed, but from their motions, they seemed undetermined how to act.
" Being hard pressed by our troops, who had already got pos- session of their artillery, they attempted to file off by a road on their right, leading to Princeton ; but, perceiving their intention, I threw a body of troops in their way, which immediately checked them.
" Finding, from our disposition, that they were surrounded,
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and they must inevitably be cut to pieces if they made any further resistance, they agreed to lay down their arms.
" The number that submitted in this manner was twenty-three officers and eight hundred and eighty-six men.
" Colonel Rahl, the commanding officer, and seven others, were found wounded in the town.
"I do not know exactly how many they had killed; but I fancy not above twenty or thirty-as they never made any regu- lar stand.
" Our loss is very trifling indeed-only two officers and one or two privates wounded. [These were Captains Washington and Monroe].
"I find that the detachment of the enemy consisted of three Hessian regiments of Landspatch, Kniphausen, and Rahl, amounting to about one thousand five hundred men, and a troop of British light-horse; but immediately upon the beginning of the attack, all those who were not killed or taken, pushed directly down the road towards Bordentown.
"These, likewise, would have fallen into our hands could my plan completely have been carried into execution.
"General Ewing was to have crossed before day at Trenton ferry, [just below where the Delaware bridge now stands], and taken possession of the bridge leading to the town,* but the quantity of ice was so great, that though he did everything in his power to effect it, he could not cross.
" This difficulty also hindered General Cadwalader from cross- ing with the Pennsylvania militia from Bristol. He got part of his foot over, but finding it impossible to embark his artillery he was obliged to desist.
"I am fully confident that, could the troops under Generals Ewing and Cadwalader have passed the river, I should have been enabled, with their assistance, to have driven the enemy from all their posts below Trenton. But the numbers I had with me being inferor to theirs below, and a strong batallion of light-
* This was the bridge in Greene street, as there was no other bridge over the Assanpink at that time. General Ewing was to have taken that post to prevent the escape of the enemy to Bordentown.
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infantry being at Princeton, above me, I thought it most prudent to return the same evening, with the prisoners and the artillery we had taken. We found no stores of any consequence in the town.
"In justice to the officers and men, I must add that their behavior on this occasion reflects the highest honor upon them. The difficulty of passing the river on a very severe night, and their march through a violent storm of hail and snow, did not in the least abate their ardor-but, when they came to the charge, each seemed to vie with the other in pressing forward ; and were I to give a preference to any particular corps I should do injustice to the other. Colonel Baylor, my first aid-de-camp, will have the honor of delivering this to you, and from him you may be made acquainted with many other particulars. His spirited behavior upon every occasion requires me to recom- mend him to your particular notice."
The annexed account of the battle of Trenton is taken from the " Pennsylvania Journal" of 1781.
" About eight o'clock in the morning, an attack was made on the picket-guard of the enemy. It was commanded by a youth of eighteen, who fell in his retreat to the main body.
" At half-past eight o'clock the town was nearly surrounded, and all the avenues to it were seized, except the one left for General Ewing to occupy. An accident here liked to have deprived the American army of the object of their enterprise. The commanding officer of one of the divisions sent word to General Washington, just before they reached the town, that his ammunition had been wet by a shower of rain that had fallen that morning, and desired to know what he must do. Washing- ton sent him word to 'advance with fixed bayonets.' This laconic answer inspired the division with the firmness and cour- age of their leader.
" The whole body now moved onward in sight of the enemy.
" An awful silence reigned in every platoon.
" Each soldier stepped as if he carried the liberty of his country upon his single musket.
" The moment was a critical one.
"The attack was begun with artillery, under command of
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Colonel [afterwards General] Knox. The infantry supported the artillery with firmness.
" The enemy were thrown into confusion at every quarter. One regiment attempted to form in an orchard, but was soon forced to fall back upon the main body. A company of them entered a stone house,* which they defended with a field-piece, judiciously posted in the entry. Captain [afterwards Colonel] Washington advanced to dislodge them with a field-piece, but, finding his men exposed to a close and steady fire, he suddenly leaped from them, rushed into the house, seized the officer who had command of the gun, and claimed him as a prisoner. His men followed him, and the whole company were made prisoners. The captain received a ball in his hand in entering the house.
" In the meanwhile, victory declared itself everywhere in favor of the American arms.
" The Philadelphia light-horse distinguished themselves upon this occasion by their bravery. They were the more admired for their conduct as it was the first time they had ever been in action.
