The battles of Trenton and Princeton

Preface

In my youth I spent many pleasant hours in hstening to the residents of Trenton as they related the brave deeds of their fathers in the old war, and told the story of the trials and sufferings of the heroic men and women of the Revolutionary period, which they had heard directly from the lips of those who had taken a part in the struggle for independence. In my early manhood I began to take notes from the conversations of my mother and her aged friends, as they described the personal appearance and peculiarities of the rich merchant who had lived here in 1776 and for forty-five years thereafter ; of the country miller who had entered the village as an American spy ; of the beloved physician who had commanded the local military force ; of her grandfather who had been one of the guides of the American army to the surprise at Trenton. After some years had elapsed I published a little pamphlet for private distribution, entitled "Trenton, One Hundred Years Ago," which gave a brief description of the citizens and their homes in the village as it appeared in i j-j^ and i TTJ. As I continued to study the past of this historic town, and found myself surrounded in official life by the manuscript records of those brave soldiers who fought for liberty in the hour that tried men's souls, I compiled all the authentic military rolls which I could obtain, and published my " Official Register of the Officers and Men of New Jersey in the Revolutionary War." In the preparation of this work I became possessed of a large amount of iv PREFACE

new facts and unpublished documents relating to the battles of Trenton, Princeton, and Monmouth. In 1877 ^ crossed the ocean to examine the official records at Cassel, Germany, and in 1892 I caused a most exhaustive search to be made in the State Archives at Marburg, Germany, by competent men, and secured copies of all documents filed there (some eleven hundred pages of manuscript, certified under seal as correct) which bear directly on the conduct of the Hessian force in New Jersey. This new material has never before been thoroughly examined by an American. Every history, e\-ery letter, every diary, every document that came to my notice has been carefully studied for facts which bear in any way on this important crisis in our country's history. Many of these documents are published in full in this volume. In the light of all the new material to w^hich I have referred this work has been prepared, and I trust it will be found a complete history of the wonderful winter campaign of 1776 and 1777 in New Jersey.

For facts, advice, or careful revision I acknowledge myself greatly indebted to General T. F. Rodenbough, U. S. Army ; Colonel Asa Bird Gardiner, U. S. Army ; Professor Henry P. Johnston of the College of the City of New York ; Rev. Dr. Henry C. Cameron of Princeton University ; General Henry B. Carrington, U. S. Army ; Dr. Austin Scott, president of Rutgers College ; the late P'rederick D. Stone, librarian of the Pennsylvania Historical Society ; William Nelson, corresponding secretary of the New Jersey Historical Society ; Dr. William H. Egle, librarian of the State Library of Pennsylvania ; Hon. John B. Linn of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania ; General William W. H. Davis of Doylestown, Pennsylvania ; Colonel E. M. Woodward of Ellisdale, Monmouth County, New Jersey ; Joseph H-AVest of Hamilton Square, Mercer

PREFACE V

County, New Jersey ; Hon. Garret D. W. Vroom, Captain Charles B. Dahlgrcn, Hon. William S. Yard, all of Trenton ; Friederich Hirschfeld of Hamburg, Germany ; the late Hon. lulnumd D. Halsey of Dover, New Jersey ; the late Dr. Friederich Kapp of Berlin, Germany ; the late Dr. Benson J. Lossing and the late Dr. George H. Moore, and to the men living and dead whose books appear in the list at the close of this volume, as authorities cited in the work.

W. S. S.

Trenton, New Jersey, December 26, 1897.

17- 18. 19. 20. 21. 22.

23- 24.

