invincible; but to show that this was
a mere fiction Washington dispatched the prisoners to Philadelphia, and
caused them to be paraded through the town. His troops were now soon
augmented, and those whose time was expired agreed to remain a little
longer, upon receiving a bounty of ten dollars per man. This success of
Washington, however, made him rash. In a few days, the Delaware
being frozen over, and the ice strong enough to bear his army and the
artillery, he resolved to recover the Jerseys. On the last day of the
year, 1776 therefore, he again crossed the Delaware, and took post at
Trenton, where he had captured the Hessians. His reappearance alarmed
the British general, and Lord Cornwallis, who had reached New York
on his road to England, was ordered back to take the command in the
Jerseys. Having effected a junction with Generals Grant and Leslie,
at Prince-town, on the 2nd of January, Lord Cornwallis descended from
thence, drove the enemy's posts before him, and by four o'clock in the
afternoon reached Trenton. A severe cannonade commenced, and Washington
retired across the Assumpinck, a creek which runs through the town. He
was followed by Cornwallis; but the British, finding the fords of the
creek guarded by artillery, desisted from the attempt to pass over the
fords, and night coming on, both armies kindled their fires, and spread
their blankets whereon to rest. Cornwallis hoped to bring on a general
engagement in the morning: but Washington, aware of this, and being
prevented from recrossing the Delaware by a rapid and temporary thaw,
he resolved to strike across the country, and get into the rear of
Prince-town, where no considerable British force had been left, At two
o'clock in the morning the Americans stole silently away; having first
renewed their bivouac-fires, and left their advanced pickets and several
small parties to guard for a time the fords of Assumpinck Creek. On his
march, about sun-rise, Washington fell in with two British regiments
under Colonel Maw-hood, in full march from Princetown, to join the
forces at Trenton. At first, the morning being foggy, Maw-hood mistook
the Americans for Hessians; but soon discovering his error, he opened
a heavy charge of artillery upon them, which threw their van into
disorder. One of the regiments now rushed forward with fixed bayonets,
and drove the Americans back to a ravine, which separated them from the
rear; and in this attack General Mercer who was at