Twelve hundred servile miscreants, With all their colors, guns, and tents, Were trophies of the day. The frolic o'er, the bright canteen, In centre, front, and rear was seen Driving fatigue away. Now, brothers of the patriot bands, Let's sing deliverance from the hands Of arbitrary sway. And as our life is but a span, Let's touch the tankard while we can, In memory of that day. At Princeton Cornwallis joined them, and on January 2, 1777, advanced against Trenton at the head of eight thousand men. By the time he reached there, Washington had withdrawn his whole force beyond a little stream called the Assunpink, where he repelled two British assaults. That night, he marched toward Princeton, routed a British detachment of two thousand, and took up a strong position on the heights at Morristown. TRENTON AND PRINCETON [December 26, 1776--January 3, 1777] On December, the sixth And the twentieth day, Our troops attacked the Hessians, And show'd them gallant play. Our roaring cannon taught them Our valor for to know; We fought like brave Americans Against a haughty foe. The chiefs were kill'd or taken, The rest were put to flight, And some arrived at Princeton, Half-fainting with affright. The third of January, The morning being clear, Our troops attack'd the regulars, At Princeton, we do hear. About a mile from Princeton, The battle is begun, And many a haughty Briton fell Before the fight was done. And what our gallant troops have done We'll let the British know; We fought like brave Americans Against a haughty foe. The British, struck with terror, And frighted, ran away: They ran across the country Like men in deep dismay, Crying to every one they met, "Oh! hide us! hide us! do! The rebels will devour us, So hotly they pursue." Oh, base, ungenerous Britons! To call us by that name; We're fighting for our liberty, Our just and lawful claim. We trust in Heaven's protection, Nor fear to win the day; When time shall come we'll crown our deeds With many a loud huzza! Our foes are fled to Brunswick, Where they are close confined; Our men they are unanimous, In Freedom's cause combined. Success to General Washington, And Gates and Putnam, too, Both officers and privates, Who liberty pursue. ASSUNPINK AND PRINCETON [January 3, 1777] Glorious the day when in arms at Assunpink, And after at Princeton the Briton we met; Few in both armies--they'd skirmishes call them, Now hundreds of thousands in battle are set. But for the numbers engaged, let me tell you, Smart brushes they were, and two battles that told; There 'twas I first drew a bead on a foeman-- I, a mere stripling, not twenty years old.