Lt-Col. Harcourt to the King's notice upon this occafion.

1 muft alfo mention the fignal fervices of Sir William Erfkine, in his depart ment of quartermafter-general, whofe indefatigable zeal has eminently contributed to the fuccefs of this campaign. Nor must I omit Major Maitland, of the corps of marines, who has the command of the 2d battalion of light infantry, in which he has diftinguished himself much to his honour.

The time of fervice for which moft of the enemy's troops were engaged, being expired, their prefent ftrength, from a review of the lateft intelligence received, is about 8000 on the fouth fide of the Delaware, and in Philadelphia; 500 militia embodied in Morris county, New Jerfey; and about 3000 at Pecks Kill, North Caitle, and the fmaller pofts in this province. Maj.-Gen. Robertfon, who served the campaign by his Majefty's permiffion, will return to Britain by the earlieft opportunity."

Gen. Howe to Lord George Germaino.

"New York, Dec. 29. On the 25th in ftant, in the evening, a party of the enemy attacked an out-guard from the poft of Trenton, where Colonel Rall commanded, with three battalions of Heffians, fifty chaffeurs, and twenty light dragoons, having with them fix field-pieces; which party was beaten back. On the fucceeding morning, at fix o'clock, the rebels appeared in force with cannon, evidently intending to attack the poft. Col. Rall, having received intelligence of their defign, had the troops under arms, and detached his own regiment to support an advanced picket. This picket being forced, and falling back upon the regiment, threw it into fome diforder, which occafioned them to retire upon the other battalions. No advantage being taken of this, they recovered themselves, and the whole formed in front of the village.

The rebels, without advancing, cannonaded them in this fituation; and Col. Rall moved forward to attack them, with the regiments of Lofsberg and Rall; in which attack Col. Rall was wounded, and the regiments were made prifoners. The rebels then advanced to the regiment of Knyphausen, and also made that corps prifoners.

Some few officers, and about.200 men of the brigade, with the chaffeurs, and

1

a party of dragoons, retreated to Col. Donop's corps at Burdenton, fix miles 2 diftant. Several officers were wounded, and about forty men killed and wounded. :: This misfortune feems to have proceeded from Col. Rall's quitting bis poft, s and advancing to the attack, inftead of defending the village.

The rebels recroffed the river Delaware immediately, with the prifoners and cannon that they had taken."

Gen. Howe to Lord George Germaine.

"New York, Jan. 5. 1777. In confequence of the advantage gained by the enemy at Trenton on the 26th of last month, and the neceffity of an alteration in the cantonments, Lord Cornwallis deferring his going to England by this op portunity, went from thence to Jersey on the ift inftant, and reached Princetown that night; to which place Gen.. Grant had advanced, with a body of troops from Brunfwick and Hillfborough, upon gaining intelligence that the enemy, on receiving reinforcements from Virginia, Maryland, and from the militia of Pennsylvania, bad repaffed the Dela ware into Jersey.

On the ad Lord Cornwallis having received accounts of the rebel-army being pofted at Trenton, advanced thither, leaving the 4th brigade under the command of Lt-Col. Mawhood, at Princetown, and the 2d brigade with Brig-Gen. Leflie at Maidenhead. On the ap proach of the British troops, the enemy's forward posts were driven back upon their army, which was formed in a strong pofition, behind a creek running through Trenton. During the night of the 2d the enemy quitted this fituation, and marching by Allen's-town, and from thence to Prince-town, fell in on the morning of the 3d with the 17th and 55th regiments, on their march to join Brig.Gen. Leflie at Maidenhead.

Lt-Col. Mawhood, not being apprehenfive of the enemy's ftrength, attacked and beat back the troops that first prefented themfelves to him; but finding them at length very fuperior to him in numbers, he pushed forward with the 17th, regiment, and joined Brig.-Gen. Leflie. The 55th regiment retired, by the way of Hillsborough, to Brunswick; and the enemy proceeding immediately to Prince-town, the 40th regiment also retired to Brunswick.

