About daybreak the general spied an officer on horseback toiling6 through the snowdrifts toward him. As the horseman drew nearer, he recognized young Martin.
"What is it now, sir?"
"General Sullivan says that the storm has rendered many of his muskets7 useless, by wetting the priming and powder. He wishes to know what is to be done, sir?"
"Return instantly, and tell him he must use the bayonet! When he hears the firing, he is to advance and charge immediately. The town must be taken, and I intend to take it."
"Very good, sir," said the young man, saluting8.
"Can you get through the snow in time?"
"Yes, sir," he replied promptly9. "I can get through anything, if your excellency will give the order."
The general smiled approvingly. It was evident that young man's first lesson had been a good one; his emphasis, he was glad to see, had not been misapplied.
When Martin rejoined Sullivan's column, which had been halted at the cross-roads, the men who had witnessed his departure were eagerly waiting his return. As he repeated the general's reply, they began slipping the bayonets over the muzzles10 of their guns without orders. So eager were they to advance, that Sullivan had difficulty in restraining them until the signal was given. Such was their temper and spirit that, in the excitement of the moment, they recked little of the freezing cold and the hardships of their terrible march. The retreating army was at last on the offensive, they were about to attack now, and no attack is so dangerous as that delivered by men from whom the compelling necessity of retreat has been suddenly removed.
It was about eight o'clock in the morning when they came in sight of the town. The village of Trenton then contained about one hundred houses, mostly frame, scattered11 along both sides of two long streets, and chiefly located on the west bank of the Assunpink, which here bent12 sharply to the north before it flowed into the Delaware. The Assunpink was fordable in places at low water, but it was spanned by a substantial stone bridge, which gave on the road followed by Sullivan, at the west end of the village. Washington came down from the north, and entered the village from the other side. About half a mile from the edge of the town, the column led by him came abreast13 of an old man, chopping wood in a farm-yard by the roadside.
"Which is the way to the Hessian picket14?" said the general.
"I don't know," replied the man, sullenly15.
"You may tell," said Captain Forest, riding near the general, at the head of his battery, "for this is General Washington."
The man's expression altered at once.
"God bless and prosper16 you!" he cried eagerly, raising his hands to heaven. "There! The picket is in that house yonder, and the sentry17 stands near that tree."
The intense cold and heavy snow had driven the twenty-five men, who composed the advance picket, to shelter, and they were huddled18 together in one of the rude huts which served as a guard-house. The snow deadened the sound of the American advance, and the careless sentry did not perceive them. No warning was given until the lieutenant19 in command of the guard stepped out of the house by chance, and gave the alarm in great surprise. The picket rushed out, and the men lined up in the road in front of the column, the thick snow preventing them from forming a correct idea of the approaching force. The advance guard of the Continentals20, led by Captain William A. Washington and Lieutenant James Monroe, instantly swept down upon them. After a scattered volley which hurt no one, they fled precipitately22 back toward the village, giving the alarm and rallying on the main guard, posted nearer the centre of the town, which had been speedily drawn23 up, to the number of seventy-five men. Meanwhile Sullivan's men, with Stark24 at the head, had routed the pickets25 on the other road in the same gallant26 style. This picket was composed of about fifty Hessian chasseurs, and twenty English light dragoons, under command of Lieutenant Grothausen of the chasseurs. They all fled so precipitately that they did not stop to alarm the brigade which they had been stationed to protect, but rapidly galloped27 down the road, and, crossing the bridge over the Assunpink, made good their escape toward Bordentown. Grave suspicions of cowardice28 attached thereafter to their commanding officer. Had Ewing performed his part in the plan, the bridge would have been held, and they would have been captured with the rest. Stark's men, followed by the rest of Sullivan's division, were now pushed on rapidly for the town, and the cheers of the New England men were distinctly heard by Washington and his men on the main road. The main guard on the upper road, almost as completely surprised as the other by the dashing onslaught of the Americans, made another futile29 attempt at resistance to Greene's column, but they soon fell back in great disorder30 upon the main body.