PART II. American Army at beginning of Campaign, 1776-1777 ■ 3°^

Washington's Orders 3'°

Proclamation of the Howes 314

Hessian Field Officers 316

General Howe to Colonel von Donop 316

Colonel von Donop to Colonel Rall .... 318

Colonel von Donop to General Leslie .... 318

Colonel von Donop to General Grant .... 320

Extract from a Letter to a Gentleman in Connecticut 321

Colonel Joseph Reed to General Washington . . 322

Colonel Cadwalader to Council of Safety, 1776 . . 323

Colonel Rall to Colonel von Donop 323

Colonel von Donop to General Grant .... 324

Colonel Rall to Colonel von Donop 326

General Washington to Major-General Lee . . . 326

General Howe to Lord Germain 327

Colonel Rall to Colonel von Donop .... 329

General Grant to Colonel von Donop .... 329

Colonel von Donop to General Grant .... 331

Colonel Rall to Colonel von Donop 331

Colonel Rall to Colonel von Donop .... 332 Colonel von Donop to General Grant . . . -333

General Grant to Colonel Rall 334

Lieutenant-Colonel Sterling to Colonel von Donop . 335

Memoranda 336

Captain Loray to Colonel Rall 339

General Leslie to Colonel Rall 339

Colonel Reed to General Washington .... 339

General Washington to Colonel Reed .... 342

Quartermaster Gamble's Circulars 343

Colonel John Cadwalader's Division .... 344

Brigadier-General James Ewing's Division .... 346

CONTENTS

2;^. General Officers of the American Revolution .

34. Field Officers of Troops under Washington's Immediaie

Command

35. John Honevman

36. General Mercer to Colonel Durkee

37. From Diary of an Officer on Washin(;ton's Staff

38. Colonel Cadwalader to

39. Colonel Cadwalader to

40. Colonel Clement Biddle to

41. Tench Tilghman to James Tilghman, Esq.

42. Extract of Letter from an Officer of Distinction .

43. From the "Pennsylvania Evening Post" ....

44. Colonel Clement Biddle to Committee of Safety .

45. Lieutenant Patrick Duffy to Colonel Thomas Procter

46. Colonel Knox to his Wife

47. CAPTAIN Thomas Forrest to Colonel Thomas Procter .

48. Governor Tryon to Lord Germain

49. Memorandum in General Robert Anderson'.s Letter Book

50. Proclamation

51. Captain William Hull, Seventh Connecticut Regiment,

TO Andrew Adams

52. Colonel John Haslet to C^sar Rodney ....

53. Commissioned Officers of Rall's Brigade, December, 1776

54. General Mercer to Colonel Durkee ....

55. Hessian Outposts of Trenton

56. Hessians who escaped Capture

57. Return of Prisoners taken at Trenton ....

58. Hessian Prisoners of War

59. Roster of Officers of Rall's Brigade ....

60. Lord Stirling to Governor Livi.ngston

61. Proclamation by the Pennsylvania Council of S.\fetv

62. Count de Schaumburg to Baron Hohendorf

63. Colonel von Donop to General Knyphausen .

64. General Grant to Colonel von Donop ...

65. General von Heister to the Prince of Hesse

66. Earl of Suffolk to General von Heister .

67. Prince of He.sse to Lieutenant-Gen eral von Knyphausen

68. Friedrich L. I. Hessen to General von Knyphausen

69. Return Casualties Rall's Brigade ....

70. Proceedings of Hessian Court-Martial

71. Finding of Hessian Court-Martial

72. Report of Hessian War Commission

73. Colonel Cadwalader to General Washington

74. General Leslie to Colonel von Donop

75. General Leslie to Colonel von Donop

76. General Grant to Colonel von Donop

77. General Grant to Colonel von Donop

78. Colonel von Donop to General Grant

79. General Washington to Colonel Cadwalader

367 369 369

372 373 373 374

404 408

409 411 419

CONTENTS

So. 8i.

93- 94.

95- 96.

97- 98.

99. 100.

lOI.

113- 114.

"5-

117. 118. 119.

121. 122.

liRITISH FORCKS IN NEW JERSEY ....

General Miiki.in's Orders ....

General Cadvvalader to General Washington

General Washington to the Congress .

General Knox to his Wife

Colonel Reed to General Putnam .

General Putnam to

From the Journal of Captain Thomas Rodney

Private Lardner to Captain Smith .

Congressional News

Doctor Potts to Owen Biddle ....

General Cadwalader to Council of Safety

Letter from an Officer of Distinction ....