" An anecdote is mentioned of Captain Samuel Morris, of this corps, which, though it discovers his inexperience of war, did honor to his humanity. In advancing toward the town, he came up to the lieutenant who had commanded the picket- guard. He lay mortally wounded and weltering in his blood, in the great road. The captain was touched with the sight, and called to General Greene to know if anything could be done for him. The general bade him push on and not notice him. The captain was as much agitated with the order as he was affected by the scene before him; and it was not until after the fortunate events of the morning were over that he was convinced that his sympathy for a bleeding enemy was ill-timed.
* This was a double stone house, one story high, with hipped roof, and stood fronting the street, on the spot where the house of Mercer Beasley, Esq., now stands. It was built by John Rickey, grandfather of the late John Rickey, druggist, of this city. This building was erected in the year 1752. The orchard above mentioned was between the Presbyterian Church and the old iron works, and occupied all the grounds between those two places and the Assanpink creek and Friends' meeting-house.
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" After having refreshed themselves and rested a few hours in Trenton, the American army returned, with their prisoners and other trophies of victory, to the Pennsylvania side of the river, by the same way they came, with the loss of only three men, who perished by cold in recrossing the river-an event not to be wondered at when we consider that many of them were half naked, and most of them barefooted.
" The next day, the British that were in Princeton marched to Trenton in pursuit of the American army, and went up the Scotch road as far as Mr. Benjamin Clarke's, [now William R. McIlvaine's, Esq.] and inquired which route General Washing- ton had taken, and being informed that he had gone with his prisoners up the river road, they compelled John Clarke, their son, a lad about twelve years of age, to guide them across to Birmingham. Some of the American soldiers were at this time in Clarke's house. His mother, with true Spartan courage, unwilling to trust her son with the enemy, pursued the British, and prevailed upon them to give him up.
" Soon after, the British finding Washington had crossed the Delaware, returned to Princeton.
"The situation of the American army in the autumn of 1776 was peculiarly trying, and the prospects of their righteous cause very gloomy. They had been obliged to retire before the enemy and cross to the west side of the Delaware. General Washington, believing it probable that General Howe, the commander of the British, would make an attempt upon Philadelphia as soon as the ice would enable them to cross, or before, had taken the precau- tion to have all the vessels and boats removed from the Jersey shore, from Philadelphia up to New Hope.
" Writing to his brother, from the camp above the falls at Trenton, December 18th, 1776, he said, in view of the number, discipline, and position of the British army, contrasted with his own, 'You can form no idea of the perplexity of my situation. No man, I believe, ever had a greater choice of difficulties and less means to extricate himself from them. However, under a full persuasion of the justice of our cause, I cannot entertain an idea that it will finally sink, though it may remain for some time under a cloud.'
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"Soon after this, his plan was laid for recrossing the Delaware at several points, to surprise and capture the enemy posted in different places along the Jersey shore.
"But, owing to the ice, no part of the plan but that which referred to Trenton was carried into effect, and his success here showed the practicability of the whole, if the American troops had been able to cross the Delaware.
"But, although they were providentially prevented from car- rying out their plans in this respect, yet, in another way, was Providence preparing for their success and the triumph of their arms.
" The success of the American army on the 20th of December, 1776, revived the hopes of the country. The dark cloud which hung over the nation began to disperse, and Providence was pointing to the path which ultimately led to a bright and peace- ful day.
"On the 29th of the same month, General Washington, writ- ing to congress from Newtown, Pennsylvania, says, '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. General Cadwalader crossed over on the 27th, and is at Borden- town with about one thousand eight hundred men. General Mifflin will be to-day at Bordentown, with about one thousand six hundred more.' And he adds, 'in view of the measures pro- posed to be pursued, I think a fair opportunity is offered of driv- ing the enemy entirely from Jersey, or, at least, to the extremity of the province.'"
On Monday morning, the 30th of December, 1776, General Washington recrossed the Delaware himself; but, owing to the great quantity of drifting ice, his troops did not all reach Trenton till the evening of the 3Ist; and at this critical moment the army was likely to be diminished to a mere handful, as the time of service of the Continental troops expired that evening. But after much persuasion and the receipt of ten dollars bounty, by each, about one thousand four hundred of them re-enlisted for six weeks.
These, with about three thousand six hundred Pennsylvania
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militia, under Generals Cadwalader and Mifflin, composed Washington's army at this time.
On the 31st of December, 1776, a foraging party of the enemy was surprised and captured by a small company of dragoons under the command of Colonel Joseph Reed. From these prisoners General Washington learned the strength of the British army which lay at Princeton, and also their intention to advance upon the American army at Trenton.
