Intelligence in the Battle of Princeton facts for kids
Two important missions to gather military intelligence helped the Continental Army win the Battle of Princeton. These missions both reached their most important point on December 30, 1776.
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Joseph Reed and the Philadelphia Light Horse
After a big win at the Battle of Trenton, General Washington was worried. He didn't have enough clear information about the British army. Washington told Adjutant-General Joseph Reed that spies were scared to work for the American side. Reed agreed, saying the people in Bordentown were "terrified." Many houses there had red rags, showing they supported the British. But people were quickly taking them down as the war changed.
Reed was from New Jersey. He suggested to Washington that he lead a group of cavalrymen from the Philadelphia Light Horse. Their goal was to ride toward Princeton and find spies. The Philadelphia Light Horse was a group of 21 rich young men. They volunteered to help General Washington. They paid for their own costs. They wore chocolate brown uniforms, tall riding boots, and black hats.
Washington approved the mission. He sent Reed with seven cavalrymen. But the people on the road to Princeton were very afraid. Reed said the "arms and ravages of the enemy" had scared them. Even though they wanted to help, no reward could make them go into Princeton as spies. Stories of captured American soldiers starving in British prisons also made people afraid.
Reed and his men were determined to find useful information. They thought the back of Princeton would not be well guarded. So, they rode around the town. They were about half a mile southeast of Clarksville, near Princeton. There, they saw a British soldier walking between a barn and a house. Reed thought the soldier was stealing. He sent two cavalrymen to capture him. The Light Horsemen used the barn to hide as they got closer.
Then, a second and third British soldier appeared. Reed ordered the rest of his men to charge. Reed's men were outnumbered, but they were in the right place at the right time. Most of the twelve British soldiers were busy eating "mince pies." The Light Horse surrounded the house. Seven cavalrymen, six of whom had never fought before, forced twelve well-armed British dragoons to surrender.
Reed and the Light Horse returned to Trenton with their prisoners. The prisoners were questioned separately. They said that General Grant had sent more British troops to Princeton. They also said that over 8,000 trained soldiers were there. And, the British planned to attack Trenton. This was very important news. At that time, Washington had only 4,700 men. Many were new, and all were not well-equipped.
"A Very Intelligent Young Gentleman"
On December 12, Washington wrote a letter to Colonel John Cadwalader. Cadwalader was a senior officer of a militia called the Philadelphia Associators. Washington's letter said it was very important to get information about the enemy. He also wanted to stop enemy spies.
Washington wrote:
Get information about the enemy's movements and plans. Do not worry about the cost. Any promises made will be kept. Send any important information quickly. Watch out for spies, and make our numbers seem as big as possible.
Three days later, Cadwalader replied. He said he had sent "several persons over for intelligence." Two weeks later, on the morning of December 31, he identified one of his spies. This spy was "a very intelligent young gentleman." He had just returned from Princeton. He had many details about the British forces.
The spy reported:
...there were about five thousand men, including Hessians and British troops—about the same number of each... He talked with some of the officers, and stayed with them last night... No guards were on the back or east side of the town. They have a parade every morning an hour before daylight. Some nights they sleep with their weapons ready. An attack has been expected for several nights. The men are very tired. Until last night, they needed food. Then, many wagons arrived with food from Brunswick...
Following Washington's orders, the spy made the Continental Army's numbers seem larger. He told the British that the best reports said 16,000 American troops. This surprised the British, who expected only five or six thousand.
By chance, this same young gentleman was "near the party of chasseurs" when Reed and the Light Horse captured them. He was also with the British officers when they heard about the attack.
Cadwalader also sent a "rough map of the road" from Crosswicks to Princeton. Cadwalader was in Crosswicks at the time. The map was very detailed. For example, Cadwalader put numbers next to bridges. These numbers showed how many soldiers were defending them. A note on the map said: "This road leads to the back part of Princeton. It can be entered anywhere on this side. The area is mostly clear for about 2 miles... few fences." The map was helpful because it showed what would be there when Washington used the information. It even showed "works begun, and those planned for this morning."
