Show I QI e I i 12 NION The rhe winter night Is cold and drear dress Along the rivers river's sullen flow now The rhe he cruel frost Is 18 camping here here- here here- The air has living blades of ot snow Look pushing from the Icy strand strand With ensigns freezing In the air There here sails a a. small but mighty band Across the Delaware A A. rush rush rush-a. a shout shout shout-n a clarion call can Salute the early mornings morning's gray Now roused Invaders yield or fall taU The worthy land has won the day dayt Soon oon shall shan the glorious news be hurled Wherever men have wrongs to bear For or freedoms freedom's torch Illumes the world And God has crossed the Delaware Will Carleton E winter of ot 1776 the year of ot T TIIE the glorious Declaration of ot Independence Independence Independence In In- dependence found the fortunes of the budding nation at nt their lowest ebb Beaten buffeted and broken the little army of ot George Wasn- Wasn ington had been pushed beyond the Delaware He had scarce men meno to o command while Cornwallis and Howe the British commanders had six Ix six times that many scattered over New few Jersey and New York Many Americans American were becoming disgusted disgusted disgusted dis dis- dis- dis gusted with the war Even Washing Washing- t ons on's troops were disheartened and he faced aced the rho calamity of having all but 1500 of them quit the service the first of the year when their enlistment ex ex- expired To make matters worse General Gen eral Gates and some other high officers Ln In n the army were trying to Influence congress against Washington They used every argument they could to discredit their leader I Brilliant Strategy I But while almost the entire countr country y was losing heart Washington was plan plan- fling a brilliant stroke to revive th the e patriotism of the people and the enthusiasm en en- of his troops He e determined determined deter- deter determined mined to strike a blow at the toe British forces in New Jersey a dangerous thing to do one must admit when it is remembered that he was outnumbered outnumbered six to one He was too wise a man to risk battle with the main British force He dc- dc tided aided to attack one of the detachments oc occupying the various cities of New N w I Jersey After careful deliberation be he selected Trenton as the point to be stormed It was nearest his own position position position po po- po- po across the river and the majority majorIty majority major major- ity of the troops there were Hessians German soldiers England had hired to fight In America Cornwallis and Howe had gone to New York with their staffs where social life and gayety wasat was wasat wasat at a higher pitch than In the little New Jersey towns I Left Trall TraIl of Blood I Wasl Washington's plan was to cross the river Christmas night with a body of picked troops a time when he thought the German commander Colonel Rahl and his Ills officers and men would be carousing He assembled the attacking attackIng attack attack- Ing force quietly on his side of th the river Some of ot the troops Washington had to 10 join mm aim taueu to arrive atthe atthe at the crossing point In time But despite despite de de- de- de s spite pite that disappointment Washington pushed on He determined to make the attack with the column he had ac ac- ac- ac c companied Washington's troops were so poorly dad clad on the rite march that day that a courier from General Gates In P Philadelphia was able to trail troll Washington's Wash Vash l ington's higton's force farce by bloody footprints Inthe In Inthe inthe the snow When men key their courage courage cour cour- a age ge to that point nothing can cnn stop them I Patriots' Patriots Powder Spoiled I Delay at the ferry made an nn attack before daylight Impossible Washington Washing Washing- ton had hoped to surprise the British and Hessians The river was fil filled ed edwith with floating Ice and It looked for a ame time me as If it most of the little army might be drowned in crossing But fortune smiled on them and none was lost Once on the New Jersey side at a point about nine ulna miles from Trenton J r y yN yv v N Washington Watching the Last of His Troops Land Before the Battle a terrific storm of snow and sleet drove into the faces of the soldiers It soon ruined what little powder Washington's Washington's Washing Washing- tons ton's men had so the order was passed to rely on the bayonet Washington divided ed his men Into two columns on one e under General Sullivan and one under unde r General Greene They were to march mare by different roads and attack the British BritIsh British Brit Brit- ish outposts simultaneously Advance and Charge I General Sullivan became somewhat dubious about the outcome while on the march and sent a messenger to Washington to ask what should be done Advance and charge was Washington's succinct reply Washing Washing- Washington ton said in his report the next day that he might have retreated at this time had he thought he could have crossed the river without being discovered d by the British It was nearly eight o'clock before the American advance met the first British outposts The latter were attacked at at- attacked tacked quickly and driven back on the town without trouble A rattle of musketry from the outposts announced the beginning of ot the battle Wayne Whipple in his Life of Washington Washington Washing Washing- ton that the Americans were so mad that morning that they would have attacked attacked at at- tacked the British with broomsticks Washington's surmise about Colonel Rah Rahl and his officers was correct They They had spent the night at the home of Abraham Hunt drinking and making merry Hunt had furnished them an elaborate Christmas supper While the supper was In progress late that night a negro servant entered the room and gave ga Colonel Rah Rahl a note The latter thrust It In his pocket without looking at nt it It was fortunate for America that he was too drunk to act properly for tor that note was from a Tory warning warning warning warn warn- ing lira him of Washington's approach I F- F Hessian Colonel Killed I While the officers drank and sang Washington's men had fought their way into the outskirts of the town The British cannon was captured and trained down the streets on their former owners The sound of firing brought realization of the danger to Colonel Rahl and he rushed from the Hunt house to form his men He was wasa a brave man but he be had stayed too long at his merrymaking More than thana a thousand Hessians had surrendered already Colonel Rah Rahl rallied some men and ond made a show of resistance Almost the first fire tire wounded him mor mol tally When the Hessians saw their commander fall some of them started I to retreat toward Princeton But Washington sent a detachment to head hend them off ore and they soon surrendered I Long before noon the Americans I were In possession of the entire city and the British and Hessian I prisoners I were being transported across the river for tor safekeeping keeping Washington sent I couriers to congress with the Joyful news It spread quickly over the country country coun coun- try and enthused the cause of so well that Washington was able to hold hrs hiS army together and face the British in the spring with tion and coura courage e. e |