ing this reinforcement, amounting to about two thousand men, General Washington commenced his march to Princeton; but, before he could reach that place, he received intelligence that Lord Cornwallis, who had been strongly reinforced, was now rapidly advancing from Brunswick, by different routes, so as to get in his rear. A retreat now again became indispensable, and it was absolutely necessary to pass the Delaware.

He crossed that river on the eighth of December, secured all the boats, broke down the bridges on the roads leading along the Jersey shore, and posted his army in such a manner as to guard, as well as was in his power, the different fording places over which it was practicable for the enemy to pass. As the rear guard crossed the river the van of the British army appeared in sight. Their main body took post at Trenton, and detachments were placed both above and below, so as to render entirely uncertain the place at which they might attempt to pass; while small parties, without any interruption from the people of the country, reconnoitred the Delaware for a considerable distance.

Some intelligence had been received, stating the enemy to have brought boats with them. Should this be the fact, the river was so completely passable, as to render it impracticable, without a force greatly exceeding that possessed by the American General, to prevent their crossing it. The course

of

of the Delaware from Bordentown below Trenton, turns westward, and forms an acute angle with its course from Philadelphia to that place; so that the enemy might cross a considerable distance above, and be not much, if any further from the metropolis than the American army.

In consequence of this state of things, the Ge-neral advised that lines of defence should be drawn from the Schuylkill about the Heights of Springatsbury, eastward to the Delaware, and General Putnam was ordered to superintend them; while General Miflin, who had just returned to camp, was again dispatched to Philadelphia, to take charge of the numerous stores at that place.

The enemy made some ineffectual attempts, which were defeated by the vigilance of the Americans, to seize a number of boats guarded by Lord Stirling about Coryeli's Ferry; and, in order to facilitate their movements down the river on the Jersey shore, they repaired the bridges three or four miles below Trenton, which had been broken up by order of General Washington; after which they marched a strong detachment to Bordentown, so as to create the impression that they intended to cross at the same time above and below, and either proceed in two columns directly to Philadel phia, or completely envelope the American army. To counteract this plau, and to avoid being enclosed in the angle of the river at Trenton, the gal

lies were stationed so as to give the earliest notice of any movements below, and, at the same time, afford their aid in repelling any effort to cross the river; while the American General made such a disposition of his little army as to guard against the execution of what he believed to be the enemy's real design, which was to ford the river above. Four brigades under the Generals, Lord Stirling, Mercer, Stephens, and de Fermoy, were posted from Yardly's up to Coryell's, in such manner as to guard every suspicious part of the river, and to assist each other in case of an attack. General Irvine, with the remnant of the flying camp of Pennsylvania, who were engaged to serve till the first of January, and some Jersey militia, under General Dickenson, were posted from Yardly's down to the ferry opposite to Bordentown. Colonel Cadwallader, the brother of the gentleman taken in Fort Washington, with the Pennsylvania militia, occupied the ground above and below the mouth of Nishameny River, as far down as Dunk's Ferry, at which place Colonel Nixon was posted with the third Philadelphia battalion. The artillery was apportioned among the brigades, and small redoubts were thrown up at every place where it was possible to ford the river. Precise orders were given to the commanding offcer of each detachment, marking out, as nearly as possible, the conduct he should observe in the

events which might happen, directing his route in case of being driven from his post, and the passes he should endeavour to defend on his way to the high grounds of German Town, where the army was to rendezvous, if driven by the enemy from the river.

Having made this arrangement of his troops, he waited in the anxious hope of receiving reinforcements; and in the mean time, watched every motion of the enemy with the utmost vigilance, used all the means he could devise to obtain intelligence, and daily sent out parties over the river to harass the enemy, to make prisoners, and to observe their situation.

The utmost exertions were made by the civil authority to raise the militia. Expresses were sent through the different counties of Pennsylvania, and to the governments of Delaware and Maryland, urging them to march without delay to join the army. General Miflin was directed "to repair immediately to the neighbouring counties, and endeavour, by all the means in his power, to rouse and bring in the militia to the defence of Philadelphia." Congress also declared, "that they deemed it of great importance to the general safety, that General Miflin should make a progress through the several counties of the state of Pennsylvania, to rouse the freemen thereof to the immediate defence of the city and country:" and they resolved, "that

the

the Assembly be requested to appoint a committee. of their body to make the tour with him, and assist in this good and necessary work *.”

In the hope that the militia might be prevailed on to furnish more effectual aid, so as to enable him even to act offensively, if they saw a large regular army to which they might attach themselves, the Commander in Chief had directed General Gates to march with the regulars from the northern army: and, in the confidence that, if any movements should be made by the enemy against the Highlands, the New England militia might be depended on to supply the places of the troops now stationed at those posts, General Heath was also ordered from Peckskill.

Although General Lee had been repeatedly urged, in the most pressing manner, to join the Commander in Chief, he proceeded slowly in the execution of these orders, manifesting a strong disposition to retain his separate command, and rather to hang on, and threaten the rear of the enemy, than strengthen the army in their front. With this view, he proposed establishing himself at Morristown; but, on receiving a letter from General Washington, stating his disapprobation of this plan,

* General Armstrong, of Pennsylvania, was at the same time sent, by General Washington, into that part of the state where he possessed most influence, to encourage the recruiting service, and favour the attempt of raising the militia.