It was broad daylight now, and the violence of the storm had somewhat abated2. In the town, where the firing had been heard, the drums of the three regiments31 were rapidly beating the assembly. Colonel Rahl was in bed, sleeping off the effects of his previous night's indulgences, when he heard the commotion33. Jumping from the bed and running rapidly to the window, still undressed, he thrust out his head and asked the acting34 brigade adjutant, Biel,—who was hurriedly galloping35 past,—what it was all about. There was a total misapprehension on all sides, even at this hour, as to the serious nature of the attack; so the confused colonel, satisfied with Biel's surmise36 that it was a raid, ordered him to take a company and go to the assistance of the main guard, in the supposition that it was only a skirmishing party, and never dreaming of a general attack. Nevertheless he then dressed rapidly, and, running down to the street, mounted his horse, which had been brought around. The three regiments which comprised his brigade and command were already forming; they were the regiment32 Rahl, the regiment Von Lossburg, and the regiment Von Knyphausen. At this moment the advance party and the main guard came running through the streets in great confusion, crying that the whole rebel army was down upon them. The regiment Rahl and the regiment Von Lossburg at once began retreating to an apple orchard37 back of the town; firing ineffectively in their excitement, as they ran, from behind the houses, at the head of the column, which had now appeared in the street; while the regiment Von Knyphausen, under the command of Major Von Dechow, the second in command of the brigade, separated from the two others and made for the bridge over the Assunpink.
King and Queen streets run together at the east end of the town. There Washington stationed himself, on the left of Forest's battery, which was immediately unlimbered and opened up a hot fire. The general's position was much exposed, and after his horse had been wounded, his officers repeatedly requested him to fall back to a safer point, which he peremptorily38 refused to do. The joy of battle sparkled in his eyes; he had instinctively39 chosen that position on the field from whence he could best see and direct the conflict, and nothing but a successful charge of the enemy upon them could have moved him to retire.
A few of the cooler-headed men among the Hessians had rallied some of the Lossburg regiment, and two guns had been run out into the street and pointed40 up toward the place where Washington stood, to form a battery, which might, could it have been served, have held the American army in check until such time as the startled Germans could recover their wits and make a stand. General Washington pointed them out to the officer of the advance guard, which had already done such good service, with a wave of his sword. The little handful of men, led by Captain Washington and Lieutenant Monroe, charged down upon the guns, which the party had not had time to load. A scattering41 volley received them. Captain Washington and Monroe and one of the men were wounded, another fell dead; the men hesitated. Talbot sprang to the head of the column, in obedience42 to the general's nod, and they rallied, advanced on the run, and the guns were immediately captured.
Meanwhile the fire of Stark's riflemen could be heard at the other end of the town. St. Clair's brigade held the bridge; the regiment Von Knyphausen lost a few precious moments endeavoring to extricate43 its guns, which had become mired44 in the morass45 near the bridge, and then charged upon St. Clair. But it was too late; Von Dechow was seriously wounded, and when the regiment saw itself taken in the flank by Sargeant's brigade, it retired46 in disorder, though some few men escaped by the fords.
At this juncture47 Rahl re-formed his scattered troops in the apple orchard. He seems to have had an idea of retreating toward Princeton at first, with the two regiments still under his command; at any rate, he also lost precious moments by hesitation48. It was even then too late to effect a successful retreat, for Washington, foreseeing the possibility, had promptly sent Hand's Pennsylvania riflemen along the Pennington road back of the town to check any move in that direction. As fast as the other brigades of Greene's column came up, they were sent down through the streets of the town, until Stirling, in the lead, joined Sullivan's men. Rahl's brigade was practically surrounded, though he did not know it. The commander completely lost his head, though he was a courageous49 man, brave to rashness, and a veteran soldier who had hitherto distinguished50 himself in this and many other wars. The town was full of plunder51 gathered by the troops, the Hessians having been looting the country for weeks; and he could not abandon it without a struggle. The idea of flying from a band of ragged52 rebels whom he had scouted53, was intolerable. He had been, he now felt, more than culpable54 in neglecting many warnings of attack, and had lamentably55 failed in his duty as a soldier, in refraining from taking the commonest precautions against surprise. He had refused to heed56 the urgent representations of Von Dechow, and other of his high officers. Now his honor was at stake; so he rashly made up his mind to charge.
"We will retake the town. All who are my grenadiers—forward!" he cried intrepidly57.
