should freeze. Winter being now upon him, the British

Europe. Returning to America, he had sought to obtain the chief command from Congress, and was disappointed on being made second to Washington. Jealousy prompted him to dishonor and treachery. In addition to disobeying orders, he wrote letters to prominent persons slandering Washington. After Washington's retreat, he crossed to New Jersey, and there, sleeping outside his army lines, was taken prisoner by a party of British dragoons. General Sullivan then took command, and hastened to join Washington. It has lately been learned, from the discovery of Howe's papers, that Lee betrayed the American cause while a prisoner, giving Howe all the information he could about Washington's plans.

commander quartered his troops in the villages near the Delaware, and waited the work of the frost.

Discouragement of the Americans.-The American cause was now in a serious state. Washington's small army was ragged and disheartened. New recruits were not to be had. The time of enlistment of many of the soldiers would expire at the end of the year, and there was no hope that

WASHINGTON'S ARMY CROSSING THE DELAWARE.

they would re-enlist. To the capture of New York had been added that of Newport. Congress had fled from Philadelphia. Many persons of prominence had returned to their allegiance to George III. It looked as if the revolution was rapidly nearing its end.

The Victory at Trenton.-Such was the situation near the end of 1776. By a daring stroke Washington completely changed it, and brought hope out of depression. Feeling that he must act at once or all would be lost, he crossed the Delaware on Christmas-night, in a storm of snow and sleet and amid the floating ice, marched his two thousand

five hundred men nine miles through the storm, and at break of day fell upon the Hessian force stationed at Trenton. Taken by surprise, they made but little resistance. Their colonel' fell mortally wounded, and one thousand prisoners were taken, while the Americans lost but four men,— two of whom had been frozen to death. This done, Washington recrossed the Delaware with his prisoners.

The Result of the Victory.-This unlooked-for victory had an electrical effect. It dismayed the British; it inspired the Americans. Depression changed suddenly to exultation. Those whose time was about to expire agreed to remain. New recruits came in. The situation had completely changed. Despair was everywhere replaced by hopefulness.

Howe was alarmed. The outlying detachments on the Delaware were hastily withdrawn, lest they should suffer the same fate. Cornwallis, who had gone to New York to sail for England, with the belief that the war was virtually at an end, was ordered to return and face the foe. On the 2d of January he reached Trenton, where Washington, who had now recrossed the Delaware with his whole force, lay intrenched behind a small stream.

Washington at Princeton.-Cornwallis deferred his attack on Washington's breastworks until the following morning. At sunrise he was aroused by a sound which he thought to be distant thunder, but which he soon learned was the roar of far-off cannon. Washington had completely

1 Rahl, the Hessian commander, had feasted that Christmas-night at Trenton, wine and cards keeping the party up till daylight. At dawn a messenger brought a note telling of the coming of the Americans. The servant refused him admittance, but took the note to the commander, who thrust it unopened into his pocket. As a result, the sound of musketry first warned him of his peril.

outgeneralled him. Knowing that he had not the force to meet the battalions of Cornwallis, he had marched away in the night, leaving fires burning and sentries posted, and at early dawn had fallen on a British force at Princeton. This he drove back in defeat, took over two hundred prisoners, and then marched to a strong position on the heights about Morristown, where he defied the foe.1

Results of the Victory.-The whole British plan of campaign had been destroyed by a single blow. With Washington in that position, ready to pounce on any outlying force, Howe was obliged to withdraw his troops, and to give up for the time the purpose to take Philadelphia.

The news of the skilful movement of Washington changed the feeling in Europe. It had been believed that the American cause was lost. Now the French began to consider an alliance with the Americans. They had not forgiven England for their late defeat, and here seemed an opportunity for revenge. The Marquis de Lafayette, a noble young Frenchman, fitted out a ship at his own expense, and offered his services to Congress as a volunteer. Other European officers followed him to America.

The Campaign of 1777.-With the opening of the new year the British made vigorous preparations to carry out the plans in which they had failed the year before. These

1 Washington was in imminent peril at Princeton. A fierce charge of the British threw the Americans into confusion, and a panic flight seemed probable. Washington, who just then came up, called loudly on the troops to rally, and rode forward until he was between the two lines. A volley from the British line was followed by one from the American, neither party seeing the endangered general, who was concealed by the smoke. When the smoke lifted, he was seen sitting his horse unhurt. Inspired by his courage, the Americans rushed forward with such intrepidity that the foe was driven back and defeat turned into victory.

were the cutting off of New England by occupying the line of the Hudson and Lake Champlain, and the capture of Philadelphia. The first of these movements was to be made by three armies. General John Burgoyne was to come down from Canada by way of Lake Champlain with a force of about nine thousand men. A second army about two thousand strong, under Colonel St. Leger, was to march overland from Oswego, on Lake Ontario, and to enlist a force of Indians on the way. Howe, with not less than eighteen thousand men, was to move up the Hudson and unite with Burgoyne. With armies so strong as these success seemed certain, and it was hoped that the " bellion" would be dealt a crushing blow.

re

Howe's Blunder.-There were two things in favor of the Americans. One was the ability of Washington and his leading officers. The other was the attempt of the British to do too much. Instead of confining himself to the one important duty of aiding Burgoyne, Howe proposed to take Philadelphia first and help Burgoyne afterward. By at tempting this double work he succeeded in ruining the whole plan of campaign.

Howe Sails to the Chesapeake.-Howe set out in June to cross New Jersey to Philadelphia. But he found Washington so alert that he was obliged to give up this design and proceed by sea. The summer was well gone by the time he was ready to set sail. He had intended to go up the Delaware, but, perhaps fearing obstructions in the river, he sailed for Chesapeake Bay instead, and landed his army of eighteen thousand men at Elkton, Maryland.' Thence he started to march overland upon Philadelphia.

1 From Howe's recently discovered papers it is learned that Genera? Lee advised him to take Philadelphia, "the rebel capital, which would