Dec. 24. CHAP. taken." With equal assurance, Rall scoffed at the XIII. idea that Americans should dare to come against 1776. him; and Donop was so unsuspecting, that, after driving away the small American force from Mount Holly, where he received a wound in the head, he remained at that post to administer the oath of allegiance, and to send forward a party to Cooper's creek, opposite Philadelphia. European confidence in the success of the British was at its height. "Franklin's troops have been beaten by those of the king of England," wrote Voltaire; "alas! reason and liberty are ill received in this world." Vergennes, indeed, saw with clearest vision the small results of the campaign; but the king was not disposed to take any decided step; and in reply to rumors favorable to the rebels, Stormont would say that he left their refutation to General Howe, whose answer would be as complete a one as ever was given. At Cassel, Howe was called another Cæsar, who came and saw and conquered. In England, some believed Franklin had come to France as a runaway for safety, others to offer terms. The repeated successes had fixed or converted "ninety-nine in one hundred." Burke never expected serious resistance from the colonies. "It is the time," said Rockingham, "to attempt in earnest a reconciliation with America." Even Lord North, who was apt to despond, thought that Cornwallis would sweep the American army before him, and that the first operations of the coming spring would end the quarrel. At New York all was mirth and jollity. On his arrival, Howe met the messenger who, in return for XIII. 1776. the victory on Long Island, brought him excessive CHAP. encomiums from the minister and accumulated honors from the king. The young English officers were Dec. preparing to amuse themselves by the performance of plays at the theatre, for the benefit of the widows and children of sufferers by the war. The markets were well supplied; balls were given to satiety; and the dulness of evening parties was dispelled by the faro-table, where subalterns competed with their superiors, and ruined themselves by play. Howe fired his sluggish nature by wine and good cheer; his mistress spent his money prodigally, but the continuance of the war promised him a great fortune. The unrelenting refugees grumbled because Lord Howe would not break the law by suf fering them to fit out privateers; and they envied the floods of wealth which poured in upon him from his eighth part of prize-money on captures made by his squadron. As the fighting was over, Cornwallis sent his baggage on board the packet for England. The brothers, who were in universal favor with the army, gave the secretary of state under their joint hands an assurance of the conquest of all New Jersey; and every one in New York was looking out for festivals on the investiture of Sir William Howe as knight of the Bath. His flatterers, full of his coming triumphs, wrote home that unless there should be more tardiness in noticing his merit, the king would very soon use up all the honors of the peerage in rewarding his victories. The day arrived for the concerted attack on the British posts along the Delaware; and complete 25. XIII. 1776. Dec. 25. CHAP. success could come only from the exact coöperation of every part. Gates was the first to fail, and, from wilful disobedience and want of hope and courage, turned his back on danger, duty, and honor. He disapproved of Washington's station above Trenton: the British would secretly construct boats, pass the Delaware in his rear, and take Philadelphia; so that he ought to retire to the south of the Susquehanna. Refusing the service asked of him, and eager to intrigue with congress at Baltimore, Gates, with Wilkinson, rode away from Bristol; and as they entered Philadelphia after dark on Christmas eve, they seemed to have penetrated a silent wilderness of streets, along which the tread of their horses resounded in all directions. Griffin had already abandoned New Jersey, flying before Donop; Putnam would not think of conducting an expedi tion across the river. At nightfall, Cadwalader, who was left in sole command at Bristol, with honest zeal marched to Donk's ferry; it was the time of the full moon, but the clouds were thick and dark. For about an hour that remained of the ebb-tide the river was passable in boats, and Reed, who just then returned from a visit to Philadelphia, was able to cross on horseback; but the tide, beginning to rise, threw back the ice in such heaps on the Jersey shore, that, though men on foot still got over, neither horses nor artillery could reach the land. Sending back word that it was impossible to carry out their share in Washington's plan, Reed deserted the party, and rode to safe quarters within the enemy's lines at Burlington, having previously ob XIII. 1776. Dec. tained leave for a conference with Donop.1 Mean- CHAP. while, during one of the worst nights of December, the men waited with their arms in their hands. for the floating ice to open a passage; and only 25. after vainly suffering for many hours, they returned to their camp, to shake the snow from their garments, and creep for rest into their tents, without fire or light. Cadwalader, and the best men about him, were confident that Washington, like themselves, must have given up the expedition. Ewing did not even make an effort to cross at Trenton; and Moylan, who set off on horseback to overtake Washington and share the honors of the day, be 1 The Donop diary, which is remarkably precise, full, and accurate, alludes to Colonel Reed as having actually obtained a protection. The statement, though made incidentally, is positive and unqualified. Here are the extracts relating to Reed. Dec. 20: "Eodem wurde mit einer Flagge Truce an den Oberst v. Donop vom Rebellen-Obersten Reed, welcher zugleich General-Adjutant bei Washington ist, ein Brief überschickt, worinnen letzterer dem Obersten von Donop Namens des Gen. Washington proponirte: Ob es nicht gefällig, wegen Burlington des folgenden Tages mit ihm eine Unterredung zu halten, weil dieser Ort von beiden Seiten in der jetzigen Situation sehr exponirt wäre; dem Obersten Donop wurde Stunde und Ort zu dieser Unterredung zu bestimmen überlassen. Er antwortete sogleich darauf, dass seine dermalige Situation ihm nicht erlaube, sich von seinem Posten zu entfernen." Dec. 21: "Der Oberst Reed, der neulich eine Protection erhalten, seye dem General Mifflin entgegen gekommen, und habe demselben de clarirt, dass er nicht gesonnen sey 66 Oberst Reed's Brief, worin derselbe CHAP. 1776. Dec. 25. came persuaded that no attempt could be made in such a storm, and stopped on the road for shelter. Superior impulses acted upon Washington and his devoted soldiers. From his wasted troops he could muster but twenty-four hundred men strong enough to be his companions; but they were veterans and patriots, chiefly of New England, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. Among his general officers were Greene and Mercer and Stirling and Sullivan ; of field-officers and others, Stark of New Hampshire, Hand of Pennsylvania, Glover and Knox of Massachusetts, Webb of Connecticut, Scott and William Washington and James Monroe of Virginia, and Alexander Hamilton of New York. At three in the afternoon they all began their march, each man carrying three days' provisions and forty rounds; and with eighteen field-pieces they reached Mackonkey's ferry just as twilight began. The current was swift and strong, hurling along masses of ice. At the water's edge, Washington asked aloud: "Who will lead us on?" and the mariners of Marblehead stepped forward to man the boats. Just then a letter came from Reed, announcing that no help was to be expected from Putnam or the troops at Bristol; and Washington, at six o'clock, wrote this note to Cadwalader: "Notwithstanding the discouraging accounts I have received from Colonel Reed of what might be expected from the operations below, I am determined, as the night is favorable, to cross the river, and make the attack on Trenton in the morning. If you can do nothing real, at least create as great a diversion as possible." Hardly had these words been sent when |