On Christmas night of 1776, when General Washington and his men camped by the Delaware River, he figured out a plan he thought would bring victory to his men. They would cross the Delaware River and go into Trenton, New Jersey. Washington knew British General Howe had sent his forces away from Trenton and Trenton was now being protected by Colonel Johann Gottlieb Rall.
Colonel Rall and his men were German and were being paid by the King George III to fight for the British cause in the colonies. Colonel Rall and his troops were called Hessians. They didn't care who won the War as long as they got paid. they didn't always fight as hard as they could have.
General Washington guessed that the Hessians would probably be celebrating Christmas. The weather was very cold and there was sleet, hail, and ice. The Delaware River was frozen in many places. He thought the Hessians wouldn't expect the weak Continental Army to attack in this kind of weather. He thought the Hessians probably felt protected by the frozen River.
<span>Three groups of soldiers crossed the Delaware in boats during different times through the night. When they reached the other side, early in the morning on December 26, 1776, the Continental Army led by Washington joined together and attacked the Hessians, who were still sleeping and drunk from their celebrations.</span>
