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at Mr Kenny's Ferry, at the time appointed, hoping before midnight to pafs over that divifion, and the artillery, and then it would be no difficulty to reach that place before day-light, and effectually to furprise Colonel Rail's brigade. The paffage was however difficult; the river was fo encumbered, with ice that it was with great labour that they could work the boats crofs the river, which retarded their paffage fa much that it was near four o'clock before it was com~ pleated. They were alfo hindered in their march by a violent ftorm of fnow and hail, which rendered the way fo flippery, that it was with difficulty they reach, ed the place of their destination by eight o'clock.

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The detachments were formed in two divifions im mediately upon their landing, one of which turning to their right, took the lower road to Trenton; and the other, with General Washington, proceeded along the upper road to Pennington. Notwithstanding the delays and interruptions they met with, and the advan ced state of day-light, the Heffians had no knowledge of their approach, until an advanced poft at fome diftance from the town was attacked by the upper divi fion; the lower divifion about the fame time driving in the out grounds on their fide. The regiment of Rall having been detached to fupport the picquet which was first attacked, was foon put into diforder by the retreat of that party, and obliged to rejoin the main bo, dy. Colonel Rall now bravely charged the enemy, but being foon mortally wounded, the troops were thrown into diforder, after a fhort encounter, and driyen from their artillery, which confifted of fix brafs field pieces. Thus overpowered and nearly furrounded, after an ineffectual attempt to retreat to Princetown, the three regiments of Rall, Lofsberg, and

Knyphaufen,

Knyphaufen, were obliged to furrender prifoners of war. Some few of the Chaffeurs, and fome ftragglers made their efcape along the river fide to Bordentown, Several of the Heffians that had been out plundering in the country, and accordingly abfent from their duty that morning, took the fame way of faving themfelves, while their crime was concealed under the general misfortune.

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The lofs of the Heffians in killed and wounded was very inconfiderable; their lofs in this refpect did not exceed forty, at moft. The lofs of the Americans was till more inconfiderable. The prifoners amounted to 918. Thus one part of General Washington's plan was executed with fuccefs; but the two others failed in the execution; the quantity of ice being fo great that the divifions under Erving and Cadwallader, found the river at the places they were to crofs impaffible. Had not this happened, and that the firft according to his orders had been able to take poffeffion of the bridge over Trenton Creek, not one of thofe that fled to Bordentown would have efcaped. Had the defign been executed in all its parts, and the three divifions had Joined after the affair at Trenton, it seems probable that they would have fwept all the posts on the river before them.

In his prefent fituation General Washington could not proceed farther in his plan of operation. The force he had with him was far from being able to maintain its ground at Trenton, there being a body of light infantry at Princetown, which was only a few miles diftant, which by the junction of Donop's brigade, or other bodies from the nearest cantonments, would have foon fwallowed up his little army. He ac cordingly recalled the Delaware the fame evening,

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carrying with him the prifoners, who with their artillery and colours, afforded a day of new and joyful triumph in Philadelphia. This finall fuccefs wonderfully raised the spirit of the colonists. It is a flrange, but a general difpofition in mankind to be more afraid of those they do not know, than of those with whom they are acquainted. Difference of drefs, of arms, complexion, beard, colour of the hair or eyes, with the general mein and countenance, have on various occafions had furprising effects, upon even brave and experienced foldiers. The Heffians had hitherto been very terrible to the Americans, and the taking a whole brigade of them prifoners, appeared fo incredible at Philadelphia, that the very time they were marching to that city, people were contending in different parts that the whole ftory was a fiction, and that indeed it could not be true. The charm was however broken, and the Heffians were no longer terrible. Thefe invincible troops were found both to be vulnerable, and capable of being fubdued; and the Americans found, that by fuitable exertions of their own ftrength they were a match for the most terrible of their ene mies. From this time they began to understand their own importance, and made our men find their impref fion more heavily than for fome time before. This fo far turned the fcale of fuccefs, that our troops ne ver after that time gained an advantage that was of any real emolument to them,

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General Washington was now reinforced by feveral regiments from Virginia and Maryland, as well as with feveral new bodies of Penfylvania militia, who with thofe of that province under his command, were much diftinguished in the hard fervice of the, enfuing winter campaign. The furprise at Trenton did not excite

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jefs amazement in the British and auxiliary quarters than it did joy in thofe of the Americans. That three old veteran regiments of a people that make war a profeffion, fhould lay down their arms to a ragged and untrained militia, and that with fcarcely any lofs on their fide, feemed an event of fo extraordinary a nature, that it gave full scope to the operation of conjecture, fufpicion, cenfure, and malignity, as different perfons were differently affected. General Howe was blamed for making fo extenfive a chain of cantonments; Rall was blamed for marching out of the town to meet the enemy; and the Heffians were blamed for cowardice in the opinion of their allies. General Howe was certainly led into this error by the deep scheme which General Washington had laid, and he was eatched in a fnare that very few perfons could have efcaped. The American General had fo exquifitely counterfeited weaknefs, fear, and diftrefs, that even his own friends had the fame apprehenfions that his enemies had concerning his fituation. It was no wonder that General Howe imagined there was no danger from a General that appeared to have neither men, money, nor any prefent refources.--The friends of General Howe vindicated his character by alledging, that he not only depended upon the weakness of the enemy, but was influenced to make fuch cantonments to cover and protect Monmouth county, where a great number of the people were well-affected to government. It was added in his defence, that perhaps no line of cantonments or pofts can be fo perfectly con trived as not to admit of an impreffion, in fome part, by a force much inferior to the aggregate power of the defenfive. It, upon the whole appears, that on this occafion General Howe was outwitted by General

Washington.

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General Washington. As to Colonel Rall, provided the charge against him was juft, his mifconduct proceeded from the fame error which prevailed generally among both officers and men of the British as well as the Hellian forces. From their fucceffes and fuperiority in the former campaign, which they perceived they had in every action, they held the colonifts in the utmost contempt, both as men and as foldiers; and were ready to attribute all their advantages to their own perfonal bravery, which were in fact derived from a number of other occurrent circumftances; from military skill, experience, and difcipline, from the fuperior excellency of their fmall arms, artillery, and of all other engines, and fupplies neceffary for war; and ftill more particularly to a better supply, and a more dexterous ufe of the bayonets, which gave them a great fuperiority over the Americans, who were but badly furnished with this kind of arms, and were not expert in the ufe of them.

The King's troops began now to perceive that they had more to do than fport themselves in winter quarters. The alarm that was now spread induced the British and auxiliary troops immediately to affemble, and General Grant, with the forces at Brunswick to advance fpeedily to Princetown, whilft Lord Cornwallis who was gone to New York in his way to England, found it neceffary to delay his voyage, and return to the defence of the Jerfeys.. They found that they were not now without an enemy to encounter, for General Washington having received reinforcements, had again paffed the Delaware, and was with his whole force at Trenton. Lord Cornwallis advanced prefently to attack him, and found him strongly posted at the back of Trenton Creek, and in poffeffion of 3001 Ff

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