Colonel Lambert Cadwalader to Mrs. Samuel Meredith

General Knox to his Wife

Lord Stirling to S , 1777 .

American Officers killed at Princeton

British Officers killed at Princeton

British Casualties at Princeton .

General Howe's Congratulations

Note on General Mercer ....

Washington's Report on Princeton .

General Washington to General Putnam

Comments on the Battle of Princeton

Letter from the American Army .

Major Samuel Meredith to .

Letter from the British Army

From the "New York Gazette and Weekly Mercury"

General Greene to

From the "Freeman's Journal"

From the "Pennsylvania Evening Post" . . . .

From the "Connecticut Journal"

Proclamation

From George Inman's Narrative of the American Revolution

Sergeant Joseph White's Narration

Extract from the Journal of Lieutenant Samuel Shaw of the Artillery

From Almon's Parliamentary Register ....

General Howe to Lord Germain

Lord Germain to H. M. Peace Commissioners .

Translation of a Hessian Diary

From an English Book of Orders found at Trenton .

Contemporaneous Documents

458 458 459 460 462

463 466 468 469

474 475 476

477 478

483 484 485

Books examined and Authorities used in the preparation of

this Work 486

Index 493

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

From the painting by Charles Wilson Peale, in the museum of Princeton

University.

Page

Lord Corxwallts's Path 3

On Old Closter Dock Road (now Alpine, Bergen County, N. J.), as it appeared in September, 1S97.

Adjutant-General Joseph Reed, Staff of the Commander-in- Chief 7

BRiGADlER-CiENERAL THOMAS AIlFFLiN, Continental Army . . 9 General Sir William Howe, British Commander-in-Chief ..11 William Livingston, First Governor of New Jersej- .... 13 Captain Alexander Hamilton, New York Provincial Company of Artillery 16

Residence of Quartermaster Robert Stockton, Princeton, N. J 17

'' TuscuLUM," the residence of Rev. Dr. John Witherspoon ... 19

Lieutenant-General Charles Cornwallis, British Army. . 21

Admiral Richard Howe, British Navy 23

Protection Paper signed by Colonel Rail in Trenton .... 24 From the original in possession of the author.

Washington's Headquarters (present appearance) .... 29

At Trenton Landing on the Pennsylvania shore of the river. Called by him " Mr. Berkeley's summer seat."

Colonel Knox's Headquarters (from a photograph in 1894) . 31

Owned in 1776 by Dr. Chapman. Situated near Jericho Hill, about a mile from Brownsburg, Bucks Co., Pa.

Washington's Headquarters, called the '• Keith House" . . 33

From a photograph.

Major-General Israel Putnam, Continental Army . ■ • • 35

Hessian Grenadier 41

Parole of Rev. Jonathan Odell, of Burlington, N. J. . . . 43

From the original in possession of the author.

Major-General Ja.mes Grant, British Army 49 xii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Major-Genekal Charles Lee, Continental Army 55

Major-General John Sullivan, Continental Army .... 60

Brigadier-Geni:ral Alexander Leslie, Briti.sh Army ... 71

George Washington 79

After the Trumbull portrait in Vale College. Colonel John Cadwalader, Philadelphia Associator.s ... 81 Ferry-House of Patrick Colvin 82

Still standing at Trenton Ferry on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River.

Brigadier-General Philemon Dickinson, New Jersey Militia 83

Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel B. Webb 84

Plan of the Operations of General Washington against

THE King's Troops in New Jersey facing 84

R all's Headquarters 92

The house of .Stacy Potts, and the residences of Miss Rebecca Coxe and Thomas Barnes.

Map of Trenton, New Jersey, in 1776. (Prepared by William S. Yard) 93

Post-Office, on the corner of Second and King street.s ... 94 City Tavern, on the corner of Second and King streets ... 95

The " Old Barracks " (present appearance) 97

Fo.x Chase Tavern 101

Dr. William Bryant m

Lieutenant-Colonel Abraham Hunt, First Regiment Hunterdon County Militia 121

Residence of Abraham Hunt 123

Lieutenant Piel's Map facino 124

Lieutenant Wiederhold's Map facing 126

Lieutenant Fischer's Map facing 12S

Major-General Horatio Gates, Continental Army . . . .130 Monument at Taylorsville, Pa 131

Near the spot where Washington crossed the Delaware. Erected by the Bucks County Historical Society, October 15, 1895.

