d Lord Sterling accompanying him,--and
giving Sullivan command of the other, which was to approach the town by
another road leading along the river.

"The two arrived at Trenton about the same time, having marched so
silently that the enemy was unaware of their approach till they were but
a short distance from the picket guards on the outskirts of the town.

"There was a brisk skirmish then, the Hessians retreating toward their
main body, firing as they went from behind the houses, while the
Americans pursued them closely."

"Then the Hessians weren't drunk as Washington expected, were they,
Grandma Elsie?" asked Grace.

"Well-authenticated tradition says they were," replied Mrs. Travilla;
"that they had been carousing through the night, Rall himself feasting,
drinking, and playing cards at the house of Abraham Hunt, who had
invited him and other officers to a Christmas supper. They had been
playing all night and regaling themselves with wine.

"A Tory on the Pennington road saw, about dawn, the approach of the
Americans under Washington and sent a messenger with a note to warn
Rall. But a negro servant who had been stationed as warden at the door
refused to allow the messenger to pass in, saying, 'The gemman can't be
disturbed.'

"It seems that the messenger was aware of the contents of the note, or
at least that it was a warning of the approach of the Americans, so,
being foiled in his purpose of seeing Rall himself, he handed the note
to the negro with an order to carry it at once to Colonel Rall.

"The negro obeyed, but Rall, excited with wine and interested in his
game, merely thrust the note into his pocket and went on with his deal.

"But presently the roll of the American drums, the rattle of musketry,
the tramp of horses, and the rumble of heavy gun-carriages fell upon his
drowsy ear, and in a moment he was wide awake, the cards were dropped,
he sprang to his feet, then rushed away to his quarters and mounted his
horse with all speed; but at that time his soldiers were being driven by
the Americans as chaff before the wind.

"The Hessians' drums were beating to arms, and a company rushed out of
the barracks to protect the patrol. Washington's troops had begun the
fight with an attack upon the outermost picket on the Pennington road,
and Stark, with the van of Sullivan's party, gave three cheers and
rushed upon the enemy's pickets near the river with their bayonets, and
they, astonished at the suddenne