day of the victory, with his prisoners and captured war material. One
result was that the British, as soon as they learned what had taken
place, abandoned South Jersey.

Washington remained three days in Pennsylvania, when he again crossed
the Delaware and re-entered Trenton. More than 3,000 reinforcements
joined him, and 1,400 New England soldiers, whose terms of enlistment
were expiring, were so inspired by the victory that they volunteered for
six weeks longer. Robert Morris, to whom we have referred as the
financier of the Revolution, raised $50,000 in specie and sent it to
Washington to be used in paying the troops, who very sorely needed it.

As soon as Cornwallis was told by his scouts that Washington had
returned to Trenton, he advanced against him with a force of 7,000 men,
determined to wipe out the disgrace of a few days before. This was on
the 2d of January, 1777. Greene held the British commander in check
until the close of the day, when he was able to drive the Americans to
the eastern shore of the Assunpink Creek, which runs through the middle
of the town and was spanned by a wooden bridge. There was brisk fighting
at this bridge, but the cannon of Washington were so effective that the
British troops gave up the attempt to force a passage until the morning
of the following day.

WASHINGTON'S CRITICAL SITUATION.

The two armies encamped in sight of each other on opposite banks of the
Assunpink, their camp-fires and sentinels in plain sight. The situation
of the American army could not have been more critical. Behind it was
the Delaware filled with floating ice and in front the superior army of
Cornwallis, confident of capturing Washington and his forces on the
morrow.

But when the raw wintry morning dawned, Cornwallis was astounded to hear
the booming of cannon in the direction of Princeton, ten miles behind
him. Washington had withdrawn his entire force, and, reaching the
college town by a roundabout course, was driving the British troops
before him. The chagrined and angered Cornwallis hurried to Princeton
in order to avert the threatened disaster.

BATTLE OF PRINCETON.

But Washington had already won a victory, scattering the British forces
right and left. Although he lost a number of brave officers and men, he
killed sixty of the enemy and captured 250 prisoners. When Cornwallis
arrived the Americans were gone, and the British troops hurried to
Brunswick (now New Brunswick) to protect the