endeavoring to form a battery in the same street, near where the canal feeder now crosses the way, rushed forward with a small party, drove the artillery-men from their guns, and captured two of the pieces just as the gunners were about to fire.
These were the first decided movements of the belligerents at the moment of surprise.
When Colonel Rhall had formed his men for action, he attempted to advance and repel his assailants; but, being completely hemmed in, and his troops panic-stricken, all was confusion.
The Americans were pressing closer and closer, and with deadly aim were thinning the Hessian ranks. At length a bullet mortally wounded Colonel Rhall, and he fell from his horse, pale and bleeding. His aids and servant bore him to his quarters at the house of a Quaker named Stacey Potts, while Lieutenant-colonel Scheffer, his next in command, took his place at the head of the troops. But all order was at an end. Seeing their commander fall, the Hessians fled in dismay, the main body attempting to escape by the road to Princeton. Their retreat was cut off by Colonel Hand, with a body of Pennsylvania riflemen. The fugitives, ignorant of the smallness of the force that stood in their way, and having the enthusiasm of only the mercenary soldier, threw down their arms and implored mercy. * The light horse and some infantry, in all about six hundred, fled, at the first alarm, to Bordentown. These would have fallen into Washington's hands, had not the