Colonel John Glover 132

From his portrait in The Surrender of Burgoyne by John Trumbull.

John Russell, private in Colonel Glover's regiment 133

From the bronze statute at the doorway of the Trenton Battle Monument presented by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

Washington crossing the Delaware 135

After the painting by F. I.eutze in the New York Metropolitan Museum.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xiii

"The Continkntal Akmv crossing thk Diclawake" . . . 136

Bronze tablet on the Trenton Battle Monument presented by tiie Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

House at "Washington's Crossinc; '" 137

Still standing on the New Jersey side.

Amos Scidder i39

One of the guides of Washington's army down the Kiver road to tlie battle of Trenton, December 26, 1776.

Gun carried by A.mos Scudder when guiding W'asiiinc;-

ton's Army to the Surprise at Trenton 140

MoNU.MENT AT WASHINGTON'S CROSSING, New Jersey . . . . 141

Erected by the New Jersey Society of the Cincinnati, October 15, 1895.

Bear Tavern (still standing) at Jacob's Creek, Mercer County . 142

Major-General Nathanael Greene. Continental Army . . 143

Richard Howell's Cooper-Shop . . . ' 14^

The Hessian picket post on the Pennington road.

Alexander Calhoun's House 148

The quarters of Captain von Altenbockum's company. Blair McClenachan, private in IMiiladelphia Troop of Light

Horse I49

From the bronze statue at the doorway of the Trenton Battle Monument presented by the City Troop of Philadelphia.

Captain Samuel Morris, Philadelphia Troop o£ Light Horse . 150 "The Hermitage," residence of General Philemon Dickinson . 151

The yager picket post on the River road. The Barracks (as they appeared at the time of the battle at

Trenton) I53

Headquarters Guard-House (Lieutenant Sternickel in command on Christmas night) 154

Still standing on the southeast corner of Warren and Perry streets, Trenton.

Place where the Artillery opened on the Hessian Troops (as it appeared in Revolutionary days) .155

Trenton Battle Monument ^S7

General Washington '60

From the bronze statue on the top of the Trenton Battle Monument presented by the State of New York.

High Ground where Washington remained during the

Battle '"^

"Opening of the Fight" i^3

From the bronze tablet on the Trenton Battle Monument presented by the State of New York.

xiv LIST Of^ ILLUSTRATIONS

Captain William Washington, Third \'iiginia Continental Regiment 164

Lieutenant James Monroe, Third Virginia Continental Regiment 165

Captain Thomas Forrest, Pennsylvania State Artillery Battalion 167

General John Stark 169

From the statue in the Capitol at Washington.

Mr. Davies' House, on Second street 171

Methodist Church, on corner of Queen and Fourth streets . .173

Presbyterian Church, on Second street 175

Friends' Meeting House, on Third street 181

"Surrender of the Hessians" 183

From the bronze tablet on the Trenton Battle Monument presented by the State of Connecticut.

Major James Wilkinson, acting as aide-de-camp to General

St. Clair 185

Brigadier-General Lord Stirling, Continental Army . . . 186 Generals Washington and Greene calling on Colonel Rall at the House of Stacy Potts 191

From the painting by George W. Flagg. The likeness of Rail is from a sketch made by Colonel John Trumbull.

Colonel Johann Gottlieb Rall 197

From painting by George W. Flagg.

The von Lossberg Regimental Flag 203

Colonel Henry Knox, Continental Artillery 205

Flag of the Philadelphia Troop of Light Horse . . . 209 Signatures of Hessian Officers on the Parole . . . .212 The House of Major John Barnes, the loyalist 247

The headquarters of General Washington, December 30, 31, and January i. "Morven," the residence of the Hon. Richard Stockton .... 249 Facsimile of Washington's Call to Arms, December 31,

1776 252

Friends' Meeting House at Crosswicks 255

Robert Morris 257

Colonel Edward Hand, of the Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment . 259 Captain Henry Miller, of the Pennsylvania Rifle Regiment . 260 General Washington at the Bridge over the Assun-

PINK Creek 262

After the painting by Colonel John Trumbull.

