CHAPTER VII.
From Trenton Grandma Elsie, the captain, and their young charges went onto Princeton, where they received a most joyful welcome from Harold andHerbert Travilla, now spending their last year at the seminary.
Their mother had written to them of the intended visit, and allnecessary arrangements had been made. Carriages were in waiting, andshortly after their arrival the whole party were on their way to thebattleground, where the attention of the young people was drawn to thevarious points of interest, particularly the spot where fell GeneralMercer.
"The general's horse was wounded in the leg by a musket ball," explainedHarold, in reply to a question from his little brother; "he dismounted,and was rallying his troops, when a British soldier felled him to theground by a blow from a musket.
"He was supposed to be Washington. A shout, was raised, 'The rebelgeneral is taken!' and at that others of the enemy rushed to the spotcalling out, 'Call for quarter, you d----d rebel!'
"'I am no rebel!' Mercer answered indignantly, though half a dozen oftheir bayonets were at his breast; and instead of calling for quarter hecontinued to fight, striking at them with his sword till they bayonetedhim and left him for dead.
"He was not dead, however, but mortally wounded.
"After the British had retreated he was carried to the house of ThomasClark," continued Harold, pointing out the building as he spoke, "wherehe lingered in great pain till the 12th and then died."
"I'm glad it wasn't Washington," said Walter.
"Was Washington hurt at all, papa?" asked Grace.
"No, though exposed to the hottest fire he escaped without injury,"replied the captain. "God our Heavenly Father preserved him for hisgreat work--the salvation of our country. 'Man is immortal till his workis done'--and Washington's was not done till years afterward."
"Not even when the war was over; for he was our first president, Iremember," said Lulu.
"Yes," replied her father, "and he did much for his country in thatcapacity.
"The night before this battle of Princeton he and his army were in acritical situation, the British being fully equal in numbers and theirtroops well disciplined, while about half of Washington's army wascomposed of raw militia--so that a general engagement the next day wouldbe almost sure to result in defeat to the Americans.
"Washington called a council of war. It was he himself who proposed towithdraw from their present position--on the high ground upon thesouthern bank of the Assanpink--before dawn of the next morning, and, bya circuitous march to Princeton, get in the rear of the enemy, attackthem at that place, and if successful march on to New Brunswick and takeor destroy his stores there.
"The great difficulty in the way was that the ground was too soft, froma thaw, to make it safe and easy to move their forty pieces of cannon.
"But a kind Providence removed that hindrance, the weather suddenlybecoming so extremely cold that in two hours or less the roads were hardenough for the work."
"As Lossing says," remarked Grandma Elsie, "'The great difficulty wasovercome by a power mightier than that of man. Our fathers were fightingfor God-given rights and it was by his help they at last succeeded.'"
"What's the rest of the story?" asked Walter. "How did Washington andhis army slip away without the British seeing them? For I suppose theyhad sentinels awake and out."
"Washington had a number of camp fires lighted along his front," repliedHarold, to whom the question seemed to be addressed, "making them of thefences near at hand. That made the British think he was encamped for thenight, and Cornwallis, when some one urged him to make an attack thatnight, said he would certainly 'catch the fox in the morning.' The fox,of course, was Washington, but he didn't catch him. It was not till dawnhe discovered that the fox had eluded him and slipped away, fleeing sosilently that the British did not know in what direction he had gonetill they heard the boom of the cannon in the fight here.
"Cornwallis thought it was thunder, but Sir William Erskine recognizedit as what it was and exclaimed, 'To arms, General! Washington hasoutgeneraled us. Let us fly to the rescue at Princeton.'"
"How long did the battle last?" queried Walter.
"The fight right here lasted about fifteen minutes, but was verysevere," replied his brother. "Then Washington pushed on to Princeton,and in a ravine near the college had another sharp fight with theFifty-fifth British regiment."
"And whipped them too?"
"Yes; they were soon flying toward Brunswick, the Fortieth regimentgoing along with them.
"A part of a regiment was still in the college buildings, and Washingtonhad some cannon placed in proper position, then began firing on them.One of the balls--it is said to have been the first--passed into thechapel and through the head of a portrait of George the Second that hungin a large frame on the wall. A few more shots were fired, and then thePrinceton militia, and some other daring fellows, burst open a door ofNassau Hall and called upon the troops there to surrender, which theydid promptly."
"And Cornwallis had not reached there yet?" Walter said interrogatively.
"No," returned Harold, "and when he did arrive he found that the battlewas over, and Washington, with his victorious troops and prisoners, hadalready left the town and was in hot pursuit of the fleeing Fortieth andFifty-fifth regiments."
"And our poor fellows so tired and cold!" sighed Eva.
"Yes," said the captain, "they had fought at Trenton on the 26th, afterbeing up, probably, all night, getting across the river, had spent thenext night in marching upon Princeton and the day in fighting; so thatthey must have been terribly fatigued even had they had the warmclothing and nourishing food they needed; but less than half of themhad been able to procure any breakfast or dinner; and, as you all know,many of them were without shoes or stockings. Ah, how we should prizethe liberty which was so dearly bought!"
