With General George Washington’s withdrawal
first from New York and then from New Jersey in 1776 the nervousness of the
Signers of the Declaration of
Independence increased as the British advanced towards Philadelphia. The
Continental Congress began passing odd resolutions. On December 10 a resolution
directed Washington and Putnam in military matters. The following day another
appointed a day of fasting and humiliation, recommending to "all the members of
the United States, and particularly the officers civil and military under them,
the exercise of repentance and reformation," the strict observation of the
Articles of War, and particularly of those forbidding profane swearing and all
immorality.
The most damaging resolution was passed on
December 11, 1776 when it was resolved that:
"Whereas a false and malicious report hath been spread by the enemies of
America that the Congress was about to disperse: Resolved, That General
Washington be desired to contradict the said scandalous report in general
orders, this Congress having a better opinion of the spirit and vigour of the
army, and of the good people of these states than to suppose it can be
necessary to disperse. Nor will they adjourn from the city of Philadelphia in
the present state of affairs, unless the last necessity shall direct it."
Charles Thomson, Secretary of Congress,
sent this resolve to George Washington who received it near Trenton Falls on
December 12th. On that very same day Congress resolved:
"That, until the Congress shall otherwise order,
General Washington be possessed of full power to order and direct all things
relative to the department, and to the operations of war."
And quickly adjourned to Baltimore while
Washington was faced with addressing their December 11th resolution. On December
21 in the new Continental Capital Congress once again voted and:
"Resolved, That Mr. President inform General
Washington by letter, that Congress approve his conduct in not publishing in
general orders the resolve of Congress of the 11 instant."
December 1776 was a desperate time for these
new United States and thankfully the wealthiest man in Philadelphia, Delegate
Robert Morris stayed behind to conduct business with Commander-in Chief George
Washington writing:
"The
unfinished business of the Marine and Secret Committees, I intended to confine
myself to, but I hear so many complaints and see so much confusion from other
quarters that I am obliged to advise in things not committed to me.
Circumstanced as our affairs now are I conceive it better to take Liberty's
and assume some powers than to let the general interest suffer."
On December the 22nd Washington wrote Delegate
Morris:
“Dear Sir:
Your favor of yesterdaycame duly to hand, and I thank you for the several agreeable
articles of Intelligence therein contained for godsake hurry Mr. Measewith the Clothing as nothing will contribute more to facilitate
the recruiting Service than warm and comfortable Clothing to those who engage.
Muskets are not wanted at this place, nor should they, or any other valuable
Stores (in my judgment) be kept in Philadelphia, for sorry I am to inform you,
my dear Sir, that unless the Militia repair to the City for defense of it, I
see no Earthly prospect of saving of it after the last of this Instant; as
that fatal vote of Congress respecting the appointment of new Officershas put the Recruiting business upon such a footing, and
introduced so much confusion into the old Regiments, that I see no chance of
raising Men out of them; by the first of next Month then, we shall be left
with five Regiments of Virginia, one of Maryland, General Hands and the
remains of Miles; Reduced so much by Sickness, fatigue etc… as in the whole
not to exceed, but fall short of, 1200 Men. Upon these and the Militia, is all
our dependence, for you may as well attempt to stop the Winds from blowing, or
the Sun in its diurnal, as the Regiments from going when their term is
expired.
I think with you Sir (that however missed you may be
in Congress) your presence in the City cannot be dispensed with,I will give
you the earliest information in my power of immediate danger; in the meantime,
I advise for the reasons before mentioned that you detain no Papers you can
possibly do with out, for I am satisfied the Enemy wait for two events only to
begin their operations upon Philadelphia. Ice for a Passage, and the
dissolution of the poor remains of our debilitated Army.
General Sullivan is just come up with the Troops
under General Lee, about 2000 Men. General Gates is here, and a small division
under him of about 600 expected to-day; this with about four or five and
twenty hundred at most, here before, composes the strength of my Army (the
City Militia excepted) but this under the rose.
Alas poor Lee! Taken by his own Imprudence! We have
no distinct accts. of him, if any should arrive, Mr. Tilghman or I, will
communicate them to you. Insults accompanied the taking of him, since that I
have heard that he was treated well by Lord Cornwallis to whom he was first
Carried.
