e was brief. Howe attacked the little army in front, while
General Clinton got around by a circuitous route to the rear of the
Colonial troops and cut them off. The Americans lost one thousand men by
death or capture. The prisoners were confined in the old sugar-house on
Liberty Street, where they suffered the most miserable and indescribable
deaths.

The army of the Americans fortunately escaped by Fulton Ferry in a fog,
otherwise it would have been obliterated. Washington now fortified
Harlem Heights, and later withdrew to White Plains. Afterwards he
retired to a fortified camp called North Castle.

Howe feared to attack him there, and so sent the Hessians, who captured
Fort Washington, November 16.

It looked scaly for the Americans, as Motley says, and Philadelphia bade
fair to join New York and other cities held by the British. The English
van could be seen from the Colonial rear column. The American troops
were almost barefooted, and left their blood-stained tracks on the
frozen road.

It was at this time that Washington crossed the Delaware and thereby
found himself on the other side; while Howe decided to remain, as the
river was freezing, and when the ice got strong enough, cross over and
kill the Americans at his leisure. Had he followed the Colonial army, it
is quite sure now that the English would have conquered, and the author
would have been the Duke of Sandy Bottom, instead of a plain American
citizen, unknown, unhonored, and unsung.

[Illustration: NYE AS THE DUKE OF SANDY BOTTOM.]

Washington decided that he must strike a daring blow while his troops
had any hope or vitality left; and so on Christmas night, after
crossing the Delaware as shown elsewhere, he fell on the Hessians at
Trenton in the midst of their festivities, captured one thousand
prisoners, and slew the leader.

The Hessians were having a symposium at the time, and though the
commander received an important note of warning during the Christmas
dinner, he thrust it into his pocket and bade joy be unconfined.

When daylight came, the Hessians were mostly moving in alcoholic circles
trying to find their guns. Washington lost only four men, and two of
those were frozen to death.

The result of this fight gave the Colonists courage and taught them at
the same time that it would be best to avoid New Jersey symposiums till
after the war was over.

Having made such a hit in crossing the Delaware, Washington decided to
repeat the perf