Rall could have held out until Donop could have come
to his relief from Bordentown, if he had obeyed Sir
William Howe's orders and erected redoubts. These
Rall was repeatedly urged to build by his subordinate
officers. That those under his command should somewhat
have participated in the relaxation of discipline
wantonly encouraged by their commander was but
natural. In the end they all fought bravely, many of
them being wounded, though the loss of privates was
but small. That an earlier retreat might have enabled
the Hessians to escape is possible. But soldiers should
not be heavily blamed for trying to hold their ground
when surprised, nor is Rall's error, if it were one, in
trying to cut his way out towards Princeton, rather
than towards Bordentown, to be laid to the score of
his subordinates.[1]
The importance of Trenton to the Americans is not to be reckoned by the mere numerical test of killed, wounded, and prisoners. It was a new proof to the
- ↑ The only dissenting voice is that of Ewald, who excuses Rall, and lays the blame on the officer of chasseurs (Grothausen) who should have discovered the enemy. Ewald also blames Donop for having been decoyed from Bordentown to Mount Holly, and out of supporting distance of Trenton, by false reports. Ewald, who was under Donop at the time, says, moreover, that this little affair of Trenton caused such a panic in the English army, hitherto regularly victorious since the opening of the campaign, that they continually thought they saw Washington and his soldiers, and did not get over their fear until they had fought again. Ewald's “Belehrungen,” vol. ii. p. 127. Grant, Rall's immediate superior, writes on December 27: “I did not think that all the rebels in America would have taken that brigade prisoners” (Archives at Marburg). The finding of the court-martial blamed Rall and Dechow, both dead (ibid.). For the battle of Trenton see authorities quoted and Eelking's “Hülfstruppen,” vol. i. pp. 112, 132; (MSS.) Wiederhold's Diary, journals of the regiment von Lossberg, and Grenadier Battalion von Minnigerode.
