ANNOUNCER
And John Honeyman left Washington's camp to set about making his position secure with the British. He became one of the regular meat contractors for Cornwallis's army, which pursued Washington across the state of New Jersey during the next month.
Washington did not hurry his retreat, but he always got away. Finally about the first of December, he came to Trenton, where he halted for a week and sent men up and down the river to collect all the boats on the Delaware. He knew that he would be forced to retreat into Pennsylvania; and he proposed to leave no means for the enemy to follow him. On December 8, 1776, the British advance, which consisted of a brigade of Hessians under Colonel Rall, entered Trenton; but as usual, Washington was half a day ahead of his pursuers, and as the Hessians entered the village, the rear guard of the Americans was just entering the last of the boats, and safely pulled away to the Pennsylvania shore! Lord Howe, who had joined Cornwallis, sent out men to look for boats, but none could be found. The weather turned cold. Lord Howe was uncomfortable; so he decided to put his troops into winter quarters and let the pursuit go. He had done enough for one season!
He and Cornwallis arranged to scatter the troops about New Jersey to hold that territory, while they went back to New York to enjoy the winter.
Trenton was left in charge of Colonel Rall and his brigade of Hessians. On December 22, John Honeyman drove a small herd of cattle into Trenton, left them standing in front of headquarters, as he went up and knocked on the door. (knocks)
RALL (off)
Come in! Come in!
HONEYMAN
Mornin', Colonel Rall!
RALL
Oh, it's you, Honeyman!
HONEYMAN
Aye, it's me—an' I got some cattle out front here fer yer Quartermaster.
RALL
Well, that's good news—my men will be glad to see that beef! Now we can give 'em a Christmas dinner that'll be a Christmas dinner!
HONEYMAN
All ye need now, Colonel, is a mite o' wine, eh?
RALL
Never fear, we've got the wine!
HONEYMAN
Wal', ye kin have a fu'st-rate Christmas then.
RALL
Yes sir! With roast beef and two hogsheads of fine wine—we should do very well.
HONEYMAN
Two? Pshaw, is that all?
RALL
Why—what's the matter with that?
HONEYMAN
Two hogsheads won't go so far with a whole brigade.
RALL
Oh, I haven't got a whole brigade.
HONEYMAN
Ye ain't?
RALL
No, just a thousand men, that's all! Why sir, they can all get roarin' drunk on the ration I'll issue 'em.
HONEYMAN
An' like as not they will, eh, Colonel?
RALL (chuckling)
Well, Honeyman, what do you expect o' soldiers? Christmas you know—and out here in this God-forsaken place. Let 'em get drunk, I say. There's nothing else to do.
HONEYMAN
Wal', Colonel, I cal'ate 'tain't often ye find a better officer than ye be! I'd like to serve under ye!
RALL
HONEYMAN
Yes, sir. I'd do it if I wasn't helpin' along things in my way by roundin' up food fer the king's men. Wal', mebbe ye better sign fer these critters out in front an' I'll be gittin' along. I got to hike over to the next post. Er—by the way—how fer is it to the next detachment o' troops?
RALL
Oh, about six miles south.
HONEYMAN
Six miles, huh? How fer to the next one north?
RALL
Nobody north of us.
HONEYMAN
Eh, nobody north?
RALL
No, I'm command of the flank. This is the last post.
HONEYMAN
I cal'ate that makes a lot o' hard work fer ye, Colonel?
RALL
Hard work?
HONEYMAN
Sure, don't ye have to patrol up an' down the river, an' sich like things?
RALL (laughing)
What for?
HONEYMAN
Wal', after all, there's some o' the enemy left, ain't there?
RALL (laughing)
A half-a-dozen starved ragamuffins. What could they do to my trained Hessians?
HONEYMAN (joining in the laugh)
Not much, I cal'ate! Ye ain't in much danger, an' that's a fact!
RALL
If we had some boats we'd soon make short work of them. But confound the rascals, they made away with all the boats.
HONEYMAN
Ye ain't got no boats, eh?
RALL
Not a one!
HONEYMAN
Ye ain't built none, eh?
RALL
Why should we?
HONEYMAN
Wal'—if ye want to git across the river—
RALL
Oh, we'll get across as soon as the river freezes over. We'll get the last o' the rebels then.
HONEYMAN
Wal', Colonel, good luck to ye. But I hope ye won't be in too big a hurry to capture all the rebels!
RALL
Eh, what's that?
HONEYMAN
Er—I'll be out of a job; and so'll ye be, Colonel!
RALL
Yes, that's right too. Well, let's have a look at your cattle and I'll sign for 'em.
HONEYMAN
Come on—you fu'st, sir.
RALL
Thanks—hm—how many did you say there were?
HONEYMAN
There's twenty-two critters there—er, there was when I drove 'em up.
RALL
Hm—they look a little scrawny.
HONEYMAN
Best I could git, Colonel!
RALL (counting)
Two—four—five—seven—ten (etc.) Hm—twenty-one's all I make, Honeyman.
HONEYMAN
Twenty-one? Pshaw now—did one o' them critters go trapsin' off. (he counts) Yes sir, that's just what's happened. Wall—sign fer the twenty-one, an' I'll go out lookin' fer that other critter.
RALL
Here you are—let me have that bill—(rattle of paper) Twenty-one in good condition, signed—Rall. There you are. Hope you find the other one.
HONEYMAN
Thankee—where's that road off to the left go?
RALL
That—oh, that's the river road.
HONEYMAN
I cal'ate the critter musta gone that way.
RALL
Better keep a sharp lookout if you go down that way.
HONEYMAN
Eh? What fer?
RALL
Some o' those ragamuffin rebels might be on this side of the river.
HONEYMAN
Pshaw now—ye don't say! They come across the river, do they?
RALL
Yes, once in a while. But they don't dare bother us. But they might pick up a civilian.
HONEYMAN
Oh, I cal'ate I kin take keer o' myself. I got my whip and this halter.
RALL (laughing)
That ought to be enough to scare 'em away from you!
HONEYMAN (going)
They'll figger I'm the hangman come out to git 'em—fetchin' my halter along! (he and RALL laugh)