washington and his comrades in arms-第16章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　who　held　the　line　of　the　Delaware；　some　thirteen　hundred　of　them　under　Colonel　Rahl　at　Trenton；　two　thousand　under　Von　Donop　farther　down　the　river　at　Bordentown；　and　with　Germans　perhaps　more　than　any　other　people　Christmas　is　a　season　of　elaborate　festivity。　On　this　their　first　Christmas　away　from　home　many　of　the　Germans　would　be　likely　to　be　off　their　guard　either　through　homesickness　or　dissipation。　They　cared　nothing　for　either　side。　There　had　been　much　plundering　in　New　Jersey　and　discipline　was　relaxed。

Howe　had　been　guilty　of　the　folly　of　making　strong　the　posts　farthest　from　the　enemy　and　weak　those　nearest　to　him。　He　had；　indeed；　ordered　Rahl　to　throw　up　redoubts　for　the　defense　of　Trenton；　but　this；　as　Washington　well　knew；　had　not　been　done　for　Rahl　despised　his　enemy　and　spoke　of　the　American　army　as　already　lost。　Washington's　bold　plan　was　to　recross　the　Delaware　and　attack　Trenton。　There　were　to　be　three　crossings。　One　was　to　be　against　Von　Donop　at　Bordentown　below　Trenton；　the　second　at　Trenton　itself。　These　two　attacks　were　designed　to　prevent　aid　to　Trenton。　The　third　force　with　which　Washington　himself　went　was　to　cross　the　river　some　nine　miles　above　the　town。

Christmas　Day；　1776；　was　dismally　cold。　There　was　a　driving　storm　of　sleet　and　the　broad　swollen　stream　of　the　Delaware；　dotted　with　dark　masses　of　floating　ice；　offered　a　chill　prospect。　To　take　an　army　with　its　guns　across　that　threatening　flood　was　indeed　perilous。　Gates　and　other　generals　declared　that　the　scheme　was　too　difficult　to　be　carried　out。　Only　one　of　the　three　forces　crossed　the　river。　Washington；　with　iron　will；　was　not　to　be　turned　from　his　purpose。　He　had　skilled　boatmen　from　New　England。　The　crossing　took　no　less　than　ten　hours　and　a　great　part　of　it　was　done　in　wintry　darkness。　When　the　army　landed　on　the　New　Jersey　shore　it　had　a　march　of　nine　miles　in　sleet　and　rain　in　order　to　reach　Trenton　by　daybreak。　It　is　said　that　some　of　the　men　marched　barefoot　leaving　tracks　of　blood　in　the　snow。　The　arms　of　some　were　lost　and　those　of　others　were　wet　and　useless　but　Washington　told　them　that　they　must　depend　the　more　on　the　bayonet。　He　attacked　Trenton　in　broad　daylight。　There　was　a　sharp　fight。　Rahl；　the　commander；　and　some　seventy　men；　were　killed　and　a　thousand　men　surrendered。

Even　now　Washington's　position　was　dangerous。　Von　Donop；　with　two　thousand　men；　lay　only　a　few　miles　down　the　river。　Had　he　marched　at　once　on　Trenton；　as　he　should　have　done；　the　worn　out　little　force　of　Washington　might　have　met　with　disaster。　What　Von　Donop　did　when　the　alarm　reached　him　was　to　retreat　as　fast　as　he　could　to　Princeton；　a　dozen　miles　to　the　rear　towards　New　York；　leaving　behind　his　sick　and　all　his　heavy　equipment。　Meanwhile　Washington；　knowing　his　danger；　had　turned　back　across　the　Delaware　with　a　prisoner　for　every　two　of　his　men。　When；　however；　he　saw　what　Von　Donop　had　done　he　returned　on　the　twenty…ninth　to　Trenton；　sent　out　scouting　parties；　and　roused　the　country　so　that　in　every　bit　of　forest　along　the　road　to　Princeton　there　were　men；　dead　shots；　to　make　difficult　a　British　advance　to　retake　Trenton。

The　reverse　had　brought　consternation　at　New　York。　Lord　Cornwallis　was　about　to　embark　for　England；　the　bearer　of　news　of　overwhelming　victory。　Now；　instead；　he　was　sent　to　drive　back　Washington。　It　was　no　easy　task　for　Cornwallis　to　reach　Trenton；　for　Washington's　scouting　parties　and　a　force　of　six　hundred　men　under　Greene　were　on　the　road　to　harass　him。　On　the　evening　of　the　2d　of　January；　however；　he　reoccupied　Trenton。　This　time　Washington　had　not　recrossed　the　Delaware　but　had　retreated　southward　and　was　now　entrenched　on　the　southern　bank　of　the　little　river　Assanpink；　which　flows　into　the　Delaware。　Reinforcements　were　following　Cornwallis。　That　night　he　sharply　cannonaded　Washington's　position　and　was　as　sharply　answered。　He　intended　to　attack　in　force　in　the　morning。　To　the　skill　and　resource　of　Washington　he　paid　the　compliment　of　saying　that　at　last　he　had　run　down　the　〃Old　Fox。〃