The Commissary (Mr. Wharton) informs me that, he can
not prevail on the Millers to grind; and that the Troops in consequence, are
like to suffer for want of Flour; this if I under stand him proceeds either
from disaffection, or an unwillingness to take Continental Money in pay, which
in fact is the same thing, this must be remedied by fair, or other means. With
sincere regard, I am your most humble and obedient servant
George Washington
The following Christmas Day letters give a good indication of
what challenges the 13 independent but United States faced in 1776:
George Washington, Commander-in-Chief to Robert Morris, Signer
December 25th, 1776
"Dear Sir:
I have your obliging favors of the
21st.and 23rd
the Blankets are come to hand, but I would not have any of the other Goods
sent on, till you hear again from me.
I agree with you, that it is in vain to ruminate
upon, or even reflect upon the Authors or Causes of our present Misfortunes,
we should rather exert ourselves, and look forward with Hopes that some lucky
Chance may yet turn up in our Favor. Bad as our prospects are, I should not
have the least doubt of Success in the End, did not the late Treachery and
defection of those who stood foremost in the Opposition, while Fortune smiled
upon us, make me fearful that many more will follow their Example, who by
using their Influence with some, and working upon the Fears of others, may
extend the Circle so as to take in whole Towns, Counties, nay Provinces. Of
this we have a
recent Instance in Jersey, and I wish many parts of
Pennsylvania may not be ready to receive the Yoke.
The Security of the Continental Ships of War in
Delaware is certainly a capital Object, and yet to draft, the many hands
necessary to fit them out, from the Militia, might be dangerous just now,
perhaps in a little time hence, their places may be supplied with Country
Militia, and then if the exigency of Affairs re quires it, they certainly
ought to be spared.
I will just hint to you a proposition that was made
or rather talked of a few days ago by the Officers of two New England
Regiments whose time of Service will expire on the first of January, They are
most of them Watermen, and they said their Men would willingly go on Board the
Frigates and navigate them round to any of the ports in New England, if it was
thought they would be safer there than in Delaware. You may think of this, and
let me hear from you on the Subject, if the proposition pleases you.
Lieutenant Boger of the Navy is already gone in and I have made a demand of
Lieutenant Josiahin Exchange, but I have not heard whether Lord Howe accedes to it. I
will procure the Release of Deer. Hodgeas soon as it can be done without injuring
others by giving him the preference, as I have always made it a rule to demand
those first who have been long est in Captivity. I will take the same Steps in
regard to Mr. Jones, commander of the Ship taken by the Andrew Doria.
I shall take the earliest Opportunity of sending in
your Letter to General Lee with the Bill drawn upon Major Small.
From an intercepted Letter from a person in the
Secrets of the Enemy, I find their Intentions are to cross Delaware as soon as
the Ice is sufficiently strong. I mention this that you may take
the necessary Steps for the Security of such public
and private property as ought not to fall into their hands, should they make
themselves Masters of Philadelphia of which they do not seem to entertain the
least doubt.
I hope the next Christmas will prove happier than
the present to you and to Dear Sir, etc.
P.S. I would just ask whether you think Christeen a
safe Place for our Stores? Do not you think they would be safer at Lancaster
or somewhere inland?
Dr. Benjamin Rush, Signer
to Richard Henry Lee, Signer December
25th, 1776.
"Dear Sir,
My letters I fear will prove
troublesome to you but I cannot help it. Your industry as well as zeal in the
Service of your country encourage me to convey every hint that occurs to me to
your knowledge-being well convinced that if you think them of importance, you
will force the congress to attend to them.
The Sufferings of our brave
Continental troops from the want of cloths exceed all description. I shall not
give you or myself the pain of attempting to paint them. It becomes us to do
every thing to remedy them as quick as possible, and guard against them for
the future. For heaven's sake let it [be] a standing order of Congress that no
subject should be broached there for three weeks to come but what relates to
the clothing and officering of the Army. I am in hopes we have got a
sufficient stock of Woolens for the present year-But what shall we do for
linens? Every soldier in the British army is obliged to have four shirts, and
to shift twice a week. Clean linen is absolutely necessary to guard against
lice and sickness. All the medicines in the world will not make an Army
healthy without cleanliness. Suppose an Application is made to every man in
America for one or two of his own shirts for the benefit of the Army? The
application I am sure will be successful. Col: Griffin informed me that had
our scheme for clothing the Army with second hand cloths proposed three months
ago in Congress been adopted three fourths of the poor ragged fellows whose
times are now expired would have reenlisted. Let nothing prevent the execution
of this Scheme but a large supply of new linen which I believe is not to be
had. It would tend greatly to preserve the health of our Army if each soldier
would have two flannen [sic] shirts instead of two linen ones to wear in wet
weather & in the fall of the year. But I fear we have not a sufficient stock
of wool by us for that purpose.
