ciency of the army, and that was the high quality and
overwhelming number of the American officers.

Orders had been given to the brigades and troops mentioned to
concentrate at McConkey's Ferry, about nine miles above Trenton.
Another division under Ewing was to cross a mile below Trenton and
seize the bridge and fords across the Assunpink, to check the retreat
of the enemy and co-operate with the main attack.

Cadwalader's Pennsylvania militia under Gates were to cross at Bristol
or below Burlington, and attack Von Donop at that point, while Putnam,
in conjunction with him, was to make a diversion from Philadelphia.
The movements were to be simultaneous, and the result it was hoped
would accord with the effort. The main column, and the one upon which
the most dependence was to be placed, was that which Washington himself
was to accompany, which was composed of veteran Continentals, to the
number of twenty-four hundred, with eighteen pieces of artillery.

All this was briefly explained by the general to Seymour and the staff,
while they rode slowly along the frozen road. About eight o'clock they
arrived at the ford, near which the troops who had arrived before them
now stood shivering on the high ground by the river. A few fires were
burning in the ravines back of the banks, around which the men took
turns in warming themselves, as they munched their frugal fare from the
haversacks. A large number of boats had been collected for their
transportation, but the river itself was in a most unpromising
condition, full of great cakes of ice which the swift current kept
churning and grinding against each other.

The general surveyed the scene in silence, as his staff and the general
officers gathered about him.

"There is something moving in the river, general," suddenly said
Seymour, pointing, his practised eye detecting a dark object among the
cakes of ice. "It is a boat, sir!"

"Ah," replied the general, "you have sharp eyes. Where is it?"

"There, sir, coming nearer every minute; there is a man in it."

"I see now. So there is. Who can it be?"

"Probably it is Lieutenant Martin," remarked General Greene, quietly.
"You know you sent him back."

"Oh, so I did," replied the general, nodding sternly at the
recollection. Meanwhile the man in the boat was skilfully making his
way between the great cakes of ice, which threatened every moment to
crush his frail skiff. He rapidly drew near until he finally jump