The lofs upon this occafion to his Majefty's

jefty's troops is 17 killed, and nearly 200 wounded and miffing; Capt. Leilie of the 17th is among the few killed; and for further particulars I beg leave to refer your Lordship to the inclofed return. Capt. Philips, of the 35th grenadiers, returning from hence to join his company, was on this day beset between Brunswick and Prince-town by fome Jurking villains, who murdered him in a moft barbarous manner; which is a mode of war the enemy feem from feveral late inftances to have adopted, with a degree of barbarity that favages could not exceed.

It has not yet come to my knowledge how much the enemy has fuffered, but it is certain there were many killed and wounded, and among the former a Ge. neral Mercer from Virginia.

The bravery and conduct of Lt-Col. Mawhood, and the behaviour of the regiments under his command, particular ly the 17th, are highly commended by Lord Cornwallis. His Lordship find ing the enemy had made this movement, and having heard the fire occafioned by Col. Mawhood's attack, returned immediately from Trenton; but the enemy being fome hours march in front, and keeping this advantage by an immediate departure from Prince-town, retreated by King's-town, breaking down the bridge behind them, and croffed the Millflone river at a bridge under Rocky Hill, to throw themselves into a strong coun. try.

Lord Cornwallis feeing it could not anfwer any purpose to continne bis purfait, returned with his whole force to Branfwick; and the troops upon the right being affembled at Elifabeth-town, Maj.-Gen. Vaughan has that command."

Return of the killed, wounded, and miffing, of the following corps of his Majefty's Forces, in the Jerseys. Friday, Jan. 3. 1777.

lieutenant, wounded; en

17th reg. captain, 12 rank and file, killed; I captain, lieutenant, enfign, ferjeants, 46 rank and file, wounded; ferjeant, a drummer, 33 rank and file, miffing 40th reg. fign, 3 ferjeants, drummer, 88 rank and file, milling. 55th reg 1 ferjeant, 4 rank and file, kill ed; enfign, ferjeant, 2 rank and file, wounded; I captain, lieutenant, 1 eufign, 1 ferjeant, 2 drummers, 66 rank and file, ming.

tal a captain, 1 ferjeant, 15 rank and

Hon. Capt. Leflie, of the 17th reg. of foot, killed.

Capt. Philips, of the 35th, grenadiers, killed, on his way to join the battalion. N. B. Since the above return many of the men miffing have joined their corps.

It appears by the Mustermafter-General Sir George Ofborn's return of the Heffian troops, after the affair of the 26th of December at Trenton, that the prifoners and miing amounted to about 700."

Gov. Tryon to Lord George Germaine..

"New York, Dec. 24. 1776. On the roth inftant I reviewed the militia of Queen's county, at Hampstead, when 820 men were muftered; and on Thurfday following I faw the Suffolk militia, at Brookhaven, where near 800 men appeared; to all of whom, as well as to the militia of Queen's county, I had, in my prefence, an oath of allegiance and fidelity administered.

I took much pains in explaining to the people (having formed them into circles) the iniquitous arts, &c. that had been practifed on their credulity, to seduce and mislead them; and I had the fatisfaction to obferve among them, a general return of confidence in government. A very large majority of the inhabitants of Queen's county have, indeed, ftedfaftly maintained their loyal principles, as have fmall districts in Suffolk county.

Three companies, I learned, had been raifed out of Suffolk county, for the rebel-army; moft of whom, I was made to underftand, would quit that service if they could get home.

I have the pleasure to affure your Lordthip, through the whole of this tour I did not hear the leaft murmur of dif content, but a general fatisfaction expreffed at my coming among them: and to judge from the temper and difpofition 1 perceived in them, there is not the leaft apprehenfion of any farther commotions from the inhabitants on Long ifland. All are induftrious in bringing to market what provifions the inland affords.