Nothing new. Col: Griffin with only
800 men keeps Howe's whole army under constant alarms in New Jersey. He has
had several successful skirmishes with them.
Our militia who crowd in daily call
aloud for Action!
Yours,
Benjn Rush
William
Ellery, Signer
to
Nicholas Cooke
December 25th, 1776.
"Sir,
I did myself the Honor
of writing to you by Capt. Garzia the 10th Instant; since which nothing new
hath taken Place that I know of, in the Army excepting the Capture of General
Lee by a Party of the Enemy's Light Horse on the 13th. By some Fatality, as
General Sullivan in a Letter to Congress expresses himself, General Lee with
his Family took Lodging in a Farm House about Three Miles distant from the
Army under his Command. Some Tories informed the Enemy of his Situation. They
sent off 70 Light Horse to take him, who surrounded and attacked the House.
The General with his Family made a manly Resistance, but were finally obliged
to submit, and the poor General was carried away captive. A Fatality strange
indeed for some Time past hath seemed to attend our Affairs. The Loss of Fort
Washington, where 2600 of our Men were captivated in an inglorious Manner, The
Loss of Fort Lee by Surprise, with a great Quantity of Stores, and the Capture
of the General who was honored by his Name being given to that Fort, & in
Short all our Affairs have in a strange Manner proceeded.
I hope in God better
Fortune will attend our future Operations.
General Howe's Army by
our last Advices had extended itself along the Delaware towards the North
principally, with an apparent Design to pass the River. General Washington had
posted his Army along the River so as to obstruct their Passage. Some of the
Militia of Pennsylvania, the Lower Counties and Maryland are about to
reinforce and some have actually reinforced his Army; and General Sullivan on
whom the Command of the Division, late under the Command of the unhappy Lee,
is devolved, was on the 13th of this Month marching to join him. When they
join they will together make a respectable Army, sufficient to prevent Howe's
entering Pennsylvania. Indeed the Armies must before this have formed a
Junction; if General Sullivan's Division hath not been repulsed by General
Howe. We expect to hear from Philadelphia every Moment; if any thing New shall
arrive before I am obliged to close my Letter. You have doubtless before this
heard of the Removal of Congress to this Place. This is the first Opportunity
I have had and this is circuitous (via Boston) to inform you of it. The Enemy
was so near, and Affairs in the City in such Confusion that it was improper
and unsafe to continue there, and for Reasons too long for a Letter Baltimore
was fixed upon as the most suitable Place for holding Congress in for the
present. I should like the Place well enough if it was less distant from the
Army, less dirty and less expensive. It is long since I have heard from my
Constituents. What is doing and how Matters stand in our State I know no more
than an Inhabitant of the Moon; although it would be beneficial to have every
necessary Information seasonably …
What I have wrote on
this Head goes on a Supposition, that a Fleet with a large Body of Troops is
at Rhode-Island, and flows from that warm Regard I have for the State of
Rhode-Island and the glorious Cause in which We are embarked. In this Cause I
am willing to exert and have exerted my best abilities; for this I have
suffered great Anxiety, have left Wife and Children and the sweetest & closest
Connections in Life. Where my Wife and Children are I know not. I hope they
have escaped from Rhode-Island, and are not fallen into the Hands of the
Enemy. If they should have been so unhappy, I hope that the State will
interfere in their Behalf and procure their Release.
