commenced entrenching himself. The British attempted to cross in several places, when some cannonading and skirmishing ensued, which continued. until nightfall.

Washington now found himself in a critical situation. If he remained in his position he would be obliged to encounter a greatly superior force, and defeat was almost certain. With his usual sagacity and boldness, he adopted an extraordinary scheme. Kindling his camp-fires as usual, and leaving a small guard to deceive the enemy, he quietly despatched his heavy baggage to Burlington; and then, by a circuitous route, gained the rear of the enemy, and pushed rapidly forward towards Princeton with the design of attacking an inferior force stationed at that place. On the road, he suddenly met the British detachment, under Colonel Mawhood, advancing to join Cornwallis. Ignorant of the number of the Americans, Mawhood charged boldly, and threw the Pennsylvania militia into confusion; but Washington by great personal exertions rallied them, and Mawhood discovered that he was almost surrounded. After a brave resistance, the British regiment broke through their enemies and retreated. towards Brunswick, having lost 100 men killed and about 300 prisoners. The American loss was much less than that of the British, but among

the killed was the highly esteemed General Mercer and other valuable officers.*

As soon as Cornwallis discovered the secret movement of Washington, he perceived his plans and resolved to follow him. Alarmed for the safety of Brunswick, he marched rapidly; but Washington with his almost exhausted army reached Pluckemin in safety, gave his men rest and refreshment, and then proceeded to Morristown, where he established

* After the battle of Princeton was over, General Mercer was found upon the field, bleeding and insensible, by his aid, Major Armstrong, the son of the colonel, under whom Mercer had served at Kittaning. He was carried to a neighboring farm-house, where he lingered in extreme suffering until the 12th of January, when he expired in the arms of Major Lewis, the nephew of Washington. His body was brought to Philadelphia on the 14th of January, and buried in Christ Church graveyard; whence it was taken, on the 26th of November, 1840, and reinterred with appropriate cere monies at Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia.

his winter-quarters. Unprovided as his men were with the necessaries. for a winter campaign, he did not remain idle; but sent out detachments to assail and harass the enemy. In a short time, with the aid of the militia of the country, he completely drove the British from all their posts except Brunswick and Amboy. Such were the splendid results of the skill, vigilance, and consummate generalship of Washington. The brilliant termination of a campaign which had been considered disastrous and hopeless by the patriots, breathed new life into them and raised their confidence in the ability of the commander-in-chief.

URING the first year of the war of the Revolution, the great majority of the Americans had no thought or intention of separating the provinces from the mother country. They looked upon the war as a necessary resistance to measures of the British government which struck at the very root of their liberties; as an insurrection that would be terminated either by an over

powering force or by conciliation. But some of the most distinguished British statesmen foresaw that independence would be the result of the struggle; and many of the leading patriots conceived from the outset, that there was no hope for the maintenance of the freedom of the Americans while they remained under the authority of the British laws.

As the war proceeded, the advantage and even the necessity of independence began to be more freely discussed, and the supporters of the cause gradually gained strength. Yet its opponents were in a large majority until January, 1776, when intelligence reached America, that the colonists had by act of parliament been thrown out of British protection, and that foreign troops had been employed to subdue them. These measures seemed to prove that they might constitutionally declare themselves independent; as being discharged from their allegiance by the refusal of protection, and compelled to defend themselves from invasion

by foreign troops, there was but a choice between unconditional submission and the formation of an independent government.

Thomas Paine.

While the public mind was agitated upon the subject, the "Common Sense" pamphlet of Thomas Paine appeared, and by its rude but powerful reasoning, turned the scale in favor of the separation. At the annual election in Massachusetts, in May, the voters were requested to instruct their representatives on the subject of independence, and these instructions were unanimous in its favor.

On the 7th June, the subject was introduced in Congress. Richard Henry Lee, of Virginia, moved "that the United Colonies are, and ought to be, free and independent States, and that their political connection with Great Britain is, and ought to be dissolved." The motion was debated with great ability. The mover, Lee, and John Adams, earnestly supported it, while it was opposed as premature, by John Dickinson and several others. It passed by a majority of one. To secure greater unanimity, the subject was postponed till the 1st of July; but meanwhile, a committee was appointed consisting of Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman and Robert R. Livingston, to prepare a declaration. A Board of War was established about the same time, John Adams being appointed chairman.

Conventions held in the several states instructed their delegates to vote for the declaration; and when the committee reported, and laid that document before the Congress, it was apparent that its friends were in a large majority. After some amendment, the Declaration was adopted on the 4th of July. It was prepared chiefly by Mr. Jefferson. After a general assertion of the natural rights of mankind, and an enumeration of the tyrannical acts of the British king, it concluded with this declaration:

"We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in general congress assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, and by authority, of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united colonies are, and of right out to be, FREE and INDEPENDENT STATES; that they are absolved from all allegiance to the British crown; and that all political connection between them and the state of Great Britain is and ought to be totally, dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have full power to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other acts and