 Washington ordered that the excess baggage be taken to Burlington where it could be sent to Pennsylvania . The ground had frozen , making it possible to move the artillery without it sinking into the ground . By midnight , the plan was complete , with the baggage on its way to Burlington and the guns wrapped in heavy cloth to stifle noise and prevent the British from learning of the evacuation . Washington left 500 men behind with two cannon to patrol , keep the fires burning , and to work with picks and shovels to make the British think that they were digging in . Before dawn , these men were to join up with the main army . 
