TRENTON.
Wiederhold's plan from the archives at Marburg, sketched from a fac-simile furnished by Mr. E. J. Lowell. (Cf. his Hessians, 92.) A marks the centre of the village. The Hessian outposts were at B, one officer and 24 men; C, Captain Altenbocum's company of the Lossberg regiment, quartered in the neighborhood, which formed in front of the captain's quarters, while the picket at B occupied the enemy; D, one captain, one officer, and 75 men; E, one officer and 50 Jägers, who retreated over the bridge on Sullivan's approach; F, one officer and 30 men, who joined Donop over the Bordentown road. The two columns of Washington and Sullivan emerged from the woods at G G. The broken lines (— — — —) indicate their line of march and successive positions, till they surrounded the Hessians. The beginning of the dotted lines (. . . . .) in the village shows where the Hessians attempted to form; but Rahl and Lossberg were driven back to H, and Knyphausen to J, and surrounded they surrendered. Knyphausen endeavored to reach the bridge, having with him the Lossberg cannon, which got stuck in the marsh at K, and the delay in extricating them was sufficient for Sullivan to occupy the bridge and cut off Knyphausen's retreat. His own cannon were at M, and were not used. Rahl's cannon were at N, and early dismounted. The Americans used cannon at s s s, etc. There is also among the Rochambeau maps (no. 18) a map done in faint colors, with an elaborate key, which is marked Engagement de Trenton, by Wiederhold, measuring about eight inches wide by ten high. A French plan is given in Mag. of Amer. Hist., 1880, p. 369. Cf. map in Raum's Trenton; Lossing's Field-Book, ii. 228 (with Rahl's headquarters, p. 228, and a view, p. 222). Carrington's special map of Trenton (p. 278) gives more detail than the contemporary plans.
Bancroft (ix. 217; cf. Irving, ii. 466) notes the Hessian journals which he had used.[900]
The affair at Princeton has special treatment in the Washington papers (Sparks, iv. 259; Dawson, i. 204), and is necessarily covered by the general historians.[901] On the English side Howe's letter (Jan. 5, 1777) to Germain is the principal source, and it will be found in Gent. Mag., Feb., 1777; C. C. Haven's Thirty days, 60; Dawson, i. 210. Cf. Mahon, vi. 132.[902]
FROM WILKINSON'S ATLAS.
Sullivan delayed at F to give Washington a chance to make his longer detour by A before he (Sullivan) advanced by D. Washington attacked at B, and threw out riflemen at G and H. Rahl, deserted by a part of his force, who fled to Donop at Bordentown, surrendered at I, when he became aware of Sullivan's approach behind him.