Chapter I: Front Matter

The Young
Continentals
at Trenton

_by_
John T. McIntyre

_Author of_

“The Young Continentals at Lexington”
“The Young Continentals at Bunker Hill”

Illustrated by Ralph L. Boyer.

_The Penn Publishing
Company Philadelphia
MCMXI_

COPYRIGHT
1911 BY
THE PENN
PUBLISHING
COMPANY

Introduction

“The Young Continentals” series deals with the experiences of four boys in the American Revolution. One of them, Nat Brewster, is from the hills about Wyoming, Ben Cooper is from Philadelphia, while the Prentiss twin brothers come from Boston.

In the first book of the series, “The Young Continentals at Lexington,” Nat Brewster played the leading part--a part full of daring and enterprise. In the second book, “The Young Continentals at Bunker Hill,” Ezra Prentiss replaced Nat as the principal figure, while in the present volume, George Prentiss steps into the foreground.

The first book dealt with the revolution from the stirring of the wrath of the colonies to the first blows struck at Lexington and Concord Bridge. The second began where the first ended, and related the events that took place during the siege of Boston, including the fight on Breed’s Hill and ended with the evacuation of the city by the British.

The present, or third, takes up the thread of the great struggle where the second laid it down; it deals with the preparation for defending New York City, describes the battle of Long Island, the crossing of the Delaware and the capture of the Hessians at Trenton.

The fourth book, “The Young Continentals at Monmouth,” takes in the encounters around Philadelphia, including the battle of Germantown, and ends with Washington’s brilliant success at Monmouth. Ben Cooper fills the eye in this volume; and during the course of the story appears the celebrated Molly Pitcher, the girl who served a gun at Monmouth and whom Washington afterward made a sergeant on the field of battle. This volume is now in preparation.

Contents

I. SHOWS HOW MERCHANT DANA BOARDED THE “NANCY BREEN” AND
WHAT CAME OF IT 9

II. SHOWS THE RECEPTION GEORGE PRENTISS MET WITH IN NEW YORK
TOWN 34

III. TELLS HOW A BULLY ENTERED THE “KING’S ARMS” 52

IV. TELLS HOW THE BULLY CHANGED HIS MIND, AND HOW GEORGE WAS
SENT FOR IN HASTE 64

V. IN WHICH GENERAL PUTNAM HAS HIS SAY 75

VI. EXPLAINS HOW GEORGE PRENTISS BECOMES A GUEST AT THE
“WHEAT SHEAF” 82

VII. TELLS HOW THREE PEOPLE MADE A DASH FOR FREEDOM 111

VIII. TELLS HOW PEGGY GAVE A WARNING 122

IX. IN WHICH GEORGE PRENTISS RECEIVES AN INVITATION 129

X. SHOWS HOW WASHINGTON CAME TO NEW YORK 138

XI. IN WHICH GEORGE PRENTISS MAKES A SUDDEN RESOLUTION 152

XII. TELLS HOW TWO PEOPLE PEERED THROUGH THE WINDOW OF THE
OLD MILL 163

XIII. IN WHICH PEGGY CAMP SHOWS HER COURAGE 171

XIV. SHOWS HOW THE BRITISH SHIPS CAME INTO THE BAY 181

XV. TELLS HOW GEORGE VISITED THE HOUSE IN CROWN STREET 190

XVI. PEGGY SPEAKS HER MIND 204

XVII. SHOWS WHAT HAPPENED IN THE TAPESTRIED CHAMBER 217

XVIII. IN WHICH IS FOUGHT THE BATTLE OF LONG ISLAND 229

XIX. DESCRIBES HOW GEORGE AND HIS FRIEND START UPON A
DANGEROUS MISSION 255

XX. TELLS OF TWO PATRIOTS IN TRENTON 274

XXI. HOW COLONEL RAHL PROPOSED GIVING A CHRISTMAS CONCERT 283

XXII. TELLS HOW A FIRE WAS KINDLED ON A HILLSIDE 301

XXIII. SHOWS HOW THE CONCERT WAS INTERRUPTED 317

Illustrations

PAGE

“GET OUT OF THE WAY, MY HEARTY” _Frontispiece_

GENERAL PUTNAM GLANCED UP 47

“I WALKED INTO A NEST OF KING’S MEN” 89

LORD STERLING BROKE THE SEAL 156

“ALEXANDER HAMILTON,” HE REPLIED 184

THE HAND PAUSED 221

“IT’S THE ARMY OF WASHINGTON” 315

The Young Continentals at Trenton