LIBERTY AND INDEPENDENCE There was tumult in the city, In the quaint old Quaker town, And the streets were rife with people Pacing restless up and down; People gathering at corners, Where they whispered each to each, And the sweat stood on their temples, With the earnestness of speech. As the black Atlantic currents Lash the wild Newfoundland shore, "Will they do it?" "Dare they do it?" "Who is speaking?" "What's the news?" "What of Adams?" "What of Sherman?" "Oh, God grant they won't refuse!" "Make some way, there!" "Let me nearer!" "I am stifling!" "Stifle, then; When a nation's life's at hazard, We've no time to think of men!" So they beat against the portal,- On the scene looked down and smiled; Shed his patriot blood in vain, Now beheld the soul of freedom All unconquered rise again. Aloft in that high steeple Sat the bellman, old and gray; And his iron-sceptered sway; See! see! the dense crowd quivers Looks forth to give the sign! Hushed the people's swelling murmur, 66 List the boy's strong joyous cry! Ring!" he shouts aloud; "Ring! grandpa! Ring! Oh, ring for Liberty!" SIR: I have the pleasure of congratulating you upon the success of an enterprise which I had formed against a detachment of the enemy lying in Trenton, and which was executed yesterday morning. The evening of the twenty-fifth I ordered the troops intended for this service to parade back of McKonkey's ferry, that they might begin to pass as soon as it grew dark, imagining that we should be able to throw them all over, with the necessary artillery, by twelve o'clock and that we might easily arrive at Trenton by five in the morning, the distance being about nine miles. But the quantity of ice made that night impeded the passage of the boats so much that it was three o'clock before the artillery could all be got over and near four before the troops took up their line of march. This made me despair of surprising the town, as I well knew that we could not reach it before the day was fairly broke, but as I was certain there was no making a retreat without being discovered, and harassed on repassing the river, I determined to push on at all events. I formed my detachment into two divisions, one to march by the lower or river road, the other by the upper or Pennington road. As the divisions had nearly the same distance to march, I ordered each of them immediately, upon forcing the out guards, to push directly into the town, that they might charge the enemy before they had time to form. The upper division arrived at the enemy's advanced post exactly at eight o'clock, and in three minutes after I found from the fire on the lower road that that division had also got up. The out guards made but small opposition; though, for their numbers, they behaved very well, keeping up a constant retreating fire from behind houses. We presently saw their main body formed, but from their motions, they seemed undetermined how to act. Being hard pressed by our troops who had already got possession of their artillery, they attempted to file off by a road on their right leading to Princeton. But, perceiving their intention, I threw a body of troops in their way which immediately checked them. Finding from our disposition that they were surrounded, and that they must inevitably be cut to pieces if they made any further resistance, they agreed to lay down their arms. The number that submitted in this manner was twenty-three officers and eight hundred and eighty-six men. Colonel Rahl, the commanding officer, and seven others were found wounded |