University of Virginia Library

81. A Brisk Little Fight
BY TENCH TILGHMAN (1776)[203]

I have the pleasure to inform you that I am safe and well after a most successful enterprise against three regiments of Hessians consisting of about fifteen hundred men lying in Trenton, which was planned and executed under his Excellency's immediate command. Our party amounted to twenty-four hundred men, we crossed the river at McKonkeys ferry nine miles above Trenton, the night was excessively severe, both cold and snowy, which the men bore without the least murmur.

We were so much delayed in crossing the river, that we did not reach Trenton till eight o'clock, when the division which the General headed in person, attacked the enemy's outpost. The other division which marched the lower road, attacked the advanced post at Phillip Dickinson's, within a few minutes after we began ours.

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Both parties pushed on with so much rapidity, that the enemy had scarce time to form, our people advanced up to the mouths of their field pieces, shot down their horses and brought off the cannon. About six hundred ran off upon the Bordentown Road the moment the attack began, the remainder finding themselves surrounded laid down their arms.

We have taken thirty Officers and eight hundred and eighty-six privates among the former Colonel Rahls the Commandant, who is wounded. The General left him and the other wounded officers upon their parole, under their own surgeons, and gave to all the privates their baggage. Our loss is only Captain Washington and his lieutenant slightly wounded and two privates killed and two wounded.

If the ice had not prevented General Ewing from crossing at Trenton ferry, and Colonel Cadwalader from doing the same at Bristol, we should have followed the blow and driven every post below Trenton. The Hessians have laid all waste since the' British troops went away, the inhabitants had all left the town and their houses were stripped and torn to pieces.

The inhabitants about the country told us, that the British protections would not pass among the Hessians. I am informed that many people have of choice kept their effects in Philadelphia supposing if General Howe got possession that they would be safe. So they may be, if he only carries British troops with him, but you may depend it is not in his power, neither does he pretend to restrain the foreigners. I have just snatched time to scrawl these few lines by Colonel Baylor, who is going to Congress—

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Yours is this moment put into my hands but you would receive mine by Colonel Baylor giving you a full account of the affair at Trenton a little after you dispatched the messenger—We are just going over to Jersey again in pursuit of the remainder of the Hessian army who have left Bordentown—The General waits while I write this much. My most affectionate love to my sisters.

It generally happens that when an opportunity to send to Philadelphia offers, my time is taken up with the public dispatches. Since our lucky stroke upon the enemy's rear at Princetown,[204] they have evacuated all their posts in New Jersey except Amboy and Brunswick where they are shut up almost destitute of provisions, fuel and forage.

Depending upon the whole province of New Jersey for supplies this winter, they had established no general magazine, but ordered small ones to be laid up in and about the several Towns; all these have fallen into our hands. We found most of the mills on the Raritan full of flour, laid up for the British Commissaries.

There is no good blood between the English and foreigners; the former tax the latter with negligence in the loss of Trenton, which they say is the cause of their misfortunes.

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I received a parcel of hard money from you for Hacket's son; but as most of the prisoners taken at Fort Washington are sent out, I think it likely that Hacket may be among them; if so, sending in the money would probably be to lose it. I will therefore keep it till I hear more of the matter. Whenever you write to or see my sisters remember me most affectionately to them.