saw their
design, and threw Colonel Hand's corps of Pennsylvania riflemen in
their way; while a body of Virginia troops gained their left. Brought
to a stand, and perfectly bewildered, they grounded their arms and
surrendered at discretion.

The number of prisoners taken in this affair was nearly one thousand,
of which thirty-two were officers. Washington's triumph, however, was
impaired by the failure of the two simultaneous attacks. General
Ewing, who was to have crossed before day at Trenton Ferry, and taken
possession of the bridge leading out of the town, over which the
light-horse and Hessians retreated, was prevented by the quantity of
ice in the river. Cadwalader was hindered by the same obstacle. He got
part of his troops over, but found it impossible to embark his cannon,
and was obliged, therefore, to return to the Pennsylvania side of the
river. Had he and Ewing crossed, Donop's quarters would have been
beaten up, and the fugitives from Trenton intercepted.

By the failure of this part of his plan, Washington had been exposed
to the most imminent hazard. The force with which he had crossed,
twenty-four hundred men, raw troops, was not enough to cope with the
veteran garrison, had it been properly on its guard; and then there
were the troops under Donop at hand to co-operate with it. Nothing
saved him but the utter panic of the enemy, their want of proper alarm
places, and their exaggerated idea of his forces. Even now that the
place was in his possession he dared not linger in it. There was a
superior force under Donop below him, and a strong battalion of
infantry at Princeton. His own troops were exhausted by the operations
of the night and morning in cold, rain, snow and storm. They had to
guard about a thousand prisoners, taken in action or found concealed
in houses; there was little prospect of succor, owing to the season
and the state of the river. Washington gave up, therefore, all idea of
immediately pursuing the enemy or keeping possession of Trenton, and
determined to recross the Delaware with his prisoners and captured
artillery.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.
WASHINGTON RECROSSES THE DELAWARE.--BATTLE OF PRINCETON.

There was a kind of episode in the affair at Trenton. Colonel Griffin,
who had thrown himself previously into the Jerseys with his detachment
of Pennsylvania militia, found himself, through indisposition and the
scanty number of his troops, unable to render efficient service in the
pr