The writings of George Washington; being his correspondence, addresses, messages, and other papers, official and private, selected and published from the original manuscripts; with a life of the author, notes and illustrations. By Jared Sparks.

~ET. 44.] LIFE OF WASHINGTON. 231
To all appearance a general action must be fought
the next day, and this with fearful odds, as the British
were superior in- numbers, and immeasurably so in the
discipline and experience of their men; for more than
half of the-American army consisted of militia, who had
never seen a battle, and had been but a few days in
the service. At the beginning of the evening General
Washington assembled his officers in council, and a
bold resolution was adopted. From the number of
Lord Cornwallis's troops it was rightly conjectured,
that he could not have left many in the rear; and it
was decided to move by a concealed march on the east
side of the Assanpink to Princeton. If no obstacles
were met with on the way, it was possible that the
army might push onward to Brunswic, surprise the
enemy there, and capture the stores, before Lord Cornwallis could return. To secure his baggage and prevent it from encumbering the army, General Washington
ordered it to be silently removed to Burlington, and at
twelve o'clock at night commenced his march. That
the suspicion of the enemy might not be awakened, the
fires were kept burning, and the guards were ordered
to remain at the bridge and the fords, till the approach
of daylight, when they were to follow. Men were employed during the night digging an intrenchment so
near the enemy's sentries, that they could be heard at
their work.
Pursuing a circuitous route, General Washington
reached Princeton a little after sunrise. Three British
regiments were found there, being the seventeenth, fortieth, and fifty-fifth, commanded by Colonel Mawhood,
two of which were designed to reinforce Lord Cornwallis that morning at Trenton. These two were already on their march. The American vanguard first
engaged the seventeenth, and a short but very severe