I wish that an
additional Delegate may have been chosen, and that he may have set off for
Congress. If it should not have been done I hope it will be speedily done, and
that an Addition might be made to the Salary already voted; and I believe that
the Assembly will not think Me mercenary, nor an Addition unnecessary when
they are informed that I am obliged to give Six Dollars a Week for Boarding
myself, and that every article of living is doubled within a year or Two. I
ask no more of the State than sufficient to give me a decent Support while I
am in its Service, and I know the Generosity of my Constituents too well to
doubt of their Dispositions to do what is right in this instance. To that
Generosity and good Disposition I readily submit this Matter, and am with the
sincerest Regard their, and your Honor's Friend & humble Servant,
William Ellery"
Matthew Thornton, Signer
to
Meshech Weare
December 25th, 1776.
"Honorable Sir,
The near Approach of the
Enemy to Philadelphia, the Slowness of the Militia, & the advice of Friends,
indus'd the Congress to adjourn to this Town, which is about 110 Miles
Southwest from Philadelphia. By our last Advices the Militia is joining our
army in great numbers, from which we have great hopes that General Howe, & his
army will Soon be in our power, or Return to New York. The Congress have
encouragement of Assistance by the Spring. Nothing will be wanting on their
part, to Support independence, Defeat the Enemy, & Render the united States,
Great, Honorable, & Happy.
An inexcusable Neglect
in the Off[ice]rs, want of Fidelity, Honor, & Humanity, in the D[octo]rs, &
Averice in the Suttlers, has Slain ten Soldiers to the Enemies one, & will
soon prevent everyman of Common Sense from putting his Life, & fortune in the
Power of Such as Destroy both without pity, or mercy. I have proposed to
Congress, that every State, in future, Should Appoint one or more Suttlers, as
they think proper for their own Men to be Supplied by a Committee Appointed by
Said State, with everything Necessary for Sick, & well men, at a price
Stipulated by said State, the Suttlers, & Committee to be paid by, &
accountable to said States, & a Superintendent, who Shall have no Other
Business but to See that every Soldier Belonging to the State, is properly
Supplied, & Supported, agreeable to their Circumstances; & that proper
Stoppages be made for what they Receive when they are Receiving their wages.
The Congress approve of
the method, but Say it is the Business, & Duty of each State, to take Care of
their own men, & they Expect they will. This may appear Expensive, but when it
is Considered, that by this or Some better method that the Council, & Assembly
think off we may Soon (when it is Published) have an army in the field able to
Defeat any Britain Can Send, & without it we Shall Soon have none But
Officers, all which is Humbly Submitted to the wisdom & prudence of the
Honorable Council, & Assembly, by him who has the Honor to be, Honorable
Gentlemen.,
Your Most Obedient
Humble Servant
Matthew Thornton
P.S. The Honble Col.
Whipple is well. I have received no Letter Since I left New-Hampshire. Please
to take the trouble to present my Compliment to the Honble Council, &
Assembly, & to Wm. Parker Esqr."
John Hancock, President
to
Certain States
December 25, 1776
"Gentlemen,
Since I did myself the
Honour of addressing you last on the Subject of the enclosed Resolve,(1) the
Congress have received fresh Intelligence from Generals Schuyler & Gates,
urging the Necessity of an immediate Compliance therewith. In Consequence of
which they have ordered me to represent to you that without your immediate Aid
and Assistance the important Fortress of Ticonderoga will unavoidably fall
into the Hands of our Enemies, the Troops who at present garrison that and the
adjacent Posts having determined not to continue there after the Term of their
Enlistment expires.
It is needless to use
Arguments on the Occasion, or to point the dreadful Consequences, to Gentlemen
already fully acquainted with them, of leaving the back Settlements of the New
England States open to the Ravages of our merciless Foes. If any Thing can add
to your Exertions at this Time, it must be the Reflection that your own most
immediate Safety calls upon you to strain every Nerve. Should we heedlessly
abandon the Post of Ticonderoga, we give up inconceivable Advantages. Should
we resolutely maintain it (and it is extremely capable of Defense) we may bid
Defiance to General Carlton and the Northern Army under his Command. But our
Exertions for this Purpose must be immediate, or they will not avail any
Thing. The thirty first of this Inst, the Time will expire for which the
Troops in that important Garrison were enlisted, and Lake Champlain will, in
all Probability be frozen over soon after. For the Sake therefore of all that
is dear to Freemen, be entreated to pay immediate Attention to this
Requisition of Congress, and let Nothing divert you from it. The Affairs of
our Country are in a Situation to admit of no Delay. They may still be
retrieved, but not without the greatest Expedition and Vigour.
