Washington had selected a position for his main body on the east side of the Assanpink and, as the young artilleryman had said the night before, the batteries were so planted as to sweep the stone bridge over that stream, and the fords. Word came in by Ezra and George Prentiss, who had taken horse in the small hours of the morning, that the main body of Lord Cornwallis was advancing. At once strong parties were sent out under General Greene; these met and engaged advance parties of British, or hung upon the flanks of the main body like terriers, and so greatly impeded their progress.
It was noon, therefore, when Cornwallis reached the north bank of the Shabbakong, where he halted for a time; then he crossed to the other side, when the light parties of Americans once more began to worry him with their rifle fire. Made angry by this, the British charged into the woods and dislodged their annoyers; afterward they pushed on with little or no interference until they reached the high ground outside Trenton. Here Colonel Hand’s body of riflemen poured out such a warm greeting that the British were for the time checked. But in a little while orders were sent to Hand to fall back, as the ground was not thought to be one upon which the struggle could be undertaken with advantage.
When the riflemen retreated upon the main body of the American force, it was almost sunset; in a fury at being so delayed, Cornwallis rushed his troops through the town of Trenton, formed them into columns and attempted to cross the Assanpink by the stone bridge and the fords.
But a storm of bullets and solid shot drove him back; again and again the gallant Briton hurled his force at the crossings, but each time the batteries sent them reeling back. Washington, mounted upon his white horse, was stationed at the American end of the bridge giving his orders in person; and each time the enemy was repulsed the lines of his soldiers roared their approval.
During all this time the British cannon were by no means silent; they thundered and smoked and hurled their missiles with all the skill of their handlers, but with little damage to the Americans. Then, as the night had closed in, Cornwallis hushed their anger, ceased his attempts to cross the creek, and went into camp.
Ben Cooper and his friends stood watching the fires of the enemy gleaming in the darkness.
“Put off until another day,” said Ben, soberly.
“I thought, by the way it began, that we’d know victory or defeat by this,” remarked George Prentiss.
“How long do you think we’ll be able to hold them?” asked Nat Brewster of Ezra Prentiss.
“Cornwallis is a general of resource and enterprise,” replied Ezra. “To-day he has tried a direct forcing of our front; to-morrow he will adopt different measures.”