General Mercer mortally Wounded by Bayonets.—His Bravery till the Last.—Place of his Death.—View of the Battle-ground.
tinued only about fifteen minutes, but was very severe. Washington was exposed to the hottest fire, while encouraging the militia by voice and example. General Mercer dismounted after the first fire, the gray horse he was riding having been disabled by a musket-ball that wounded his fore leg; and while on foot, endeavoring to rally his broken troops, he was felled to the ground by a blow from a musket dealt by a British soldier.
When his rank was discovered, the enemy, believing it to be Washington, raised an exulting shout, and cried, "The rebel general is taken!" Several rushed to the spot, exclaiming, "Call for quarters, you d—d rebel!"
"I am no rebel," cried Mercer, indignantly, while half a dozen bayonets Were at his breast; and, instead of calling for quarter, he determined to die fighting. He struck several blows at his enemies with his sword, when they bayoneted him and left him for dead. **Upon the retreat of the British, General Mercer was conveyed to the house of Thomas Clark (now John Clark's), then a new building, where he was tenderly nursed by the late Miss Sarah Clark, of the Society of Friends, and a colored woman belonging to the family. He January, 1777 languished in great pain until the 12th, when he expired in the arms of Major
* This view, looking north, is from the carriage gate of Mr. John Clarke, owner of the house in which General Mercer died, whieh is situated about seventy rods from the Trenton turnpike. That dwelling is represented in the foreground of the picture, on the extreme right. The distant view includes almost the whole field of action. Near the center of the picture, over the head of the dark figure, is seen the house of William Clark, and his out-buildings. The barn, a little more to the left, with a tree in front, is upon the spot from whence Mereer rushed forward to the hedge-fence. That fence was upon the line of the present turnpike, denoted in the sketch by the fence passing down the slope beyond the large tree on the extreme left. The "high ground" for whieh both parties were aiming, to seeure advantage, is seen in the extreme distance. The dark spot between the tree in the second field and the barn denotes the spot where Mereer fell. The house of William Clark, in the distance, is about a quarter of a mile from the one in the foreground, where Mercer died. The hollow between the two houses was the space between the belligerents when Washington advanced to the support of Mercer. The place of conflict is about a mile and a quarter south of Princeton. The turnpike passes directly through it.
** The story went abroad, at that time, that General Mercer was cruelly bayoneted after he had delivered up his sword; but his dying assertion that he did not give up his weapon until he was powerless to wield it, exonerates the British soldiery from this foul accusation.
Loss of the Americans.—Death of General Mercer.—His Monument.—Skirmish near Nassau Hall in Princeton