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xv

The Bkakics Housk (still standing) 267

The DouciLAss House 270

General St. Clair's headquarters, where General Washington held a council of war, January 2, 1777.

Tavern kept by Jonathan Richmond 271

General Washington's headquarters, January 2, 1777.

Bkigadiek-General Arthur St. Clair, Continental Army . . 272 Chair used by General Washington at the Council ok War held in the Douglass House, Trenton, January 2,

1777. Now in the Battle Monument 273

The Quaker Meeting House at Stony Brook on the Princeton Battlefield 276

The building is still standing. It was used as a hospital after the battle, and many of the dead were interred in the graveyard adjoining.

Interior of the Quaker Meeting House at Stony Brook 277

Bridge over Stony Brook 278

Map of the " Lower Road to Princeton " 279

Brigadier-General Hugh Mercer, Continental Army . . . 281 Wounding of General Mercer at Battle of Princeton 283 Sword of General Hugh Mercer 284

Given on the battlefield to Colonel Jacob Morgan, first battalion, Philadelphia Associators, and by him to the St. Andrew's Society of Philadelphia. It is now in the rooms of the Pennsylvania Historical Society in Philadelphia.

The House of Thomas Olden 287

Now the lodge of Drumthwacket, the residence of M. Taylor Pyne, a trustee of the Princeton University.

Map of the Battlefield of Princeton 288

Prepared from a map made by the late Professor Albert B. Dod for the library of the college.

Nassau Hall, as it appeared at the time of the battle of Princeton 289

Ensign Anthony Morris, Philadelphia Battalion of Associators 291 Stone at the Grave of Captain Leslie, of the British

Army 293

House in which General Mercer died 294

Room in which General Mercer died 295

The stains made by his blood are to be seen on the left of the picture.

Dr. Benjamin Rush 299

John Van Doren's House (present appearance), Somerset Court House 3°!

Where General Washington spent the night of January 3, 1777.

PART I

Nowhere in the annals of warfare can be found a counterpart of the winter campaign of Washington and his army in 1776-j'j — that army which left the vicinity of New York a ragged, starved, defeated, demoralized band, which passed through the Jerseys and over the river, then dashed upon the Hessian advance, punished the flank of the British Hne, doubled on its own bloody tracks through the village of Princeton, and at last marched into quarters an army of victors. In just one month and a half the patriot troops of America had been forced to surrender the forts of the Hudson and beat an inglorious retreat ; then they struck such blows at the royal army that it was thought prudent to allow them to reorganize, undisturbed, among the mountains of Morris County.

On the 27th day of August, 1776, the disastrous battle of Long Island was fought. At that time the American army had never met the enemy in the open, and it was with great solicitude that General Washington contemplated a conflict between his small unskilled force and the trained troops of England and Hesse. The battle was also unequal in that the foreign soldiery outnumbered our own fully one half. And although the patriots fought bravely, — the Continental battalions of Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware, with the militia levies of New York and New Jersey, inflicting great damage on the enemy, — they were overwhelmed and thoroughly routed. About 600 men were killed and over 1000 taken prisoners, among whom were the general officers Sullivan, Woodhull and Lord Stirling.

The effect of this disaster upon the commander-in-chief and his troops was absolutely distressing. Almost in despair they abandoned the soil they had defended so bravely, and during the night of August 29, and in the fog of the early morning of the following day, they quietly passed over the East River into New York.

In October the affairs at Harlem Heights and White Plains took place, but without any decided results. On November 16, after a severe assault and a loss to the British army of about 800 men slain. Fort Washington, with its garrison of 2000 soldiers of the Continental line and 600 of the militia, was surrendered to General Howe. This garrison marched out between the Hessian regiments of Rail and von Lossberg and laid down its arms. Colonel Rail was mentioned in orders for his gallantry on this occasion.

