“And Cornwallis had not reached there yet?” Walter said interrogatively.

“No,” returned Harold, “and when he did arrive he found that the battle was over, and Washington, with his victorious troops and prisoners, had already left the town and was in hot pursuit of the fleeing Fortieth and Fifty-fifth regiments.”

“And our poor fellows so tired and cold!” sighed Eva.

“Yes,” said the captain, “they had fought at Trenton on the 26th, after being up, probably, all night, getting across the river, had spent the next night in marching upon Princeton and the day in fighting; so that they must have been terribly fatigued even had they had the warm clothing and nourishing food they needed; but less than half of them had been able to procure any breakfast or dinner; and, as you all know, many of them were without shoes or stockings.  Ah, how we should prize the liberty which was so dearly bought!”

“So to save his army,” resumed Harold, “Washington refrained from an effort to seize the rich prize at New Brunswick, and let them rest that night and refresh themselves with food; then retired to his winter quarters at Morristown.

“Now, good people, if you are ready to retrace your steps, let us go back and look at the town souvenirs of the revolution; among them the portrait of Washington in the frame that used to hold that of George the Second.”

Our friends made but a short stay at Princeton, leaving that evening, and the next day visited the scene of the battle of Monmouth.  The captain gave a rapid sketch of the movements of the opposing armies, as he did so pointing out the various positions of the different corps, describing Lee’s disgraceful conduct at the beginning of the fight, telling of the just indignation of Washington, his stern reproof, Lee’s angry rejoinder, and then with what consummate skill and despatch his errors were repaired by the general-in-chief—­the retreating, almost routed, troops rallied, and order brought out of confusion, and how fearlessly he exposed himself to the iron storm while giving his orders so that that patriot army, which had been so near destruction, within half an hour was drawn up in battle array and ready to meet the foe.

“It was a very hot day, wasn’t it, papa?” asked Lulu.

“One of the hottest of the season,” replied her father, “ninety-six degrees in the shade; and the sun slew his victims on both sides.”

“Don’t you think Lee was a traitor, Captain?” queried Evelyn.

“Either that or insane.  I think it would have been a happy thing for America if both he and Gaines had remained in their own land.  They did the American cause far more harm than good.  Though I by no means accuse Gaines of treachery, but he was envious of Washington, and so desirous to supersede him that he was ready to sacrifice the cause to that end.”

“I just wish he’d been sent back to England,” said Walter.  “But please tell us the rest about the battle, Brother Levis, won’t you?”