While on Long ifland I gave certifi cates to near 300 men, who figned the declaration prefcribed by the King's commiffioners proclamation of the 30th November laft [10.]. Large bodies of the

· people

people have already taken the benefit of the grace therein offered them."

From the Congress Gazette. "This morning the Congrefs received the following letter from General Washington.

Head Quarters, New Town, Dec.27.1776. SIR, I have the pleasure of congratulating you upon the fuccefs of an enter prife, which I had formed against a detachment of the enemy lying in Trenton, and was executed yesterday morning. The evening of the 25th, I ordered the troops intended for this purpose to parade the back of M'Kenky's Ferry, that they might begin to pafs as foon as it grew dark; imagining that we fhould be able to throw them all over, with the neceffary artillery, by twelve o'clock, that we might eafily arrive at Trenton by five o'clock in the morning, the diftance being about nine miles: but the quantity of ice made that night, im: peded the paffage of the boats fo much, that it was three o' clock before the artillery could be got over, and near four when the troops took up the line of march. I formed my detachment into two divifions; one to march up the the lower, or river road; the other by the upper, or Pennington road. As the divifions had nearly the fame diftance to march, I ordered each of them, immediately upon forcing the outguards, to push directly into the town, that they might charge the enemy before they had time to form. The upper divifion arrived at the enemy's advanced poft exactly at eight o'clock; and, in three minutes after, I found, from the fire in the lower road, that the other divifion had alfo got up. The outguards made but a fmall oppofition, though, for their numbers, they behaved very well, keeping up a conftant retreating fire behind houfes. We presently faw their main body formed; but from their motions they feemed undetermined how to act. Being hard preffed by our troops, who had already got poffeffion of half their artillery, they attempted to file off by a road on their right, leading to Prince-town; but perceiving their intention, I threw a body of troops in their way, which immediately checked them. Finding from our difpofition that they were furrounded, and muft inevitably be cut to pieces if they made any further refiftance, they agreed to lay down their arms. The number that fubmitted in this manner

Col.

were 23 officers and 886 men. Rall, the commanding officer, and feven others were found wounded in the town. killed, but I fancy about 20 or 30, as I do not exactly know how many were they never made any regular stand. Our lofs was very trifling indeed, only four officers, and one or two privates wounded. I find the detachment of the enemy confifted of three regiments of Heffians, Hanfpauch, Knyphaufen, and Rall, amounting to 1500 men, and a troop of British light horfe. Immediately upon the beginning of the attack, all those who were not killed or taken, pushed directly down the road towards Burdenton. These would likewife have fallen into our hands, could my plan immediately have been carried into execution. General Erving was to have croffed before day at Trenton ferry, and taken poffeffion of a bridge leading out of town; but the quantity of ice was fo great, that though he did every thing in his power to effect it, he could not get over; and finding it im poffible to embark his artillery, he was obliged to defift. I am fully confident, that could the troops under Generals Erving and Cadwallader have paffed the river, I fhould have been able, with their affiftance, to have driven the enemy from all their pofts below Trenton; but the number I had with me, being inferior to those below me, and a strong battalion of light infantry being at Princetown above me, I thought it most prudent to return the fame evening with the prifoners, and the artillery we had taken. We found no ftores of any con fequence in the town. In juftice to the officers and men, I must add, that their behaviour on this occafion reflects the higheft honour upon them. The diff culty of paffing the river in a very fevere night, and their march through a violent ftorm of fnow and hail, did not in the leaft abate their ardour; but when they came to charge, each feemed to vie with the other in pufhing forward; and were I to give a preference to any particular corps, I fhould do injuftice to the other. Capt. Baylor, my first aid-de camp, will have the honour to deliver this to you; and from him you may be made acquainted with many other particulars. His pi rited behaviour, upon every occafion, requires me to recommend him to your particular notice. I have the honour to be, &c.

-

G. WASHINGTON," (Published by authority.)

"Baltimore.