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In the night after the Second Battle of Trenton, General Washington's army silently slipped away from Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis and his troops. Washington left behind several soldiers to tend to large campfires, to disguise the departure of the American soldiers.
Throughout the night, the army marched over a back road toward Princeton and reached the Quaker Bridge over Stony Brook, about a mile south of town. The Quaker Bridge was not strong enough to support the army’s cannon and ammunition carts, so another bridge had to be built quickly. While the bridge was being constructed, Washington reformed his army, and then split it into two parts—the smaller left wing under General Nathaniel Greene and the larger right wing under General John Sullivan. Washington had intended to attack Princeton before dawn, but the sun was rising.
Greene’s assignment was to advance to the Princeton-Trenton highway to stop its traffic and destroy its bridge over Stony Brook. Sullivan’s division, the main attack force, moved toward the rear of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University). The British were known to have outposts on the roads to the north, east and west, but an abandoned road went into town from the west, which Sullivan took.
He intended to return within a few days and attempt to recover the state of New Jersey from under British control. Meanwhile, hearing of the American victory at Trenton, Col. John Cadwalader crossed the river to the east bank where he found his force to be unsupported. Washington decided to use his momentum and grab another quick victory before entering winter quarters.
Between December 27-31, Washington brought his troops back across the river into Trenton. He received information that Lt. Gen. Charles Cornwallis and Maj. Gen. James Grant were at Princeton, with 8,000 British troops and artillery. The British were rumored to be ready to advance upon the Americans. Cadwalader was south of Trenton with 2,100 men, while Brig. Gen. Thomas Mifflin waited at Borderton with 1,600 Pennsylvania militia.
Washington faced the crisis of his soldiers enlistments about to expire. Their enlistment lapsed was to end at midnight on December 31. Brig. Gen. Henry Knox and Mifflin pleaded with their soldiers to extend their enlistments for 6 more weeks. Washington even asked the soldiers to extend their enlistments.
Once again, Washington spoke "My brave fellows, you have done all I asked you to do and more than could reasonably be expected. But your country is at stake, your wives, your houses, and all that you hold dear. You have worn yourselves out with fatigues and hardships, but we know not how to spare you. If you will consent to stay only one month longer, you will render that service to the cause of liberty and to your country which you probably never can do under any other circumstances. The present is emphatically the crisis which is to decide our destiny." Washington offered a special bounty of $10.00 to anyone who would reenlist. The regiments all agreed to stay for an additional 6 weeks.
Calwalader, who had been unable to land on the New Jersey shore on December 26 due to the ice on that shore, reported he was crossing near Burlington. He was reinforced by some militia, who was encouraged by the Trenton victory. Calwalader was unaware that Washington had recrossed the river. He moved into the now empty Burlington and then to Bordontown, reporting that the local citizens were removing the red rags nailed to their doors as symbols of loyalty to the crown. He asked Washington to join him in advancing on the British. Washington's troops were in no condition to advance and they were also was short of food.
On December 30, Washington had improved his supply situation and recrossed the river. Howe ordered Cornwallis to move to Princeton and gather all available troops for a counterattack. Washington crossed the Delaware River back into New Jersey.
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On January 1, Washington had 1,600 Continentals, along with some New Jersey and Pennsylvania militia, who had come in after the Battle of Trenton. He knew the British had over 6,000 troops scattered throughout New Jersey with a large number of these at garrisons at New Brunswick and Princeton. Washington sent a covering force, led by Brig. Gen. Edward Hand, to delay Cornwallis' advance. He ordered his troops to concentrate at Trenton and sent Hand toward Princeton to delay an anticipated British approach. Hand's force was in position along Five Mile Run.
On January 2, in the morning, the majority of the British troops were making their way to Trenton. Cornwallis left 1,200 men, 3 regiments, and a small contingent of light dragoons, commanded by Lt. Col. Charles Mahwood, as a rear guard at Princeton. Brig. Gen. Alexander Leslie and a force of similar strength were dropped off at Maidenead, located about halfway between Princeton and Trenton. Both commanders were left with instructions to rejoin Cornwallis the next day.
At 4:00 P.M., when the British finally arrived at Trenton, they found Washington's army entrenched but outnumbered. Washington had only 5,200 men, and many were unreliable militia. He deployed his troops to the southside of the Assunpink Creek, which was a strong position. They repulsed several British attempts to take the bridge. Since his troops were tired, Cornwallis decided to wait until morning to renew his attack. His officers wanted to attack now, fearful of Washington's known ability to retreat and escape. Local intelligence convinced Cornwallis if he pressed ahead with his superior force, Washington would be trapped between the Assunpink Creek and the Delaware River.