Then　followed　a　maneuver　which；　years　after；　Cornwallis；　a　generous　foe；　told　Washington　was　one　of　the　most　surprising　and　brilliant　in　the　history　of　war。　There　was　another　〃old　fox〃　in　Europe；　Frederick　the　Great；　of　Prussia；　who　knew　war　if　ever　man　knew　it；　and　he；　too；　from　this　movement　ranked　Washington　among　the　great　generals。　The　maneuver　was　simple　enough。　Instead　of　taking　the　obvious　course　of　again　retreating　across　the　Delaware　Washington　decided　to　advance；　to　get　in　behind　Cornwallis；　to　try　to　cut　his　communications；　to　threaten　the　British　base　of　supply　and　then；　if　a　superior　force　came　up；　to　retreat　into　the　highlands　of　New　Jersey。　There　he　could　keep　an　unbroken　line　as　far　east　as　the　Hudson；　menace　the　British　in　New　Jersey；　and　probably　force　them　to　withdraw　to　the　safety　of　New　York。

All　through　the　night　of　January　2；　1777；　Washington's　camp　fires　burned　brightly　and　the　British　outposts　could　hear　the　sound　of　voices　and　of　the　spade　and　pickaxe　busy　in　throwing　up　entrenchments。　The　fires　died　down　towards　morning　and　the　British　awoke　to　find　the　enemy　camp　deserted。　Washington　had　carried　his　whole　army　by　a　roundabout　route　to　the　Princeton　road　and　now　stood　between　Cornwallis　and　his　base。　There　was　some　sharp　fighting　that　day　near　Princeton。　Washington　had　to　defeat　and　get　past　the　reinforcements　coming　to　Cornwallis。　He　reached　Princeton　and　then　slipped　away　northward　and　made　his　headquarters　at　Morristown。　He　had　achieved　his　purpose。　The　British　with　Washington　entrenched　on　their　flank　were　not　safe　in　New　Jersey。　The　only　thing　to　do　was　to　withdraw　to　New　York。　By　his　brilliant　advance　Washington　recovered　the　whole　of　New　Jersey　with　the　exception　of　some　minor　positions　near　the　sea。　He　had　changed　the　face　of　the　war。　In　London　there　was　momentary　rejoicing　over　Howe's　recent　victories；　but　it　was　soon　followed　by　distressing　news　of　defeat。　Through　all　the　colonies　ran　inspiring　tidings。　There　had　been　doubts　whether；　after　all；　Washington　was　the　heaven…sent　leader。　Now　both　America　and　Europe　learned　to　recognize　his　skill。　He　had　won　a　reputation；　though　not　yet　had　he　saved　a　cause。



CHAPTER　V。　THE　LOSS　OF　PHILADELPHIA

Though　the　outlook　for　Washington　was　brightened　by　his　success　in　New　Jersey；　it　was　still　depressing　enough。　The　British　had　taken　New　York；　they　could　probably　take　Philadelphia　when　they　liked；　and　no　place　near　the　seacoast　was　safe。　According　to　the　votes　in　Parliament；　by　the　spring　of　1777　Britain　was　to　have　an　army　of　eighty…nine　thousand　men；　of　whom　fifty…seven　thousand　were　intended　for　colonial　garrisons　and　for　the　prosecution　of　the　war　in　America。　These　numbers　were　in　fact　never　reached；　but　the　army　of　forty　thousand　in　America　was　formidable　compared　with　Washington's　forces。　The　British　were　not　hampered　by　the　practice　of　enlisting　men　for　only　a　few　months；　which　marred　so　much　of　Washington's　effort。　Above　all　they　had　money　and　adequate　resources。　In　a　word　they　had　the　things　which　Washington　lacked　during　almost　the　whole　of　the　war。

Washington　called　his　success　in　the　attack　at　Trenton　a　lucky　stroke。　It　was　luck　which　had　far…reaching　consequences。　Howe　had　the　fixed　idea　that　to　follow　the　capture　of　New　York　by　that　of　Philadelphia；　the　most　populous　city　in　America；　and　the　seat　of　Congress；　would　mean　great　glory　for　himself　and　a　crushing　blow　to　the　American　cause。　If　to　this　could　be　added；　as　he　intended；　the　occupation　of　the　whole　valley　of　the　Hudson；　the　year　1777　might　well　see　the　end　of　the　war。　An　acute　sense　of　the　value　of　time　is　vital　in　war。　Promptness；　the　quick　surprise　of　the　enemy；　was　perhaps　the　chief　military　virtue　of　Washington；　dilatoriness　was　the　destructive　vice　of　Howe。　He　had　so　little　contempt　for　his　foe　that　he　practised　a　blighting　caution。　On　April　12；　1777；　Washington；　in　view　of　his　own　depleted　force；　in　a　state　of　half　famine；　wrote：　〃If　Howe　does　not　take　advantage　of　our　weak　state　he　is　very　unfit　for　his　trust。〃　Howe　remained　inactive　and　time；　thus　despised；　worked　its　due　revenge。　Later　Howe　did　move；　and　with　skill；　but　he　missed　the　rapid　combination　in　action　which　was　th