Show OTY V u aro am a few historic spots T B only a few perhaps in our ja country whick send awer the casual visitor both chastened chasteney chast ened ond and uplifted in soul one approaches nonchalantly alining a kodak and it a flippant remark and departs hushed not stony point for one that produces a riot of emotions pot not monmouth molly pitcher Is far too gayly colored a figure in tradition for all her tragedy against that background fort lee saddens one ns as one seems to watch that raid beaten hand band tramping over the miles ot of defeat back toward hackensack hackenback Hacken sack nut but PrInce tont there we find a triumph so splendid as to be inspiring but 96 eo hardly won vion at such a cost that I 1 it hushes flushes us owes awes us while we glory la in it there Is a somber splendor in tile iho story of Vrin princeton ceton Iler ewas was played that famous little me of which made too the name muno of old fox seem rather flattering than otherwise it stands with will some boino of ills his wiliest oiliest moves among them that secret dedret withdrawal from brooklyn naros the river in is client boats on this occasion lie caused to be hullt built along the shore of tile the Assan pink while the work of making apparently went on through the night each tile sound bound of the axes reached british ears ear end and they fell asleep lulled by what they believed belle to be full knowledge of tho the rebels movements and intentions plane well laid ills ilia plans vote complete ile he know knew every road ind crossroad on tile way to princeton lie ile lind had made sure sura that the wily to that town was unguarded ile iio know that most of the british troops lind had been removed from prince ton and he made mada tile tho clear deduction that only a few moreover could bo be remaining nt at Bran branswich Brunsw swick lck where tho the enemy had rich ninga magazines ilia ambition then the nwan avas to tako taka princeton and push on to brunswick ana avan avail himself of nil all lie found there this however lie he knew to be a 1 somewhat OnIe What extravagant hope but brit ile ho felt that lie ho could princeton at least ant and then withdraw to the heights of morristown to recuperate soon after midnight cheli tho the bd 31 of january had not yet dawned the march began in a new sudden wave ot of bitter cold which followed the daya day of thaw tells us that it was about sunrise when the troops arrived at the southeastern outskirts of princeton mercer was detached and went toward the west with ablitt men there were vero already about two british on the march to join corn wallis leaving far behind them the very town where they were needed white while cornwallis Cornwa llla peacefully awalter them to help hell overwhelm the amerl leans cans whom lie he suj supposed posed to bo be behind those delusive campil res hut but Naw mawhood hood with a number about equal to mercers nien men saw caw tho the approach of the americans americana and returned to tile tho conflict tho the two forces rustled rushed manhood lending leading a body of men trained fresh armed with bayonets Ill mercer ercer in command of a group poorly trained ill III equipped almost exhausted with it nights march of 18 nilles through bitter cold ind and almost entirely riflemen bearing scarcely any bay onet to meet the hostile charge A terrific swift encounter took place tit the ho end of which the Amp americans rIcans gave way and fled abandoning their cannon while their off officers leers remained on tha field calling tho the men back linglet neal Flem fleming irm were among those who fell and mercer dropped to tho the ground wounded ills his wounds were so serious that lie ho lived only until january 12 when lie ho tiled died in a room which you may visit today washington saved the day it was about tho the time when mercer fell that washington erard hard tile alio sound of 0 conflict and und returned na as fust na as possible ag lils scatterIng troops ho he rodo rode straight to tho the front himself summoning them to follow it was ono one of his most drastic and gallant acts straight toward the tha enemy tin ho rode did not stop until hi bg was ivas within SO 90 yards of them and face to fam fac commanded every american to fo follow and stood swathed in ili smoke while a shmul ganeous volley aroe arofo front from both sides when the smoke cleared away ho he stood unharmed I 1 tho rho british were overwhelmed wh whelmed elined ed tho entire acal aarion on from the tha moment when Ater mercers cers first allot was fired had occupied just 4 minutes mawhood with his men aris pursued by tho the patriots fort or three or tour lour miles nad and lost many on tho the way vay na as prisoners to tho the conquering americans |