. A history of the United States of America, on a plan adapted to the capacity of youth .. . le the hearts of others sunk iadespondency, he manifested the greater firmness, constancy, andfortitude. 16. The object next aimed at by the British general was theoccupation of Philadelphia; and the only obstacle which pre-vented it was the position of Washington, on the Pennsylvaniaside of the Delaware. While waiting for the freezing of thatriver, to allow him to cross, the British general placed aboutfour thousand German troops along the river from Trenton toBurlington, while strong; detachments wer
. A history of the United States of America, on a plan adapted to the capacity of youth .. . le the hearts of others sunk iadespondency, he manifested the greater firmness, constancy, andfortitude. 16. The object next aimed at by the British general was theoccupation of Philadelphia; and the only obstacle which pre-vented it was the position of Washington, on the Pennsylvaniaside of the Delaware. While waiting for the freezing of thatriver, to allow him to cross, the British general placed aboutfour thousand German troops along the river from Trenton toBurlington, while strong; detachments were stationed at Prince-ton and New Brunswick. The remainder of the British armywere scattered about the villages of New Jersey. 17. In this state of things, Washington conceived the planof re-crossing the Delaware, and of attacking, the German troopsstationed at Trenton so suddenly as not to allow them the assist-ance of the main body. Accordingly, on the night of the 25thof December, the American troops detached for this service,consisting of two thousand four hundred men, arrived in the. dusk of the evening at the bank of the river. The passage bythe troops and artillery, it was expected, would be effected beforemidnight. But the cold was so intense, and the river soobstructed with floating ice, that the landing of the artillery wasnot accomplished, until four in the morning. An immediate andprecipitate march was made towards Trenton, with the hope of VICTORIES OF TRENTON AND PRINCETON 175 reaching it before day. But a thick fog setting in, so retardedtheir march, that they did not reach Trenton until eight oclock;yet, at this late hour, the Hessians had no suspicion of theapproach of the enemy. Incapable, therefore, of making anydefence, and hemmed in on all sides, they were obliged to sur-render, to the number of nearly one thousand. Some thirty orforty were killed, among whom was a Colonel Rahl, the command-ing officer. 18. To the American cause, the success at Trenton was
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