rch. General Mercer was in the advance with the
remnant of his flying camp, now but about three hundred and fifty men.
The Quaker road was a complete roundabout, joining the main road about
two miles from Princeton, where Washington expected to arrive before
daybreak. The road, however, was new and rugged; cut through woods,
where the stumps of trees broke the wheels of some of the baggage
trains and retarded the march of the troops; so that it was near
sunrise of a bright, frosty morning when Washington reached the bridge
over Stony Brook, about three miles from Princeton. After crossing the
bridge he led his troops along the bank of the brook to the edge of a
wood, where a by-road led off on the right through low grounds, and
was said by the guides to be a short cut to Princeton and less exposed
to view. By this road Washington defiled with the main body, ordering
Mercer to continue along the brook with his brigade until he should
arrive at the main road, where he was to secure, and if possible
destroy a bridge over which it passes, so as to intercept any
fugitives from Princeton, and check any retrograde movements of the
British troops which might have advanced towards Trenton.

Hitherto the movements of the Americans had been undiscovered by the
enemy. Three regiments of the latter, the 17th, 40th, and 55th, with
three troops of dragoons, had been quartered all night in Princeton,
under marching orders to join Lord Cornwallis in the morning. The 17th
regiment, under Colonel Mawhood, was already on the march; the 55th
regiment was preparing to follow. Mawhood had crossed the bridge by
which the old or main road to Trenton passes over Stony Brook, and was
proceeding through a wood beyond when, as he attained the summit of a
hill about sunrise, the glittering of arms betrayed to him the
movement of Mercer's troops to the left, who were filing along the
Quaker road to secure the bridge, as they had been ordered. The woods
prevented him from seeing their number. He supposed them to be some
broken portion of the American army flying before Lord Cornwallis.
With this idea, he faced about and made a retrograde movement to
intercept them or hold them in check; while messengers spurred off at
all speed to hasten forward the regiments still lingering at
Princeton, so as completely to surround them.

The woods concealed him until he had recrossed the bridge of Stony
Brook, when he came in full sight of the van of Mercer's brig