The enemy were within nineteen miles of Philadelphia, they are now
sixty miles. We have driven them from almost the whole of West Jersey.
The panic is still kept up. We had a battle two days ago with a party
of ours and sixty Waldeckers, who were all killed or taken, in
Monmouth County in the lower part of the Jerseys. It is not our
interest to fight a general battle, nor can I think, under all
circumstances, it is the enemy's. They have sent their baggage to
Staten Island from the Jerseys, and we are very well informed they are
doing the same from New York. Heath will have orders to march there
and endeavor to storm it from that side. 'There is a tide in the
affairs of men, which taken at the flood leads on to victory.'

[_Life, etc. of General Knox._ By Francis S. Drake. Boston,
1873.]

[No. 50.]

COL. HASLET TO CAESAR RODNEY

ALLENTOWN January 2nd 1777.

This morning we were called up at 2 o'clock under a pretended alarm
that we were to be attacked by the enemy but by daylight we were
ordered to march for Trenton, and when we reached Crosswicks found
that the brigade had gone. We reached Trenton about 11 o'clock and
found all the troops from our different posts in Jersey, collected and
collecting there under General Washington himself; and the regular
troops were already properly disposed to receive the enemy, whose main
body was then within a few miles and determined to dispossess us.

Trenton stands upon the River Delaware, with a creek called the
Assanpink passing through the town across which there is a bridge.

The enemy came down on the upper side of this creek, through the town,
and a number of our troops were posted with Riflemen and artillery to
oppose their approach.

The main body of our army was drawn up on a plain below, or on the
lower side of the Assanpink, near the bridge, and the main force of
our Artillery was posted on the banks and high ground along the creek
in front of them.

Gen. Mercer's brigade was posted about 2 miles up the creek, and the
troops under Gen. Cadwallader were stationed in a field on the right
about a mile from the town, on the main road, to prevent the enemy
from flanking. We had five pieces of Artillery with our division and
about 20 more in the field, near, and at the town. Our numbers were
about five thousand, and the enemy's about seven thousand. The attack
began about 2 o'clock and a heavy fire upon both sides, chiefly from
the artillery continued