Taking decided that retreat was the only prudent course. advantage of a heavy fog which rested on Long Island but did not touch the opposite shore, Washington succeeded in getting the entire army safely across to New York. When the sun appeared, and Howe stretched out his hand to take the "nest of rebels," he found to his disgust that the nest was empty. - 495 211. Washington driven out of New York; loss of Forts Washington and Lee. A few weeks later (September, 1776) Howe landed a strong body of troops in New York. He stopped to taste some of Mrs. Robert Murray's old Madeira, and so just missed the chance of capturing Putnam's division." While the gallant British commander was enjoying the society of that patriotic lady and her charming daughter, Putnam hastily retreated to Harlem and joined Washington. Mrs. Murray had "saved the American army." Howe gradually pushed the Americans as far north as Northcastle. Washington then crossed over to New Jersey, leaving General Charles Lee with seventy-five hundred men to defend Northcastle, and sending Heath with three thousand men to hold the Highlands at West Point. Howe obtained plans of Fort Washington (then under command of General Greene) from a traitor within its walls.496 The British general surprised and took the works (November 16, 1776). Washington witnessed the battle from the west bank. of the Hudson and wept like a child, it is said, when he saw his men bayoneted by the Hessians while begging for quarter." Now that Fort Washington was taken, Fort Lee, which Greene held, was as useless as one half a pair of shears without the other half. Before he could evacuate it he was surprised, and barely managed to escape. 497 212. The retreat across New Jersey (November 21 to December 8, 1776); Washington crosses the Delaware. Washington at once (November 21, 1776) began his famous retreat across New Jersey. If worst came to worst, he might hope by crossing the Delaware to save his army and also to save Philadelphia. He had ordered Lee (§ 201) to join him without delay, but that false-hearted officer deliberately disobeyed. He was plotting to get the chief command for himself. Lord Cornwallis (§ 207) pursued Washington's little army so closely that the British would sometimes be entering a town at one end just as the Americans were leaving it at the other; but by rapid marching and by destroying bridges Washington managed to keep out of the enemy's clutches. On December 8 (1776) Washington reached Trenton. He seized every boat and scow on the river from Philadelphia for seventy miles upward, and then crossed the Delaware. Cornwallis came up to the bank of the river just in time to see the last boat-load of patriots push off from shore. A few days later Lee was captured in New Jersey. He had moved there with his army, but with no intention, as he later admitted, of joining Washington. Lee's force managed to escape the British and unite with Washington; but many of the new-comers were "fit only for the hospital." 213. Victory at Trenton; Robert Morris; victory at Princeton. - While Cornwallis - who had moved to Princeton was waiting for an opportunity to cross the river and attack Philadelphia, he left Colonel Rahl with a force of Hessians to hold Trenton. On Christmas night (1776) Washington, with less than twenty-five hundred men, secretly recrossed the Delaware - then full of floating ice- and fell on the enemy early in the morning at Trenton. Rahl had not slept off the effects of his numerous bowls of Christmas punch, and Washington completely surprised him, capturing between nine hundred and a thousand prisoners, besides large quantities of arms and ammunition. It was a little battle, but it was a great victory, because it had great results. It kindled new hope in the hearts of dispirited and despairing patriots, and it completely upset Howe's plans. 498 The only drawback to the joy of the American commander was the pressing need of money of hard cash (§ 204), not depreciated or worthless Continental bills to secure new enlistments. In this emergency Washington wrote to his friend Robert Morris of Philadelphia, asking him to send as much silver as he could raise. Morris set out before it was light on New Year's morning (1777), and went from house to house, rousing his friends from their beds, and begging them to lend him all the coin they could spare. In this way he got $50,000, which he forthwith sent to Washington.499 Meanwhile Cornwallis, leaving part of his force at Princeton, hurried south in the hope of catching the Americans at Trenton. Washington's case seemed hopeless; behind him was the broad Delaware full of broken ice, before him Cornwallis had gathered his troops for battle. The British did not reach Trenton until nearly sundown (January 2, 1777), and the night threatened to be foggy. Cornwallis decided to postpone the attack until the next day. He went to bed in high spirits. "At last," said he, "we have run down the old fox, and we will bag him in the morning.' "500 But "the old fox" did not wait to be bagged. Leaving his camp-fires burning brightly, Washington crept stealthily out of his entrenchments, slipped around Cornwallis's sleeping army, and marched rapidly on Princeton. There (January 3, 1777) he surprised and completely routed the British line. Washington then advanced to the heights at Morristown and went into winter quarters. Frederick the Great considered the movements of Washington during these ten days- December 25, 1776, to January 4, 1777 — the most brilliant of any recorded in the annals of military history. 214. Plans of Lord Germain; Washington baffles Howe; Howe sails for Philadelphia. - The American commander spent the winter at Morristown reorganizing his army. Lord Germain, of the English Cabinet, had the general control of the British forces in America. He now resolved to |