If Nothing was at Stake
but your own Peace and Security, I should not be so earnest on the Occasion.
It is the Fate of Posterity (which depends on our Conduct) that stamps a Value
on the present Cause. I beseech you therefore by all that is sacred-by that
Love of Liberty and your Country, which you have always manifested- by those
Ties of Honour which bind you to the Common Cause- by that Love of Virtue and
Happiness which animates all good Men, and finally-by your Regard for
succeeding Generations, that you will, without a Moment's Delay, exert
yourselves to forward the Troops for Ticonderoga from your States agreeably to
the enclosed Requisition of Congress.
I have the Honor to be,
Gentlemen,
your most obedient &
very humble Servant
John Hancock, President"
Oliver Wolcott, Signer
to
Laura Wolcott
December 25, 1776
"My Dear,
I wrote to you the 13t
from Philadelphia by Tim. Dodd of Hartford wherein I informed you that the
Congress had adjourned themselves hither. They Met on Business at this Place
the 20t and will probably continue here a few Months. I Wrote to you Letters
of the 11th and 5t Inst., also two others of the 24t and 16t last. By the
Bearers of the Letters of the 5th and 11th I sent you some Books. I mention
these Things a little particularly as some of my Letters may have miscarried.
I have recd. none from home but one from Mr. Adams of the 15t October which I
have acknowledged and three from Mr. Lyman the last of the 23t Nov. He
mentions his having sent one by Mr. Sherman which is not come to hand.
You Excuse yourself from
Writing to Me on Acco. of the Difficulty and uncertainty of Conveyance, but I
should think if Letters were left with Mr. Stanton to forward them by
Expresses which will probably pretty frequently pass thro Litchfield they
might come safe, but you and my Friends must consider the Delivery of Letters
as a Matter of some Uncertainty but if Letters should fall into the Hands of
the Foe, such as come from you and my Friends I am sure I shall never be
ashamed of, and as for mine they will find more trouble in Reading them, than
Entertainment.
I am conveniently
Situated in this Place and Lodge with a couple of Friends, Dr. Hall formerly
of Connecticut and Mr. Ellery of R. Island. By the Blessing of God I enjoy
Health except a slight cold which will soon go off. Nothing Material in
respect of News since my last except the surprising and unexpected Capture of
General Lee which you have or will soon hear of.
I am still here alone
from Connecticut which I do not Very Well know what else to attribute to
except that affairs since last July Wear such a benign aspect as to render the
Circumstance of a Delegation a Matter of a good deal of Indifference.
My kindest Love to my
Children and Friends and May God grant you and them his choicest Favors.
I am yours,
With the tenderness
Affection,
Oliver Wolcott
P.S. When I shall have
the pleasure of Seeing You and my Family is Very uncertain, but it is not
probable that it will be earlier than the next spring. Take Care of your
Health, and suffer not yourself to be Anxious in Regard to any affairs of
Life. The God who has hitherto taken Care of us will still I trust Grant his
Protection to you and me. I shall write a Letter to Mr. Lyman if I have time.
Should I not I hope he will not take it Amiss, nor forbear to write to me. At
present I have no other Objections against this Town of which in some future
Letters I may give you a particular Acco. of than that it is too Distant from
my Friends and is too dirty and too dear. You will I hope consider this Letter
as Wrote in haste. "
Finally, to
everyone’s surprise, except George Washington, the Commander-in-Chief and about
2,500 Continental soldiers on Christmas night crossed the ice-clogged Delaware
River from Pennsylvania; early the next morning they surprised Hessian
mercenaries in the British service encamped at Trenton, N.J. winning what is now
known as the “Battle of Trenton.”
The ever
faithful Robert Morris who had used a large amount of her personal fortune to
cloth, arm and pay the soldiers wrote George Washington on December 26th:
Dear Sir,
I have just received
yours of yesterday and will duly attend to those things you recommend to my
consideration. At present I have to enclose you a letter from Congress which I
suppose Contains their resolves of the 20th Inst. but as the President does
not say in his letter to me that they are enclosed to you & as it is necessary
you should have them I take the liberty to send herewith a Copy of them.
