g events that were to
follow.

[Illustration: The War in the Middle States.]

In order to save himself and his men from the enemy, Washington had to
retreat once more, this time across New Jersey toward Philadelphia. With
the British army, in every way stronger than his own, close upon him, it
was a race for life. Sometimes there was only a burning bridge, which the
rear-guard of the Americans had set on fire, between the fleeing forces
and the pursuing army.

To make things worse, Washington saw his own army becoming smaller every
day, because the men whose term of enlistment had expired were leaving to
go to their homes. When he reached the Delaware River he had barely three
thousand men left.

Here again Washington showed a master-stroke of genius. Having collected
boats for seventy miles along the river, he succeeded in getting his army
safely across at a place a little above Trenton. As the British had no
boats, they had to come to a halt. In their usual easy way, they decided
to wait until the river should freeze, when--as they thought--they would
cross in triumph and make a speedy capture of Philadelphia.

To most people in England and in America alike, the early downfall of the
American cause seemed certain. General Cornwallis was so sure that the war
would soon come to an end that he had already packed some of his luggage
and sent it to the ship in which he expected to return to England.

But Washington had no thought of giving up the struggle. Others might say:
"It's of no use to fight against such heavy odds." General Washington was
not that kind of man. He faced the dark outlook with all his courage and
energy. Full of faith in the cause for which he was willing to die, he
watched eagerly for the opportunity to turn suddenly upon his
overconfident enemy and strike a heavy blow.

THE VICTORY AT TRENTON

Such an opportunity came soon. A body of British troops, made up of
Hessians (or Germans mainly from Hesse-Cassel, hired as soldiers by King
George), was stationed at Trenton, and Washington planned to surprise them
on Christmas night, when, as he knew, it was their custom to hold a feast
and revel.

With two thousand four hundred picked men he prepared to cross the
Delaware River at a point nine miles above Trenton. The ground was white
with snow, and the weather was bitterly cold. As the soldiers marched to
the place of crossing, some of them whose feet were almost bare left
bloody footprints al