The following account of the battle of Trenton was published by order of congress, who received it from the council of safety, as coming from "an officer of distinction in the army." We here extract it from the "Connecticut Journal" of January 22d, 1777.
" Headquarters, Newtown, Bucks county, December 27th, 1776 .- It was determined some days ago that our army should pass over to Jersey at three different places, and attack the enemy. Accordingly, about two thousand five hundred men and twenty brass field-pieces, with his excellency General Wash- ington at their head, and Major-General Sullivan and General Greene in command of two divisions, passed over on the night of Christmas, and about three o'clock in the morning were on their march, by two routes, towards Trenton. The night was sleety and cold, and the roads so slippery that it was day-break when we were two miles from Trenton.
" But happily the enemy were not apprised of our design, and our advanced parties were on their guard, at half a mile from the town, where General Sullivan's and General Greene's divisions came into the same road. Their guard gave our advanced parties several smart fires as we drove them; but we soon got two field-pieces at play, and several others in a short time ; and one of our columns pushing down on the right while the other advanced on the left into town. The enemy, consist- ing of about one thousand five hundred Hessians, under Colonel Rahl, formed and made some smart fires from their musketry and six field-pieces ; but our people pressed from every quarter and drove them from their cannon. They retired towards a field, behind a piece of woods, up the creek from Trenton, and formed in two bodies, which I expected would have brought on
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a smart action from the troops who had formed very near them ; but at that instant, as I came in full view of them from the back of the wood, with his excellency General Washington, an officer informed him that one party had grounded their arms, and sur- rendered prisoners.
"The others soon followed their example, except a part which had got off, in the hazy weather, towards Princeton. A party of their light-horse made off on our first appearance.
" Too much praise cannot be given to our officers and men of every regiment, who seemed to vie with each other; and by their active and spirited behavior they soon put an honorable sisue to this glorious day.
"I was immediately sent off with the prisoners to McConkey's ferry, and have got about seven hundred and fifty safe in town, and a few miles from here, on this side of the ferry, viz., one lieutenant-colonel, two majors, four captains, seven lieutenants, and eight ensigns.
"We left Colonel Rahl, the commandant, wounded, on his parole, and several other officers and wounded men, at Trenton. We lost but two of our men that I can hear of-a few wounded- and one brave officer, Captain Washington, who assisted in securing their artillery, wounded in both hands."
The place of surrender was in the orchard, at the corner of Hanover and Stockton streets, as near as can now be ascertained.
CHAPTER XI.
Second battle, or Cannonading of Trenton-Battle of Princeton- Eagle tavern-Council of war-Retreat of the Americans by the Sandtown road, across Quaker bridge, to Stony Brook- Death of General Mercer-Major Trent-Obituary notice of the death of Judge Trent-Destruction of the bridges in Warren and Greene streets-Destruction of Trent's old mill by flood- H. Mc Call's purchase-Destruction of the American inn by fire.
W HEN the Hessians were captured at Trenton, the several detachments of the British troops which were stationed at Burlington, Mount Holly, &c., immediately repaired to Princeton, where they were shortly after joined by a large re-enforcement from New York under Lord Cornwallis. On Wednesday, the Ist of January, 1777, General Washington ordered forward, on the Maidenhead road leading to Princeton, a small detachment as far as Smith's hill, late Charles Reeder's, Five-Mile-Run, where they awaited the advance of the British ; but the advance guard of the Americans was at the village of Maidenhead.“
The advance guard of the British on the same night were at the Eight-Mile-Run, near the residence of the late Caleb Smith Greene, Esq., about a mile and a half from the village.
Early the next morning, the main army of the enemy moved on from Princeton, meeting with little opposition until they reached Smith's hill, when a little skirmishing took place with the companies under Major Miller and Colonel Hand, after which our troops retired before the enemy to a piece of woods at the Shabbakonk creek, where, as the enemy approached, they poured a deadly fire upon them for a few moments, which caused
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the British to form themselves in order for battle. By this suc- cessful manœuvre of the Americans, the British were detained two or three hours.
A detachment had been stationed that day by General Wash- ington at the northern extremity of Trenton, near Nathan Beakes', where they had thrown up some works, in order that they might retard the progress of the British as much as possible ; and when they came up, there was a brisk cannonading for about twenty minutes, when the Americans fell back into Trenton, and crossed over the Assanpink bridge at Trent's mill,* taking up the planks of the bridge after them.
General Washington had that day planted his artillery on the high bank on the south side of the Assanpink creek, and had thrown up a breastwork across the road leading south from this bridge.
