l," explained
Harold, in reply to a question from his little brother; "he dismounted,
and was rallying his troops, when a British soldier felled him to the
ground by a blow from a musket.

"He was supposed to be Washington. A shout, was raised, 'The rebel
general is taken!' and at that others of the enemy rushed to the spot
calling out, 'Call for quarter, you d----d rebel!'

"'I am no rebel!' Mercer answered indignantly, though half a dozen of
their bayonets were at his breast; and instead of calling for quarter he
continued to fight, striking at them with his sword till they bayoneted
him and left him for dead.

"He was not dead, however, but mortally wounded.

"After the British had retreated he was carried to the house of Thomas
Clark," continued Harold, pointing out the building as he spoke, "where
he lingered in great pain till the 12th and then died."

"I'm glad it wasn't Washington," said Walter.

"Was Washington hurt at all, papa?" asked Grace.

"No, though exposed to the hottest fire he escaped without injury,"
replied the captain. "God our Heavenly Father preserved him for his
great work--the salvation of our country. 'Man is immortal till his work
is done'--and Washington's was not done till years afterward."

"Not even when the war was over; for he was our first president, I
remember," said Lulu.

"Yes," replied her father, "and he did much for his country in that
capacity.

"The night before this battle of Princeton he and his army were in a
critical situation, the British being fully equal in numbers and their
troops well disciplined, while about half of Washington's army was
composed of raw militia--so that a general engagement the next day would
be almost sure to result in defeat to the Americans.

"Washington called a council of war. It was he himself who proposed to
withdraw from their present position--on the high ground upon the
southern bank of the Assanpink--before dawn of the next morning, and, by
a circuitous march to Princeton, get in the rear of the enemy, attack
them at that place, and if successful march on to New Brunswick and take
or destroy his stores there.

"The great difficulty in the way was that the ground was too soft, from
a thaw, to make it safe and easy to move their forty pieces of cannon.

"But a kind Providence removed that hindrance, the weather suddenly
becoming so extremely cold that in two hours or less the roads were hard
enough for the work."

"As Lossin