Not a week later General Greene was compelled to abandon Fort Lee, on the west bank of the Hudson River, when he found that Lieutenant-General Cornwallis, who had landed with a force of some 4000 men at old Closter Dock in the early morning of November 20, and ascended the steep and rocky roadway to the top of the ridge of the Palisades, was rapidly gaining a position which would soon make the fort utterly untenable. In making a hasty retreat to the main army at Hackensack, New Jersey, General Greene's division had time to carry only their firearms and ammunition. The want of wagons and the necessity for a rapid withdrawal of the garrison compelled them to abandon a large quantity of commissary stores, camp equipage and baggage, thirty mounted guns and two brass mortars.

The American army had lost in prisoners 329 officers and 4 1 01 enlisted men, in all 4430 soldiers, during the past twelve weeks.

The remnant of the army was posted on the west bank gkki:nk abandons fort lee 3

of the Hackensack River, under the immediate command of General Washin<;ton, who occupied the house of Peter Zabriskie in the village of Hackensack. Official reports made at that time show scarcely 4000 men fit for duty, and even this force was being constantly diminished. The division of troops under General Greene was entirely without tents, and in great need of shoes, stockings and blankets.

LORD CORNWALLIS'S PATH ON OLD CLOSTER DOCK ROAD (NOW ALPINE, BERGEN COUNTY, NEW JERSEY), AS IT APPEARED SEPTEMBER, 1897

The chilling frosts and cold winds which swept down the Highland range through the valley of the Hackensack already betokened the early approach of winter. Under the circumstances it did not appear possible for General Washington to fortify himself there and give battle. A sufficient quantity of shovels and axes could not be procured for the purpose of intrenching the position. The river was fordable in many places, and not all the people of that section of the State could be counted on as thoroughly true to the cause of independence. An appearance of preparation for resistance was for some time assumed, but the idea of contesting the British advance was not for a moment seriously entertained.

The future of the states never wore a more gloomy aspect than at this period. Desertions increased daily; hardly a recruit joined the army, and the militia remaining could not be depended on for any active duty. There was imminent danger that the force might be hemmed in between the Passaic and Hackensack rivers and be unable to extricate itself. For the patriot army to give battle was but to invite defeat and the early surrender of " the lives, fortunes and sacred honor " which its representatives in the Continental Congress had just solemnly pledged. A retreat across the State was the only alternative, and this must be made by a demoralized band, closely followed by the trained troops of Britain. It was, indeed, a hazardous expedient.

By the direction of Congress, General Washington ordered General Philip Schuyler, who, with the Continental line of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, was then at Ticonderoga, on Lake Champlain, to send aid to him without delay. These troops, however, had nearly completed their terms of service, and were reluctant to re-enlist for the war. Brigadier-General Hugh Mercer, with his flying camp which had been stationed at Bergen Neck for some months, was ordered to report to the commander-in-chief, although his troops, having scarcely a week longer to serve, were rapidly absenting themselves without leave. Major-General Charles Lee, who had commanded the rear-guard of the army during the occupancy of New York, and who was still stationed at White Plains, on the east side of the Hudson River, under orders from General Washington, dated November lo, 1776,^ had been instructed to cross the river and join the main army. General Lee's command, like the rest, was suffering from desertions. Having completed all the preparations which could be made, General Washington began the retreat through the Jerseys with only twenty-eight regiments of infantry, three

1 The Lee Papers, vol. ii. p. 267, New York Historical Society Collections.

WASHINGTON'S RETREAT THROUGH THE JERSEYS 5

companies of artillery and a detachment of dragoons, — say, 5500 officers and men.^

As already stated. General Washington feared that his army might soon be hemmed in between the Hackensack and Passaic rivers; therefore, on the 21st day of November he began his march southward by crossing the Acquackanonk bridge over the Passaic River to its westerly bank, and, during the evening of the 22d and early on the morning of the 23d, posted his force at Newark. The British advance column under Major-General the Hon. John Vaughan, colonel of the P'orty-sixth regiment of foot, soon after appeared on the east bank of the Hackensack River, ready to commence the march into New Jersey which General Washington had predicted in his letter to Congress, November 6, I 'j']6. The rear-guard of the American army, which had remained near the village of Hackensack, quickly burned the bridge over the river, and hastened to join their retreating comrades.