During the night, Washington prepared his army for a strategic envelopment of the weak British left flank. In order to guarantee secrecy, only Washington and his senior commanders knew the details of the march and its objective. He left a skeleton force of 400 men to keep the campfires burning, make entrenchment noises, and keep up appearances, while the rest of the army moved around the British forces toward Princeton. Once there, they could attack the rear of the British forces and maybe even capture the 70,000 pound sterling war chest. Washington ordered silence and orders were given in whispers. Taking the back roads, the Patriots moved to the south around the British and swung towards Princeton. The troops staggered along in the dark all night. Luckily, a freeze had set in with nightfall and the roads were frozen, making them passable for both men and cannon.
On January 3, at 1:00 A.M., the rest of Washington's force set out, with secrecy and silence being maintained. The wagon wheels were wrapped in rags to prevent them from making any noise. the 4,600 men began marching east along Sandtown Road in a broad arc across Miry Run and then northeast on the Quaker Road toward Princeton. Washington ordered Brig. Gen. Hugh Mercer and 350 infantrymen to act as a blocking force 2 miles southwest of Princeton on the Post Road at Stony Creek Bridge. Mercer's objective was to prevent Cornwallis or Leslie from reinforcing Mawhood and to prevent an escape from Princeton toward Trenton. With Mercer in place, Washington intended to move his force north and east along the Back Road and rapidly close on the 1,200-man British garrison at Princeton.
Around 8:00 A.M., Mahwood was marching his 800 men to Trenton to join up with Cornwallis. In the morning fog as he was drawing near Stony Creek, Mahwood spotted Mercer's force to the south marching northeast toward the bridge to take up his blocking position. At first, Mawhood thought that Mercer's column was a Hessian column. Mawhood soon realized that they were Americans. Mawhood's force fell back to a defensive position and the two forces met at Clark's Orchard.
Both sides deployed quickly into line and began opening fire on one another at a range of only 50 yards while unlimbering a pair of field pieces each. After his men fired only one volley, Mawhood ordered his men to make a bayonet charge. The militia panicked and retreated south toward the Back Road. During the assault, Mercer was mortally wounded, including seven stab wounds. Washington moved forward with Cadwalader's Pennsylvania militia to prevent a complete rout of their forces. Washington, Cadwalader, and Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene then moved among the troops to rally them. Washington rode into the middle of the battlefield and rallied the fleeing militia. When Mawhood spotted the head of the new Patriot reinforcements arriving on the scene, he fell back and took up a defensive position.
Once the main body of his force had moved up, Washington led his men against the British line. At a distance of 30 yards, he halted and ordered his men to attack the British. Knox was able to bring up his cannon force and joined in the fight. The combined Patriot attack nearly enveloped Mawhood's infantry before breaking his line. The British troops broke and some headed to New Brunswick while the rest, including Mawhood, broke through the lines and headed for the bridge and Trenton. The Patriots chased the fleeing British and captured 50 prisoners before Washington recalled them and continued advancing toward Princeton.
The rest of the action consisted after the British retreating through the town and then northward as the Americans moved behind them. Cornwallis had heard the fighting begin and hurried to bring up reinforcements from Trenton, but the last Americans were slipping out of Princeton as the first of Cornwallis' troops were arriving.
There was a 200-man force that had barricaded themselves in Nassau Hall, a thickly walled building that served as the College of New Jersey. The Americans fired two cannon shells into the building and then made a charge, forcing the British to surrender. Washington was unable to occupy Princeton because of he knew that Cornmallis would be counterattacking soon. He wanted to push on to New Brunswick, but his troops were too tired.
Washington left a detachment of soldiers to destroy Stony Creek Bridge, which would delay the British army. Seeing the bridge gone, Cornwallis sent his men across the icy stream and pressed ahead. The British vanguard spotted the withdrawing Patriot force but was unable to catch up with them.
On January 4, Washington continued north, and later that day they arrived in Pluckemin. Protected now by the Watchung Mountains to his east, and with Morristown units behind him, Washington was now safe. He would soon move the army into winter quarters at Morristown. The British were now ordered by Howe to abandon New Jersey, except for a line from Perth Amboy to New Brunswick. Washington had now driven the British from most of New Jersey.
More importantly, the revolution now had a chance, morale was improved, and the people once again believed they could stand and face the British troops. The French government, encouraged by the British military defeats, released supplies to the American war effort. In England, the government started losing support for the war.
The effect of the Battles of Trenton and Princeton were to clear most of New Jersey of the British presence. The battles impressed upon the European powers that the Americans were able to confront the British Army and the decisive intervention of France and Spain in the Revolutionary War came a step closer. |
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