"So to save his army," resumed Harold, "Washington refrained from aneffort to seize the rich prize at New Brunswick, and let them rest thatnight and refresh themselves with food; then retired to his winterquarters at Morristown.
"Now, good people, if you are ready to retrace your steps, let us goback and look at the town souvenirs of the revolution; among them theportrait of Washington in the frame that used to hold that of George theSecond."
Our friends made but a short stay at Princeton, leaving that evening,and the next day visited the scene of the battle of Monmouth. Thecaptain gave a rapid sketch of the movements of the opposing armies, ashe did so pointing out the various positions of the different corps,describing Lee's disgraceful conduct at the beginning of the fight,telling of the just indignation of Washington, his stern reproof, Lee'sangry rejoinder, and then with what consummate skill and despatch hiserrors were repaired by the general-in-chief--the retreating, almostrouted, troops rallied, and order brought out of confusion, and howfearlessly he exposed himself to the iron storm while giving his ordersso that that patriot army, which had been so near destruction, withinhalf an hour was drawn up in battle array and ready to meet the foe.
"It was a very hot day, wasn't it, papa?" asked Lulu.
"One of the hottest of the season," replied her father, "ninety-sixdegrees in the shade; and the sun slew his victims on both sides."
"Don't you think Lee was a traitor, Captain?" queried Evelyn.
"Either that or insane. I think it would have been a happy thing forAmerica if both he and Gaines had remained in their own land. They didthe American cause far more harm than good. Though I by no means accuseGaines of treachery, but he was envious of Washington, and so desirousto supersede him that he was ready to sacrifice the cause to that end."
"I just wish he'd been sent back to England," said Walter. "But pleasetell us the rest about the battle, Brother Levis, won't you?"
The captain willingly complied.
"It was a dreadful battle," remarked Evelyn with a sigh, as his storycame to a conclusion.
"Yes, one of the most hotly contested of the war," he assented, "andresulted in victory to
the Americans in spite of Lee's repeatedassertion that the 'attempt was madness.'
"All the other American generals did well, the country resounded withpraises of Washington, and Congress passed a unanimous vote of thanks tohim 'for his great and good conduct and victory.'"
"It was in this battle Captain Molly fought, wasn't it?" asked Rosie.
"Yes," the captain replied; and, noticing the eagerly inquiring looks ofGrace and Walter, he went on to tell the story.
"Molly was the wife of a cannoneer who was firing one of thefield-pieces, while she, disregarding the danger from the shots of theenemy, made frequent journeys to and from a spring near at hand, thusfurnishing her husband with the means of slacking his thirst, which musthave been great at such work in such weather.
"At length a shot from the enemy killed him, and an order was given toremove the cannon, as there was no one among the soldiers near who wascapable of its management.
"But Molly, who had seen her husband fall, and heard the order, droppedher bucket, sprang to the cannon, seized the rammer, and, vowing thatshe would avenge his death, fired it with surprising skill, performingthe duty probably as well as if she had belonged to the sterner sex.
"The next morning General Greene presented her--just as she was, allcovered with dust and blood--to Washington, who gave her the commissionof sergeant as a reward for her bravery; in addition to that herecommended her to Congress as worthy to have her name placed upon thelist of those entitled to half-pay during life.
"The French officers so admired her bravery that they made her manypresents. Lossing tells us that she would sometimes pass along theirlines and get her cocked hat full of crowns. He also says the widow ofGeneral Hamilton told him she had often seen 'Captain Molly,' as she wascalled, and described her as a red-haired, freckle-faced young Irishwoman, with a handsome piercing eye."
"Papa, did she wear a man's hat?" asked Grace.
"Yes, and also an artilleryman's coat over her woman's petticoats. Shehad done a brave deed about nine months before the battle of Monmouth,when Fort Clinton was taken by the British. She was there with herhusband when the fort was attacked, and when the Americans retreatedfrom the fort, and the enemy were scaling the ramparts, her husbanddropped his match and fled, but Molly picked it up and fired the gun,then scampered off after him. That was the last gun fired in the fort bythe Americans."
"And this battle of Monmouth was a great victory for us--for theAmericans, I mean?" Walter said inquiringly.
"Yes, in spite of the shameful retreat of Lee and the unaccountabledetention of Morgan and his brave riflemen, who were within sound of thefearful tumult of the battle and eager to take part in it, Morganstriding to and fro in an agony of suspense, and desire to participatein the struggle, yet unaccountably detained where he was."
"And that was some of that traitor Lee's doings, I suspect," exclaimedLulu hotly. "Wasn't it, papa?"
"My dear child, I do not know," returned the captain, "but it seemsaltogether probable that if Morgan could have fallen, with his freshtroops, upon the weary ones of Sir Henry Clinton, toward the close ofthe day, the result might have been such a surrender as Burgoyne wasforced to make at Saratoga.
"But as it was, while Washington and his weary troops slept that night,the general looking forward to certain victory in the morning, when hecould again attack his country's foes with his own troops strengthenedand refreshed by sleep, Sir Henry and his army stole silently away andhurried toward Sandy Hook."
