The American revolution

3 January 1777

Battle of Princeton

PAOK

Washington's Victory at Princeton, 71

MILITARY JOURNAL, 1777. 71

at Princeton, routed them, and drove tliem from their re- doubts. By this masterly manoeuvre, the enemy lost about five hundred in killed, wounded and prisoners. The loss on our side is very inconsiderable in point of numbers, but we have to lament the death of Brigadier-General Mercer, a brave officer, who commanded the Virginia mil- itia. The fact is published, that after General Mercer sur- rendered himself, the enemy, deaf to the voice of humanity, stabbed him with their bayonets, and with the butt end of a musket battered and disfigured his face in a savage manner. It is to be remarked, that on this memorable occasion Lord Cornwallis was completely out-generaled ; while he was expecting to find the Continental army at their lighted fires at Trenton, he was astonished and con- founded to hear the firing occasioned by this same army, beating up their quarters twelve miles in his rear. His lordship immediately repaired by a forced march to Prince- ton, but arrived too late to retaliate on his vigilant antagonist, who had taken up his route to Morristown. Finding that the Continentals were out of his reach, his lordship proceeded without halting to Brunswick. Strat- agems in war, when wisely concerted, and judiciously ex- ecuted, are considered as characterizing a military genius of superior order, and is a quality of inestimable value in every commander. It is often exultingly remarked in our camp, that Washington was born for the salvation of his country, and that he is endowed with all the talents and abilities necessary to qualify him for the great undertaking. The militia of Jersey, immediately on their being liberated from the control of the British, flew to arms, exasperated and stimulated by a recollection of their sufferings, and have become their most bitter and determined enemies; and are very active and vigilant in harassing them on all occasions, keeping a continual watch, and cutting off *small parties whenever opportunities offer. It is gratifying to the army that Congress have conferred on their General- issimo more ample powers, and appointed him Bictator for the limited term of six months ; to reform and new-model the military arrangements, in such m.anner as he may judge most advantageous for the public service. Much good is expected to result from this measure.

MILITAKY JOURNAL, 1777. 77

prisoners have been in some degree mitigated. To the foregoing unparalleled catalogue of criminal proceedings, I have to add, from another writer, that the enemy wan- tonly destroyed the New York water-works, an elegant public library at Trenton, and the grand orrery made bv the celebrated Eittenhouse, which was placed in the college at Princeton, a piece of mechanism which the most untutored savage, staying the hand of violence, would have beheld with wonder and delight. Thus are our cruel enemies warring against liberty, virtue and the arts and sciences. To make war asrainst literature and learnino^ is the part of barbarians. I cannot resist the temptation to transcribe a few paragraphs from an elegant speech of Governor Livingston to the general assembly of the state of New Jersey, March the 5th. "They have plundered friends and foes; effects, capable of division, they have divided ; such as were not, they have destroyed : they have warred on decrepid old age, warred on defenceless youth; they have committed hostilities against the professors of literature and the ministers of religion, against public re- cords and private monuments; books of improvement, and papers of curiosity; and against the arts and sciences. They have butchered the wounded, asking for quarter; mangled the dead, weltering in their blood; refused to the dead the rites of sepulture; suffered prisoners to perish for want of sustenance; insulted the persons of females; disfigured private dwellings of taste and elegance, and, in the rage of impiety and barbarism, profaned edifices dedi- cated to Almighty God."

MILITAKY JOURNAL, 1781. 247

On the third day, the insurgent troops reached Princeton, and, by request of General Wayne, they deputed a committee of sergeants, who stated to him formally in writing their claims, as follows: 1st, A discharge for all those, without exception, who had served three years under their original engagements, and had not received the increased bounty and reenlisted for the war.

15 March 1781

Battle of Guilford Court House

PAOB

Battle of Guilford; Distress of our Southern Army, 260

MILITARY JOURNAL, 17S1. 259

By intelligence from our army of the south, under command of^Major-General Greene, affairs in that eparter are exceedingly unpropitious and discouraging. The troops are so destitute of clothing, that their footsteps are marked with blood for want of shoes ; their food consists, part of the time, of rice, v/ith frogs from ponds and ditches, and sometimes of peaches and berries. When they obtain a small supply of beef, it is so miserably poor as scarcely to be eatable. The army is continually harassed in march- ing through the country, sometimes executing successful and honorable exploits, and again compelled to retreat be- fore a victorious enemy with hair-breadth escapes. Never perhaps were opposing commanders more equally matched tlian General Greene and Lord Cornwallis, though the former is almost constantly laboring under the disad- vantage of inferiority of numbers and of physical force. General Greene communicates to Congress an account of a very obstinate and bloody battle fought by the two armies at Guilford court-house, North Carolina, a few weeks since. Our commander was compelled to yield to his adversary, but it is a victory purchased at a ruinous price. Seven days after the action. General Greene writes that Cornwallis' troops were too much galled to improve their success, that he had been preparing for another action, expecting the enemy to advance, but of a sudden they took their departure, and left behind them evident marks of distress. All the wounded at Guilford who had fallen into their hands, and seventy of their own, too ill to be moved, were left behind. Most of their ofiicers suffered; Lord Cornwallis had his horse shot under him. Colonel Stuart, of the guards, was killed. General O'Hara and Colonels Tarleton and Webster wounded. Their whole loss is reported to be six hundred and sixty-three, exclu- sive of ofiicers. General Greene returned three hundred and twenty-nine killed, wounded and missing; many of the latter went to their homes after the action. General Stevens and iluger were wounded.

MILITARY JOURNAL, 1781. 261

The continental army in Carolina, were successful after the action of Guilford, and gained the ascendency in that quarter over the British. On the 10th of May, Lord Eaw- don evacuated Camden with precipitation, leaving behind three of his officers and fifty privates, who had been dan- gerously wounded, and were unable to be removed. lie burned the stores, baggage, kc, and left the town a heap of ruins. The next day the strong post of Orangeburg surrendered to General Sumpter. One colonel, several other ofl&cers, and eighty rank and file were made prison- ers. Next followed, on the 12th, Fort Motte, the garrison consisting of nineteen officers and one hundred and sixty men, who surrendered to General Marion, as did also Fort Granby, on the 14th, to Lieutenant-Colonel Lee, when one lieutenant-colonel, two majors, six captains, six lieutenants, three ensigns, one surgeon, and three hundred and thirty- three rank and file, became his prisoners. Large quantities of provisions and some military stores were found in sev- eral of the forts, and in the baggage belonging to the nineteenth regiment were found seven hundred guineas, which it is said General Greene distributed among his troops, as a reward for their bravery and sufferings.