ience had its legitimate
reward, as we shall find if we now place ourselves in the last days of
the year upon the banks of the Delaware.

What had occurred in the mean time was the evacuation of Fort Lee, a
hasty retreat through New Jersey, the dwindling away of the army, the
advance of the British towards Philadelphia, the removal of Congress
to Baltimore, and an increase of despondency throughout the
country.[223] Washington with the remnants of his army had taken post
on the right bank of the Delaware, and, still strong in hope, was
calling for militia to come to his assistance. At the same time he
watched the opportunity to inflict upon the enemy some happy
counter-stroke that might temporarily raise the spirits of his
soldiers and the people. The opportunity came. The British delayed
crossing the Delaware, and divided their force among different posts
throughout New Jersey. At Trenton they stationed Colonel Rall with a
body twelve hundred strong, composed chiefly of Hessians. This was the
Rall who marched up with De Heister on Long Island, and figured in the
capture of prisoners, who afterwards turned our right on Chatterton's
Hill, at White Plains, and whose attack on Rawlings at Fort Washington
was the brilliant feature of that day. He was every inch a soldier,
except in possessing that reserve of caution which every commander is
bound to exercise in the presence of an enemy, however remote the
probability of an attack. Rall despised Washington's troops, and would
throw up no intrenchments around Trenton.

[Footnote 223: After the battle of White Plains, Howe, we have seen,
moved against Fort Washington. On the other hand, Washington,
supposing that Howe would aim next for Philadelphia, prepared to cross
part of his force into Jersey and endeavor to protect that city. He
proposed to continue the policy of "wasting" the campaign. Heath was
left to look after the Highlands; Lee with another force remained at
Northcastle, and Connecticut troops were posted at Saw Pits and the
borders of that State. Washington took with him Putnam, Greene,
Stirling, and Mercer, with less than four thousand men, and fell back
before the British through Brunswick, Princeton, and Trenton. He wrote
several times to Lee to join him, but Lee was full of excuses and
utterly failed Washington at this crisis. While marching in no haste
by a westerly route through Jersey, Lee was surprised at his quarters
at Baskingridge on the morning of De