The men, with fixed58 bayonets, advanced bravely, and he led them gallantly59 forward, sword in hand. The Americans fired a volley; Forest's battery, which enfiladed them, poured in a deadly fire. Rahl in the advance, upon his horse, received a fatal wound and fell to the ground. The Continentals, cheering madly, charged forward with fixed bayonets. The Hessians stopped—hesitated—wavered—their chief was gone—the battle was lost—they broke and fled! Disregarding the commands and appeals of their officers, they turned quickly to the right, and ran off into the face of Hand's riflemen, who received them with another volley. Many of them fell. A body of Virginia troops led by Talbot now gained their left flank, the Philadelphia City Troop encircled their rear. The helpless men stopped, completely bewildered, huddled together in a confused mass. Washington, seeing imperfectly, and thinking they were forming again, ordered the guns from Forest's battery, which had been loaded with canister, to be discharged upon them at once.
"Sir, they have struck!" cried Seymour the keen-eyed, preventing the men from firing.
"Struck!" cried the general, in surprise.
"Yes, sir; their colors are down."
"So they are," said Washington, clasping his hands and raising his eyes to heaven; then, putting spurs to his horse, he galloped over toward the men. The firing had ceased in every direction, and the day was his own; the three regiments were surrendering at discretion60, two to him and the other to Lord Stirling. As Major Wilkinson galloped up from the lower division for instructions, Colonel Rahl, pale and bleeding, and supported by two sergeants61, presented his sword, which Washington courteously62 declined to receive. The general then gave orders that every care and assistance should be afforded the unfortunate soldier, who died the next day in a room in Potts' Tavern63.
"This is indeed a glorious day for our country," said the general to
Seymour.
It was in fact the turning-point in the history of the nation. The captives numbered nearly one thousand men, with twelve hundred stand of arms, six field-pieces, twelve drums, and four colors, including the gorgeous banner of the Anspachers, the Von Lossburg regiment.
Of the Continentals, only two were killed and four wounded, while upward of one hundred of the Hessians were killed and wounded, among the killed being Rahl and Von Dechow, the first and second in command. The whole of this brilliant affair scarcely occupied an hour.
As none of the other divisions had got across, it was scarcely safe for Washington to remain on the east side of the river in the presence of the vastly superior forces of the enemy, which would be concentrated upon him without delay. So that, after giving the men a much needed rest, securing their booty, and burying the dead, the evening found the little army, with its prisoners, retracing64 its steps toward the ford1 and its former camping-ground.
But with what different feelings the hungry, worn-out, tattered65 mass of men marched along in the bitter night! The contrast between the well-clothed and well-fed Hessians and their captors was surprising, but not less striking than that between their going out and coming in. Little recked the frozen men of the hardships of the way. They had shown the world that they possessed66 other capabilities67 than facility in retreating, and no American army, however small or feeble, would ever again be despised by any foe68.
The return passage was made without incident, save that just on the crest69 of the hills leading down to the Ford, the general, who was in advance again, noticed a suspicious-looking, snow-covered mound70 by the roadside. Riding up to it, one of his aids dismounted and uncovered the body of a man, a Continental21 soldier, frozen to death. The cold weapon was grasped tightly in the colder hand. A little farther on there was another body asleep in the snow,—another soldier! The last was that man of the headquarters guard who had spoken of his little children at home on Christmas day. They would wait a long time before they saw him again. He had been willing to fight the whole English army! Ah, well, a sterner foe than any who marched beneath the red flag of Great Britain had grappled with him, and he had been defeated,—but he had won his freedom!
For forty hours now that little band of men had marched and fought, and when it reached its camp at midnight the whole army was exhausted71. The only man among them all who preserved his even calmness, and was apparently72 unaffected by the hardships of the day, was the commander himself,—the iron man. Late into the night he dictated73 and wrote letters and orders, to be despatched in every direction in the morning. The successful issue of his daring adventure entailed74 yet further responsibilities, and the campaign was only just begun. As for himself, the world now knew him for a soldier. And a withered75 old man in the palace of the Sans Souci in Berlin, who had himself known victories and defeats, who had himself stood at bay, facing a world in arms so successfully that men called him "The Great," called this and the subsequent campaign the finest military exploit of the age!