Before Cadwalader's report, Washington had only three pieces of information. He got them by questioning prisoners. First, General James Grant had sent more British troops to Princeton. Second, there were over 8,000 soldiers there. Third, they planned to attack Trenton. Cadwalader's report likely made Washington feel better. It suggested a smaller enemy force of about 5,000 men. It also gave detailed information about their positions.
Washington immediately sent a large American force up the Post Road. Their orders were to slow down any British movement toward Trenton. They moved in the dark on New Year's Eve. They took a position six miles from Nassau Hall. The British saw them at dawn. They sent their light infantry and two Hessian companies to fight the Americans. The British cleared the road, but it cost them many soldiers.
St. Clair's Proposal
On January 2, 1777, British troops attacked in force. The Continental Army held its ground at Assunpink Creek in the Second Battle of Trenton. That evening, Washington held a meeting with his officers. Reed and Cadwalader were there. Washington also invited local citizens to attend and speak freely.
Washington's officers thought about different plans. None seemed good. General Arthur St. Clair suggested a surprise attack on the enemy's rear. He argued that if American troops could reach Quaker Bridge without being seen, they would only need to go north about six miles to reach Princeton. Reed agreed with this idea. He shared his own knowledge of the area. He said that when he led the Light Horse to Princeton, they saw no British on the back roads. An officer later remembered that "two men from the country, near the proposed route," were "called to the council for their opinions."
St. Clair's idea was very brave. Washington might have said no to it. But he also got more information from ordinary colonists that evening. This extra information helped him decide.
Aftermath
Washington wrote to John Hancock three days later, on January 5, 1777. He had good news.
To John Hancock
Pluckamin [N.J.] January 5th 1777Sir
I am happy to tell you that I have moved the army to this place. ...Their large guards near Trenton, their big preparations, and some information I received, along with knowing that January 1st meant many of our soldiers would leave, made me think they were planning to attack us.
Washington described the Continental Army's march to Princeton. They took "a roundabout road." Their supplies were quietly moved to Burlington. The Battle of Princeton was a big win for the American troops. It surprised the British. This victory was exactly what the colonists needed. The Pennsylvania Journal wrote that if Washington had lived in ancient times, people would have worshipped him as a god.
Washington officially let the Philadelphia Light Horse go three weeks later. He said that even though they were "gentlemen of fortune," they had "shown a noble example of discipline and order." He added that in several actions, they had "shown a spirit and bravery which will always honor them, and will always be remembered by me." In September 1779, the Light Horse met again at Washington's request. They served the Continental Army until the British surrendered at Yorktown two years later, in October 1781.
The Philadelphia Light Horse had an honorable history after the American Revolution. In his 1816 memoir, General Wilkinson praised the cavalrymen for their December 30 mission. He said this "little act of decisive gallantry" helped "increase the confidence of the troops." Eight years later, at a party for General Lafayette, John Lardner and William Leiper were there. They were the sons of two Light Horse cavalrymen who were on that mission. They wore the gorgets (a piece of armor) of the British officers captured that day.
A story published in 1875 by the Light Horse matches Joseph Reed's account almost perfectly. The only difference is how many men Reed took with him. The Light Horse said Reed took twelve cavalrymen to Princeton. But Reed clearly wrote that he went "with seven gentlemen." He named five of them: Messrs. Caldwell, Dunlap, Hunter, Pollard, and Peters. If the other two were Messrs. Lardner and Leiper, then five men from the Light Horse's story are not accounted for.
It's not clear if Reed forgot to name some men, or if members of the Light Horse later claimed credit for a mission they weren't on. History seems to side with the Light Horse. Most stories of the mission mention twelve, not seven, cavalrymen. One book, Washington's Crossing by David Hackett Fischer, avoids saying a number.
The Philadelphia Light Horse is well-remembered. But Cadwalader's anonymous and "intelligent young gentleman" is not. He might have been a student at Princeton, which was closed during the British invasion. It's likely he had no family left. No one claimed his story after the war.
Images for kids
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Cadwalader's map was highly detailed, and included cannon and works that the British force had begun to prepare, but had not yet finished.
