ed. I then informed you that we soon expected another tussle. I
was not out in my conjecture. About three o'clock on the second of
January, a column of the enemy attacked a party of ours which was
stationed one mile above Trenton. Our party was small and did not make
much resistance. The enemy, who were Hessians, entered the town
pell-mell pretty much in the same manner that we had driven them a few
days before.

Nearly on the other side of Trenton, partly in the town, runs a brook
[the Assanpink], which in most places is not fordable, and over which
through Trenton is a bridge. The ground on the other side is much
higher than on this, and may be said to command Trenton completely.
Here it was our army drew up with thirty or forty pieces in front. The
enemy pushed our small party through the town with vigor, though not
with much loss. Their retreat over the bridge was thoroughly secured
by the artillery. After they had retired over the bridge, the enemy
advanced within reach of our cannon, who saluted them with great
vociferation and some execution. This continued till dark when of
course it ceased, except a few shells which we now and then chucked
into town to prevent their enjoying their new quarters securely. As I
before mentioned, the creek was in our front, our left on the
Delaware, our right in a wood parallel to the creek. The situation was
strong, to be sure; but hazardous on this account, that had our right
wing been defeated, the defeat of the left would almost have been an
inevitable consequence, and the whole thrown into confusion or pushed
into the Delaware, as it was impassable by boats.

From these circumstances the general thought best to attack
Princeton, twelve miles in the rear of the enemy's grand army, and
where they had the 17th, 40th, and 55th regiments, with a number of
draughts, altogether perhaps twelve hundred men. Accordingly about one
o'clock at night we began to march and make this most extra
manoevre. Our troops marched with great silence and order, and
arrived near Princeton a little after daybreak. We did not surprise
them as at Trenton; for they were on their march down to Trenton, on a
road about a quarter of a mile distant from that in which we were. You
may judge of their surprise when they saw such large columns marching
up. They could not possibly suppose it was our army, for that they
took for granted was cooped up near Trenton. They could not possibly
suppose it was their own a