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1
Ford
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| n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过 | |
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2
abated
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| 减少( abate的过去式和过去分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼） | |
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toiled
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的过去式和过去分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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creek
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| n.小溪，小河，小湾 | |
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detour
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| n.绕行的路，迂回路；v.迂回，绕道 | |
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toiling
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| 长时间或辛苦地工作( toil的现在分词 )； 艰难缓慢地移动，跋涉 | |
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7
muskets
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| n.火枪，（尤指）滑膛枪( musket的名词复数 ) | |
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saluting
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| v.欢迎，致敬( salute的现在分词 )；赞扬，赞颂 | |
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9
promptly
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| adv.及时地，敏捷地 | |
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muzzles
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| 枪口( muzzle的名词复数 )； （防止动物咬人的）口套； （四足动物的）鼻口部； （狗）等凸出的鼻子和口 | |
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11
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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12
bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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abreast
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| adv.并排地；跟上(时代)的步伐，与…并进地 | |
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picket
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| n.纠察队；警戒哨；v.设置纠察线；布置警卫 | |
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sullenly
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| 不高兴地，绷着脸，忧郁地 | |
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prosper
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| v.成功，兴隆，昌盛；使成功，使昌隆，繁荣 | |
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sentry
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| n.哨兵，警卫 | |
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18
huddled
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| 挤在一起（huddle的过去式与过去分词形式） | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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continentals
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| n.（欧洲）大陆人( continental的名词复数 ) | |
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continental
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| adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的 | |
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precipitately
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| adv.猛进地 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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stark
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| adj.荒凉的；严酷的；完全的；adv.完全地 | |
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pickets
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| 罢工纠察员( picket的名词复数 ) | |
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26
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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galloped
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| （使马）飞奔，奔驰( gallop的过去式和过去分词 )； 快速做[说]某事 | |
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cowardice
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| n.胆小，怯懦 | |
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futile
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| adj.无效的，无用的，无希望的 | |
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disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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regiments
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| （军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物 | |
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regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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commotion
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| n.骚动，动乱 | |
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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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galloping
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| adj. 飞驰的, 急性的 动词gallop的现在分词形式 | |
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surmise
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| v./n.猜想，推测 | |
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orchard
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| n.果园，果园里的全部果树，(美俚)棒球场 | |
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peremptorily
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| adv.紧急地，不容分说地，专横地 | |
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instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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40
pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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41
scattering
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| n.[物]散射；散乱，分散；在媒介质中的散播adj.散乱的；分散在不同范围的；广泛扩散的；（选票）数量分散的v.散射(scatter的ing形式)；散布；驱散 | |
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42
obedience
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| n.服从，顺从 | |
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43
extricate
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| v.拯救，救出；解脱 | |
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44
mired
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| abbr.microreciprocal degree 迈尔德（色温单位）v.深陷( mire的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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45
morass
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| n.沼泽，困境 | |
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46
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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47
juncture
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| n.时刻，关键时刻，紧要关头 | |
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48
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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49
courageous
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| adj.勇敢的，有胆量的 | |
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50
distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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51
plunder
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| vt.劫掠财物，掠夺；n.劫掠物，赃物；劫掠 | |
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52
ragged
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| adj.衣衫褴褛的，粗糙的，刺耳的 | |
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53
scouted
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| 寻找，侦察( scout的过去式和过去分词 )； 物色（优秀运动员、演员、音乐家等） | |
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54
culpable
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| adj.有罪的，该受谴责的 | |
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55
lamentably
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| adv.哀伤地，拙劣地 | |
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56
heed
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| v.注意，留意；n.注意，留心 | |
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intrepidly
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| adv.无畏地，勇猛地 | |
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58
fixed
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| adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的 | |
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gallantly
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| adv. 漂亮地，勇敢地，献殷勤地 | |
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discretion
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| n.谨慎；随意处理 | |
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61
sergeants
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| 警官( sergeant的名词复数 )； （美国警察）警佐； （英国警察）巡佐； 陆军（或空军）中士 | |
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62
courteously
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| adv.有礼貌地，亲切地 | |
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63
tavern
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| n.小旅馆，客栈；小酒店 | |
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64
retracing
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| v.折回( retrace的现在分词 )；回忆；回顾；追溯 | |
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65
tattered
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| adj.破旧的，衣衫破的 | |
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66
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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capabilities
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| n.能力( capability的名词复数 )；可能；容量；[复数]潜在能力 | |
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68
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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69
crest
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| n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖 | |
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70
mound
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| n.土墩，堤，小山；v.筑堤，用土堆防卫 | |
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exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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72
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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73
dictated
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| v.大声讲或读( dictate的过去式和过去分词 )；口授；支配；摆布 | |
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74
entailed
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| 使…成为必要( entail的过去式和过去分词 )； 需要； 限定继承； 使必需 | |
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75
withered
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| adj. 枯萎的，干瘪的，（人身体的部分器官）因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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