From the bridge to the Delaware (about one hundred rods in a westerly direction), the Assanpink was fordable; and from the bridge the pond extended a quarter of a mile or more. Guards were placed along the line, from the Delaware eastward, on the south bank of the creek.
The British passed down Queen street towards the bridge, and when they had reached Tucker's corner, (the southwest corner of State and Greene streets), some well-directed shots from the artillery on the south side of the bridge caused them to wheel about and retire to the high ground at the north of the town. where they encamped for the night.
A few British were in a room in the old court-house, (now the Trenton Bank), which commanded a view of the American posi- tion at the Assanpink bridge, and some of them were killed by a cannon-shot fired by the Americans, which knocked down a part of the wall.
* This, the Queen (now Greene) street bridge, was the only bridge over the creek at that time, and was a wooden structure. It was built in 1762, and was carried away by the flood of 1820, and rebuilt of stone in 1822. The Warren street bridge was built the same year. The Greene street bridge was about one-third as wide as it now is, being considerably widened in 1843, and again in 1870. The south arch was erected in 1843.
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A crisis had arrived of the most fearful character. Owing to the state of the river-the ice being rotten-to retreat across the Delaware was impracticable ; to engage with an army so superior in numbers, in discipline, and in everything but true courage and right, would seem to be sacrificing all. It was truly a season of terrible suspense. " But," as a late writer states, " the Lord maintained our right. He directed the councils of that eventful night : guided in the right way, and led the few, but valiant, to victory."
General Washington, with his officers, held a council of war that evening in the house in Broad street now in the occupation of the Rev. George F. Gardiner as a parsonage.
The facts above stated were obtained from Mr. John Beller- jeau, who was about ten years of age at that time, and living near where the whole thing occurred. He said there was not much fighting, and that on hearing the report of fire-arms, the dogs in the neighborhood ran out into the streets, and that he and some other children went out after them, but their parents, alarmed for their safety, ran after the children and brought them back ; that the dogs again escaped into the street, and they ran after them the second time; that their parents again ran out, and, driving the children back into the house, fastened them, together with the dogs, in the cellar, where they remained until the firing ceased.
This appears the more probable from the fact that this house was a sufficient distance from the enemy's lines to insure the council from molestation. On the evening of this council of war, Washington sent his baggage to Bordentown ; and the next night he retired by the Sandtown road, across Quaker bridge, to Stony Brook and Princeton, and after the taking of the Hessians, he retired across the river into Pennsylvania. It therefore looks reasonable that on his return into New Jersey, he would take the regular turnpike road, cross the ferry, unless prevented by the severity of the weather or floating ice, and halt at the Eagle hotel, that being the regular stopping-place for persons who trav- eled across the ferry, and thence proceed to the residence of Captain Douglass, his friend.
While the council was engaged in its deliberations, a lady,
THE DOUGLASS HOUSE , TRENTON, N . J. Gen. St. Clair's Head Quarters, at which Washington and his Officers held a Council of War, Jan. 2d, 1777.
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supposed to be the wife of Captain Douglass, passed through the room, observing as she went, "Gentlemen, that which you are talking about will succeed"-referring to their plan of opera- tions which proved so successful the next day.
General Washington sent for Mr. Elias Phillips, of Maiden- head, who came into the council about ten o'clock. Washing- ton asked him how long he had lived in the place-whether he was acquainted with the direct road to the Quaker bridge,* and made other inquiries, the answers to which were taken down.
He then had Patrick Lamb called in, who lived at the bridge, and the answers which he gave to the questions proposed were also recorded. Ezekiel Anderson was also sent for, and after questioning him and finding all their answers to agree respecting the road and the country, Washington appointed these men as guides for his army that night. Having given orders to the men who were engaged in throwing up a breastwork on the south bank of the Assanpink, (now known as Quintin's Washington's Retreat), to continue their work until it should be necessary to retire for their own safety, and directing the fires to be renewed and kept up, about midnight he ordered the army to march off. Taking the lower road, through Sandtown and across Quaker bridge, they reached the Stony brook at the Quaker meeting- house early on Friday morning, the 3d of January, where the battle which drove the enemy from this part of New Jersey was so successfully fought. But many of our brave men fell on this memorable morning, and among them was the gallant General Mercer, who first engaged the enemy, and who fell at an early hour, covered with wounds.
The late Dr. Moses Scott, of New Brunswick, with other sur- geons, was with General Mercer under the tree, after the battle, and said that he had received sixteen wounds by the bayonet, . though these were not thought by the general himself, (who was a physician) to be necessarily mortal, but that while lying on the ground, a British soldier had struck him on the head with his
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