I am well pleased to see
the attention they pay General Lee and I shall make a point to Collect & send
your Excellency soon as possible the one hundred half Johannes they order. You
observe Mr. Clymer, Mr. Walton & myself are appointed a Committee to transact
the Continental business here that may be necessary & proper, and I apprehend
it will frequently be necessary that we should know the substance of your
Correspondence with Congress. Your letters to the President if sent open under
our Cover shall always meet dispatch & their Contents kept secret, & when you
think it improper we should see them before the Congress Seal them & they
shall go forward untouched & if you don’t approve of submitting them to our
inspection at all write us freely & your wishes in that respect shall be
complied with.
We have just heard of
your Success at Trenton. The acct is but imperfect but we learn you are master
of that place & of all the baggage & Stores our Enemies had there & of 300
Prisoners and that your Troops were still in pursuit of the flying Enemy. I
have just wrote to Congress & told them thus much as the substance of an Acct
just come down & I told them further I had been informed that you had executed
in this matter your part of a well Concerted plan, that General Heath at
Hackensack had orders from you, & that General Ewing & Colonel Cadwallader
also had orders to Cross Delaware at the same time you did, but had been
prevented by Driving Ice. Good News sets all the Animal Spirits to Work, the
imagination is heated & I could not help adding, that I expected General Heath
was to Continue his march towards Brunswick which would draw the attention of
any Troops posted there & at Prince Town, while you would pursue the flying
Hero's to Bordentown & Burlington where Ewing & Cadwallader would stop them &
cut of their Communication with the 2000 Hessians & Highlanders that came
after Griffin, nay I almost promised them that you should by following up this
first blow, finish the Campaign of 1776 with that escalades that your numerous
Friends & admirers have long wished for. I congratulate you most heartily on
what is done & am with perfect esteem, Dear sir,
Your Excellency's Most
obedt servt,
Robt Morris"
GEORGE WASHINGTON to JOHN HANCOCK
Head Quarters, Newton,
December 27, 1776.
"Sir:
I have the pleasure of Congratulating you upon the success of an
enterprize 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 [which were about 2400] to parade back of McKonkey's Ferry, that
they might begin to pass as soon as it grew dark, imagining we should be able
to throw them all over, with the necessary Artillery, by 12 O'Clock, and that
we might easily arrive at Trenton by five 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 get over, and near four, before the Troops took up their line of
march.
This made me despair of surprising the Town, as I well knew we could not
reach it before the day was fairly broke, but as I was certain there was no
making a Retreat without being discovered, and harassed on repassing the
River, I determined to push on at all Events. I form'd my detachments into two
divisions one to March by 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 out Guards, to push
directly into the Town, that they might charge the Enemy before they had time
to form. The upper Division arrived at the Enemys 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 out Guards made but small
Opposition, tho' for their Numbers, they behaved very well, keeping up a
constant retreating 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 possession of part of
their Artillery, they attempted to file off by a road on their right leading
to Princetown, 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, and that 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 23 Officers and 886 Men. Col Rall. the
commanding Officer with seven others were found wounded in the Town. I dont
exactly know 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. I find, that the Detachment of
the Enemy consisted of the three Hessian Regiments of Lanspatch, Kniphausen
and Rohl amounting to about 1500 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 would
likewise have fallen into our hands, could my plan have been compleatly
carried into Execution. General Ewing was to have crossed before day at
Trenton Ferry, and taken possession of the Bridge leading out of Town, but the
Quantity of Ice was so great, that tho' he did every thing in his power to
effect it, he could not get over.
This difficulty also hindered General Cadwallader from crossing, 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 Cadwallader have
passed the River, I should have been able, with their Assistance, to have
driven the Enemy from all their posts below Trenton. But the Numbers I had
with me, being inferior to theirs below me, and a strong Battalion of Light
Infantry at Princeton above me, I thought it most prudent to return the same
Evening, with my 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 Behaviour upon this Occasion, reflects the highest honor upon
them. The difficulty of passing the River in a very severe Night, and their
march thro' a violent Storm of Snow and Hail, did not in the least abate their
Ardour. 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 great injustice to the others. 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 Behaviour upon every
Occasion, requires me to recommend him to your particular Notice. I have the
honor &ca.
P.S. Enclosed you have a particular List of the Prisoners, Artillery and
other Stores.
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