tempting to rally the
rabble rout, was mortally wounded. Washington came up with the rear, and
succeeded in getting his main body into order and passing the ravine,
but in so doing he lost five more of his best officers, and was himself
beset with danger. After several efforts, he succeeded in severing
the two regiments under Mawhood, which success opened his way to
Prince-town. At the same time, part of the British force which he had
encountered marched forward for Trenton, and part retreated towards New
Brunswick. Washington entered Princetown, but as Lord Corn-wallis had
discovered his retreat, and was now in his rear, he left that town, and
reached and crossed Millstone River; breaking down the bridge to prevent
his being pursued. Cornwallis marched to New Brunswick, where he lay for
many days, during which time Washington overran the greater part of East
and West Jersey; made himself master of the coast opposite to Staten
Island, by occupying Newark, Elizabeth Town, and Woodbridge; and fixed
his headquarters at Morris Town, a place situated among hills and
difficult of access, with a fine country in its rear, abounding in
supplies. By these events the whole of the Jerseys were for a time lost
to England: and it was not only the success of Washington's arms which
led to this consummation. The inhabitants of the Jerseys had been
harassed and plundered by the British, and more especially by the
Hessian troops, whence, no sooner had Washington, who restrained
the troops under him from committing acts of violence, issued a
proclamation, absolving all those who had taken the oath of allegiance
tendered by the king's commissioners, and promising them friendship and
protection on condition of taking another oath prescribed by congress,
than the majority of them declared in his favour; and while not a few
joined his army, others rendered him service by pretending still to be
royalists, and acting as his spies in the English cantonments, and even
in New York itself. Yet all the while Washington was thus acting--while
he was issuing proclamations, recruiting his forces, strengthening his
positions, erecting forts, mills, and magazines, reconciling the people
of the country to the dominion of congress, and even cutting off the
supplies of the British advanced posts at Brunswick and Amboy, the
British commander was only a few miles distant, with a far superior
force, and with a good fleet at command. True, it was winter; but it