"MALICE DOMESTIC, AND FOREIGN LEVY" After the "two lucky strokes at Trenton and Princeton," as he himself called them, Washington took up a strong position at Morristown and waited.

His plan was to hold the enemy in check, and to delay all operations until spring.

It is easy enough now to state his purpose, and it looks very simple, but it was a grim task to carry it out through the bleak winter days of 1777.

The Jerseys farmers, spurred by the sufferings inflicted upon them by the British troops, had turned out at last in deference to Washington's appeals, after the victories of Trenton and Princeton, had harassed and cut off outlying parties, and had thus straitened the movements of the enemy.

But the main army of the colonies, on which all depended, was in a pitiable state.