The General's Christmas (10 page)

The old wooden front door was unlocked.
Inside, a dim light from an upper window lit the wooden floor and
the flat grist stones. Empty barrels and sacks lay about, dusty and
festooned with cobwebs. A wooden ladder led up to a loft.

Baylor gave the ladder a shake to determine
its soundness. Satisfied, he climbed up.

At the top of the ladder, he
saw two figures huddled together in the hay under empty burlap
sacks. Their legs were chained to a post as they regarded Baylor
with frightened eyes. After his eyes adjusted to the darkness of
the loft, Baylor announced,

"This town is now in the possession of the
American Continental Army."

There was a moment of silence as the two men
looked at one another, then at Baylor. Finally, one cried, "Thank
God! We're saved!"

General Washington and his officers stood
around a table inside the Hessian headquarters where a fire had
been revived which provided warmth from the winter storm. One
officer found a sack of coffee and brewed a large pot over the
fire. Gratefully, they filled cups with the steaming hot drink and
sat down at the table.

"If we attack Princeton now, we could score
another victory," stated Colonel Knox, "We now have plenty of heavy
artillery and ammunition to do the job."

"I am happy to hear it,"
Washington said, "However; it isn't the artillery that concerns me,
Colonel. Our men have marched for ten hours through bitter cold and
fought an arduous battle for over two hours. As soon as some of the
soldiers who escaped can get word to the British, we will certainly
have to fight again."

"Then let us settle in here and meet the
enemy! We've plenty of food and ammunition," Captain Stephen
stated.

"This town is indefensible," General Sullivan
argued, "Its position is vulnerable from the north, the east, and
the south. And the enemy holds regiments in all those areas. If
they should decide to strike at us from all three, then we would be
trapped."

"A good point," Washington agreed. He had
thought of this very problem before the meeting had even begun. He
preferred to listen to everyone's ideas before making a final
decision on his own.

"We could move south and take Bordentown,"
suggested Colonel Glover.

"But again, we would be in the same
position," Sullivan reiterated.

"And our troops do need rest," Colonel Knox
added.

During the lull in the discussion, Washington
looked at each of the men, waiting for someone to speak. Finally,
he cleared his throat. All eyes went to him as he said,

"It is less than two hours
to Princeton from here, which means that we have less than four
hours until the enemy strikes us. If we leave now, we may avoid
facing them on the road to the Bear Tavern. The men are exhausted
and need rest. And I fear that if we stay, we will be trapped as
General Sullivan has stated. We must move out now while we still
have the chance, and return to camp. Are there any other
questions?"

Colonel Knox spoke up, "We'll have more heavy
artillery to carry back then when we came and more to ferry
over."

"Yes, it will undoubtedly take longer to
cross the river. Pray to God that the river crossing will be easier
than it was on the way here," Washington replied. He gave each
officer his orders for the retreat back to camp before they
adjourned.

When he stepped back outside, Washington
noticed that the wind had abated somewhat, but the snow was still
falling. He closed his eyes momentarily, thanking God for the
victory and praying for a safe journey home.

"General?"

When he opened his eyes, Corporal Baylor
stood before him.

"Yes? What is it?"

"We found two prisoners,
sir. They were chained up in a loft in the old mill. One of them is
Mr. Clark, the father of Anna and Elizabeth," he said with a
smile.

"And are they well?"

"Aside from being cold and
hungry, they are well, sir."

Washington nodded, "We're all cold and
hungry, Corporal. Find them a place in a wagon to ride back to
camp."

"Yes, sir. When will we be
leaving?"

"Within the hour."

"Yes, sir!" Corporal Baylor
saluted smartly.

Washington found his horse beside a watering
trough where his servant handed him the reins.

"All fed and watered, sir!"
the servant announced as Washington heaved up into his
saddle.

Once the officers were mounted, the troops
reluctantly formed into their regiments. A few soldiers waved
goodbye to residents who wished them well, carrying bundles of food
gifts. The prisoners stood in lines six men across, looking tired
and apprehensive. A few of their officers had tried to reassure
them that they would not be tortured or killed, but many were
skeptical.

Washington joined General Greene at the head
of his regiment. Greene turned and smiled at the general,
saying,

"This is one Christmas I
shall never forget, sir."

Washington looked back at
the troops standing in formation, the officers barking out orders,
and the long line of men and artillery behind him. He felt a sense
of accomplishment, but more than that, a sense of hope that this
war could be won by such men as these. He looked at Greene, giving
one of his rare smiles.

"Neither will I, general,
neither will I."

###

Epilogue

As a result of the victory at Trenton, many
soldiers reenlisted in Washington's army, and he was able to
continue leading the fight against the British. This victory was a
small one in comparison to others during the five years of struggle
for independence. However, its significance lies in the fact that
had this battle been lost, or never fought, the Continental army
may have disbanded in defeat. The chances of reforming another army
in spring would have been difficult if not impossible. The
courageous sacrifice of General George Washington, his officers and
troops on Christmas Day of 1776 should never be forgotten.

Bibliogaphy

Forbes, E.
Paul Revere and the World He Lived
In
. Cambridge: The Riverside Press.
1942.

Hackett Fischer,
David
. Washington's
Crossing
. New York: Oxford University
Press, 2004.

Johnson, Paul.
George Washington
. New
York: Harper Collins Pub.2005.

Tindall, G. B.
America: A Narrative History
, 2e. New York: W. W. Norton & Co. 1988.

Trenton Historical
Society
at
http://trentonhistory.org