ton
courteously declined to receive. The general then gave orders that
every care and assistance should be afforded the unfortunate soldier,
who died the next day in a room in Potts' Tavern.

"This is indeed a glorious day for our country," said the general to
Seymour.

It was in fact the turning-point in the history of the nation. The
captives numbered nearly one thousand men, with twelve hundred stand of
arms, six field-pieces, twelve drums, and four colors, including the
gorgeous banner of the Anspachers, the Von Lossburg regiment.

Of the Continentals, only two were killed and four wounded, while
upward of one hundred of the Hessians were killed and wounded, among
the killed being Rahl and Von Dechow, the first and second in command.
The whole of this brilliant affair scarcely occupied an hour.

As none of the other divisions had got across, it was scarcely safe for
Washington to remain on the east side of the river in the presence of
the vastly superior forces of the enemy, which would be concentrated
upon him without delay. So that, after giving the men a much needed
rest, securing their booty, and burying the dead, the evening found the
little army, with its prisoners, retracing its steps toward the ford
and its former camping-ground.

But with what different feelings the hungry, worn-out, tattered mass of
men marched along in the bitter night! The contrast between the
well-clothed and well-fed Hessians and their captors was surprising,
but not less striking than that between their going out and coming in.
Little recked the frozen men of the hardships of the way. They had
shown the world that they possessed other capabilities than facility in
retreating, and no American army, however small or feeble, would ever
again be despised by any foe.

The return passage was made without incident, save that just on the
crest of the hills leading down to the Ford, the general, who was in
advance again, noticed a suspicious-looking, snow-covered mound by the
roadside. Riding up to it, one of his aids dismounted and uncovered
the body of a man, a Continental soldier, frozen to death. The cold
weapon was grasped tightly in the colder hand. A little farther on
there was another body asleep in the snow,--another soldier! The last
was that man of the headquarters guard who had spoken of his little
children at home on Christmas day. They would wait a long time before
they saw him again. He had been willing to figh