8

WASHINGTON MARCHES TO PRINCETON.

uary 2 the British troops advanced against Washington's forces, and a cannonade was maintained until far into the night;* but though Corwallis was urged by some of his officers to make an immediate attack, he concluded to wait until the next morning when he thought that it would be still more easy to secure a victory over the American forces. "At last,” said he "we have run down the old fox, and we will bag him in the morning."†

Washington was now in a critical situation, for if he awaited the attack he would surely be crushed by a superior force, while, on the other hand, to attempt to escape by crossing the Delaware would be even more hazardous. He therefore called a council of war, at which it was suggested that he take his troops around the British army and strike them suddenly upon the rear, fall upon their magazines at Brunswick and carry the war again from the neighborhood of Philadelphia into the mountainous interior of Jersey. This plan was adopted and no time was lost in putting it into operation. Sending the

Life of Robert Morris, pp. 30-32; Force, American Archives, 5th series, vol. iii., p. 1514; Henry Simpson, The Lives of Eminent Philadelphians, p. 705. See also Morris' letter to Washington, in Sparks, Correspondence of the Revolution, vol. i., pp. 316-317.

Carrington, Battles of the Revolution, pp. 284286; Knox's letter of January 7 to his wife, in Brooks, Life of Knox, pp. 83-84.

Fiske, American Revolution, vol. i., p. 232. See also Trevelyan, American Revolution, vol. iii., pp. 130-132; F. V. Greene, Life of Greene, p. 64.

General St. Clair is supposed to have been the author of this plan. See Wilkinson's Memoirs, vol. i., p. 140; Stryker, Battles of Trenton and

superfluous baggage down the river to Burlington, keeping the watch fires lighted, maintaining a strict patrol, and also working upon new entrenchments so as to deceive the enemy, Washington's army silently abandoned the camp about midnight and marched off by a circuitous route through Allentown toward Prince

ton.*

While it was the most inclement season of the year, the Americans were greatly favored by the weather. For two days it had been warm and foggy, which rendered the roads almost impassable; but at about the time the march was begun, the wind suddenly shifted and a heavy frost set in, leaving the roads solid and easy of passage. Greatly encouraged by this turn of affairs, the American army marched forward with high spirits.

At Princeton, Cornwallis had left three regiments, under Colonel Charles Mawhood, with orders to advance on January 3. Toward daybreak of the 3d, as they were executing these orders, they suddenly came in sight of the approaching Continental forces and almost immediately were engaged in action. From their post behind the fence, the Americans poured in a heavy and well-directed fire against the

Princeton, p. 273; St. Clair Papers, vol. i., pp. 35-36; Greene, Life of Greene, vol. i., p. 303.

* Johnston, Campaign of 1776, pp. 293-294; Carrington, pp. 286-287; Lossing, Field-Book of the Revolution, vol. ii., pp. 26–27; Irving, Life of Washington, vol. ii., pp. 541-543.

Johnson, General Washington, p. 153.

THE BATTLE OF PRINCETON.

10 THE JERSEYS CONQUERED; PROCLAMATIONS ISSUED.

was compelled to relinquish the pursuit.* Both armies were now completely exhausted, the British being as unable to pursue the Americans as the latter were to retreat. Washington occupied a position at Morristown, with Cornwallis remaining at Brunswick.t

From his headquarters at Morristown, Washington was able to direct a series of movements calculated to greatly annoy the British army. He had a fine country in his rear from which the army could draw bountiful supplies, and, if pressed by the enemy, he could easily retreat across the Delaware. Consequently, he despatched his troops on a number of expeditions, overrunning both East and West Jersey and penetrating into the county of Essex, finally making himself master of the coast opposite Staten Island. Even though his army was greatly inferior to the British, Washington succeeded in wresting from the British all the ground they had gained in their previous campaigns. Brunswick and Amboy were the only posts which remained in the hands of the British, and even there they were in a very straitened condition.‡ Because of the unwearied activities of the American detachments, the British advance guards

were frequently cut off and in a state. of continual alarm. This desultory and destructive warfare not only lost to the British large numbers in killed and wounded, but caused many of their former adherents to desert the

cause.

*

It will be remembered that in the previous November General Howe had issued a proclamation calling upon the Americans to submit to British authority and promising them protection both to person and to property, should they do so. Many Americans in the neighborhood of the British troops took advantage of this proclamation and went over to the British,† among them being Joseph Galloway, who, in 1774, had been a member of Congress from Pennsylvania. Howe in his proclamation had allowed sixty days in which the Americans might abandon their country and join the British standard. On January 25, 1777, before the expiration of that period, Washington issued a counter proclamation commanding all those who had subscribed the Declaration, taken the oaths, and accepted the protections mentioned in the Declaration by the British commissioners, to retire to headquarters or to the nearest military station of the Continental army or militia, and there to deliver up such protection and to take the

* Lossing, Field-Book of the Revolution, vol. ii., oath of allegiance to the United States.

pp. 31-32.

Sparks' ed. of Washington's Writings, vol. iv., p. 258. See also Stryker, Battles of Trenton and Princeton.

Trevelyan, American Revolution, vol. iii., p. 140 et seq.; Brooks, Life of Knox, p. 86.

See Trevelyan, American Revolution, pt. iii., (hereinafter referred to as vol. iv.), p. 1 et seq.; † See Adams' letter to Warren, April 29, 1777. Adams, Works, vol. ix., pp. 463-464.