"Did Washington chase him?" asked Walter.
"No," said the captain; "when he considered the start the British had,the weariness of his own troops, the excessive heat of the weather, andthe deep sandy country, with but little water to be had, he thought itwiser not to make the attempt."
"Papa, was it near here that the British shot Mrs. Caldwell?" askedLulu.
"No; that occurred in a place called Connecticut Farms, about four milesnorthwest of Elizabethtown, to which they--the Caldwells--had removedfor greater safety.
"It was in June, 1780. The British under Clinton and Knyphausen crossedover to Elizabethtown and moved on toward Springfield. The Americans,under General Greene, were posted upon the Short Hills, a series of highridges near Springfield, and came down to the plain to oppose theinvasion of the British. I will not go into the details of the battle,but merely say that the British were finally repulsed, Greene being soadvantageously posted by that time that he was anxious for anengagement, but Knyphausen, perceiving his own disadvantage, retreated,setting fire to the village of Connecticut Farms (now called Union) onhis way.
"The people of the town fled when they perceived the approach of theBritish, but Mrs. Caldwell remained, and with her children and maidretired to a private apartment and engaged in prayer.
"Presently her maid, glancing from a window, exclaimed that a red-coatedsoldier had jumped over the fence and was coming toward the window.
"At that Mrs. Caldwell rose from the bed where she had been sitting, andat that moment the soldier raised his musket and deliberately fired ather through the window, sending two balls through her body, killing herinstantly, so that she fell dead among her poor frightened children.
"It was with some difficulty that her body was saved from the fire whichwas consuming the town. It was dragged out into the street, and layexposed there for some time--several hours--till some of her friends gotleave to remove it to a house on the other side of the street.
"Her husband was at the Short Hills that night, and in great anxiety anddistress about his family; the next day he went with a flag of truce tothe village, found it in ruins, and his wife dead.
"That cold-blooded murder and wanton destruction of the peaceful littlevillage aroused great indignation all over the land and turned many aTory into a Whig."
"Did anybody ever find out who it was that killed her, papa?" askedGrace.
"The murderer is said to have been a man from the north of Ireland,named McDonald, who for some unknown reason had taken a violent disliketo Mr. Caldwell.
"But little more than a year afterward Mr. Caldwell himself was slain,in a very similar manner, but by an American soldier."
"An American, Brother Levis?" exclaimed Walter, in unfeigned surprise."Did he do it intentionally?"
"The shooting was intentional, but whether meant to kill I cannot say,"replied the captain; "the fellow who did it is said to have been adrunken Irishman. It happened at Elizabethtown, then in possession ofthe Americans. A sloop made weekly trips between that place and NewYork, where were the headquarters of the British army at that time--andfrequently carried passengers with a flag, and also parcels.
"The Americans had a strong guard at a tavern near the shore, and one ortwo sentinels paced the causeway that extended across the marsh to thewharf.
"One day in November, 1781, the vessel came in with a lady on board whohad permission to visit a sister at Elizabethtown, and Mr. Caldwelldrove down to the wharf in his chaise to receive her; then, not findingher on the wharf, went aboard the sloop and presently returned, carryinga small bundle.
"The sentinel on the causeway halted Mr. Caldwell and demanded thebundle for examination, saying he had been ordered not to let anythingof the kind pass without strict investigation.
"Mr. Caldwell refused to give it to the man--James Morgan, byname--saying it was the property of a lady and had been merely put inhis care.
"The sentinel repeated his demand and Mr. Caldwell turned and wenttoward the vessel, it is presumed to carry the bundle back to its owner,when the sentinel leveled his piece and shot him dead upon the spot.
"Morgan was arrested, tried for murder, and hung. He was first taken tothe church, where a sermon was preached from the text 'Oh, do not thisabominable thing which I hate.'
"Mr. Caldwell had been much beloved as a pious and excellent minister.He was shot on Saturday afternoon, and the next day many of his peoplecame in to attend church knowing nothing of the dreadful deed that hadbeen done till they arrived.
"Then there was a great sound of weeping and lamentation. The corpse wasplaced on a large stone at the door of the house of a friend whither ithad been carried, and all who wished to do so were allowed to take alast look at the remains of their beloved pastor. Then, before thecoffin was closed, Dr. Elias Boudinot led the nine orphan children upto the coffin to take their last look at the face of their father, and,as they stood weeping there, made a most moving address in theirbehalf."
A few more days were spent by our friends in and about Philadelphia,during which brief visits were paid to places interesting to thembecause the scenes of historical events of the Revolution--Whitemarsh,Germantown, Barren Hill, Valley Forge, beside those within the cityitself.
But the summer heats were over and the hearts of one and all began toyearn for the sweets of home; all the more when word reached themthrough the mails that the members of their party left in the Newportcottages had already succumbed to the same sort of sickness, and were ontheir homeward way by land. A day or two later the _Dolphin_, with herfull complement of passengers, was moving rapidly southward.