part of it was at Trenton, and detachments above and below, so as to make it quite uncertain where they intended to attempt crossing the river. Washington sent officers to Philadelphia, with directions to form lines of defence there, and to endeavour to secure the

military stores. He gave particular orders on the 8th of December, to all the officers of his little army, to enable them to know how to act, in case the enemy attempted to cross the river. One of his officers said, with despondency, "How far must we go on retreating?" "To Virginia," said Washington; "and, if followed there, over the Alleghany Mountains, and try what we can do there."

General Lee advanced slowly with his troops, and imprudently slept at a distance of three miles from his army, in a farm house, at about twenty miles from the enemy. Information of this was given, and an English officer sent a company well mounted, who reached the farm house and surrounded it before General Lee had left it; he was carried to the English army, and considered as a deserter from the British service. General Sullivan, the next in command to Lee, immediately hastened the march of the troops, and soon joined General Washington.

All the attempts of the English to get boats to cross the river failed, and their general determined to place them in quarters for the winter, which had commenced. Some were

placed in Princeton, and the rest at the principal towns of that part of New Jersey.

Washington thought that it was not probable Cornwallis would remain in winter shelter longer than until the ice should be strong enough for his troops to cross it, and he employed his anxious and active mind in reflecting on some plan for stopping the success of the foes of his country. While they were comfortably housed, the Americans were exposed to the wintry blasts; for not many could be sheltered in farm houses near enough to each other; and those who could not, made the frozen ground their bed and their knapsacks their pillows. No doubt many who thus lay, offered fervent and humble prayers to God, who suits his mercies to the necessities of all who honour him; and beneath the care which he has promised to those who put their trust in him, they slept soundly, though they were unsheltered.

When General Washington reflected on the dispersed situation of the English troops, he said, "Now is the time to clip their wings, when they are so spread." For this purpose he formed a bold plan. He separated his ar my into three divisions. One, consisting of about two thousand four hundred men, commanded by himself, was to cross the Delaware, at M'Konky's Ferry, about nine miles above Trenton, and then to march down in two divisions; one taking the river road, and

the other the Pennington road, both of which led into the town; the one at the west end, and the other towards the north. The second division of the army, commanded by General Irvine, was to cross at Trenton Ferry, and secure the bridge below the town, so as to prevent the enemy from escaping by that way. The third, commanded by General Cadwalader, was to cross at Bristol, and make an attack on the troops posted at Burlington.

Christmas night was appointed for the different divisions to cross the river. As the night approached, a driving sleet fell, and the cold became severe. Washington, with the division which he commanded, was the greater part of the night struggling amidst the ice, which was driven in fearful wildness; rain and snow fell in a mingled shower, and it was four o'clock, on the morning of the 26th, before they succeeded in reaching the New Jersey shore. One division then marched, as had been planned, by the river road, and the other by the Pennington road. Washington arrived at Trenton exactly at eight o'clock, and drove in the outguards of the enemy, and in three minutes he heard the other division doing the same.

Colonel Rawle, the English commander, paraded his troops to meet the Americans, but he was soon mortally wounded, and his troops then attempted to move off. Washington sent a detachment to meet them as they

were retreating, and the enemy finding themselves surrounded, laid down their arms.

The divisions of the American army which were commanded by Generals Irvine and Cadwalader, had not been able to cross the river amid the driving ice; and as that part of the plan which they were to perform failed, Washington concluded it would not be prudent to remain with his small force where he should probably be soon attacked by the collected force of his enemies; he therefore recrossed the Delaware with his prisoners, and military stores that he had taken. One thousand was the number of the prisoners. Two American soldiers had been killed, and two or three wounded, and one officer.

This bold and successful attack occasioned great astonishment to the English army, as they had believed the Americans to be in a state too feeble to attempt resistance, even when it should suit their enemies to leave their comfortable quarters to attack them.

Cornwallis had gone to New York, but he returned immediately to New Jersey, with more troops, to regain the ground which had been thus unexpectedly taken from him. The officer who commanded at Burlington, marched his troops to Princeton, and the division of the American army which was opposite, crossed over and took possession of Burling

ton.

Washington resolved not to remain idle,

and he passed again over to Trenton, to endeavour to recover at least a part of New Jersey. The English collected in full force at Princeton, and formed there some works of defence. Washington collected all his troops together at Trenton, and the next day the English army approached it. He then crossed the Assumpinck creek, which runs through the town, and drew up his army beside it. The enemy attempted to cross it, but were prevented, and they halted and kindled their night fires.

The situation of Washington was a very dangerous one. If he remained as he was, he was almost sure of being attacked, at the dawn of day, by a force far superior to his own; and he thought that the destruction of his little army must be the consequence. To pass the Delaware was almost impossible, from the state it was in, with masses of drifting ice. Wisdom to plan, and strength to act, were given to him by the mighty God of armies.

The night fires of the English burned brightly, and Washington directed his troops to light their fires along the edge of the creek. The bright close blaze became as a screening cloud between their enemies and them, while it was as a pillar of fire to light them in the silent preparations which their commander directed them to make for moving away.

That important night was particularly