Amid all these discouraging circumstances. General Washington was still planning some movement which might bring success. The Rev. William Gordon, D. D., in his "History of the American Revolution," gives us this account of a conversation which is said to have occurred about this time between the American chief and his adjutant-general : " Should we retreat to the back parts of Pennsylvania, will the Pennsylvanians support us .^ " Colonel Reed answered, " If the lower counties are subdued and give up, the back counties will do the same." The general passed his hand over his throat, and remarked : " My neck does not feel as though it was made for a halter. We must retire to Augusta County in Virginia. Numbers will be obliged to repair to us for safety ; and we must try what we can do in carrying on a predatory war ; and if overpowered we must cross the Alleghany Mountains." It is quite apparent that he had no intention of abandoning the sacred cause to which he had devoted his life.

^ For details see Part ii. No. i.

Even at this early stage of the war we can clearly trace in the character of Washington qualities all important to a successful commanding general — a brave heart, unwearied vigilance, great strength of will and boundless resources. His profession in early life made him a close observer of the topography of the country through which he passed, and prepared him to utilize his knowledge when the time for action arrived. Defeat seldom depressed him for any length of time, and in the hour of victory he preserved a calm demeanor. His patience under the ofttimes slow and unwise action of Congress is a mar\'el to the historians of to-day. His dignified bearing attracted the attention of everyone, and the grandeur of his character and life compelled all to honor, respect and trust him. Far above the petty intrigues of military life, he was so strong in his patriotism, so profound in his conviction of ultimate success, that all cabals ended in finding him stronger alike with the soldiery and the people.

At Newark General Washington halted his entire force, sent his sick to Morristown, and made every exertion to reorganize his shattered command. Desertions were of hourly occurrence. The New Jersey brigade had about completed its tour of duty, and all the influence of its leaders was required to prevent the dissolution of the army.

At this juncture one more effort was made by the commander-in-chief to procure reinforcements. His adjutant-general. Colonel Joseph Reed, a Jerseyman by birth, was dispatched to Governor William Livingston on November 23, with the urgent request that he and the legislature of New Jersey, then sitting at Burlington, would urge fonvard recruits for the army. General Washington wrote, "The critical situation of our affairs and the movements of the enemy make some further and immediate exertions absolutely necessary."

No man was more freely admitted to the confidence and counsel of General Washington than his friend Reed, and to no man did he more frequently refer for advice. To him

NEW JERSEY'S REINFORCEMENTS 7

Washington always wrote with a familiarity and frankness which he never used toward any other officer. Colonel Reed was always energetic and brave, a model staff officer, a " wonderfully quick, penetrating genius," and an accomplished

ADJUTANT-GENERAL JOSEPH REED, STAFF OF THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF

gentleman. Who has not heard the indignant answer which he made to George Johnstone, the British diplomatist, who had tried to bribe him to return to the support of the English crown, — "I am not worth purchasing, but, such as I am, the King of Great Britain is not rich enough to do it."

As a result of Adjutant-General Reed's efforts an act was passed by the Council and General Assembly of New Jersey to organize four battalions of state troops by embodying, as occasion required, a certain quota of volunteers from the militia of the different counties. Great efforts were made to put this force into the field, but it does not appear that they took any part in the brilliant events which followed.

Brigadier-General Thomas Mifflin, at the request of the other general officers, was sent to Congress, then in session at Philadelphia, and to the adjacent counties, to arouse the patriotism of the people and urge them, in view of the impending fate of their principal city, to encourage enlistments and hurry forward troops. He was well received by Congress, he " spoke animatedly pleasing, which gave great satisfaction," and a committee was appointed to advise with him and aid him. His success in dispatching reinforcements will appear more fully hereafter.^