During the American Revolution, Patriot General George Washington
crosses the Delaware River with 5,400 troops, hoping to surprise a
Hessian force celebrating Christmas at their winter quarters in Trenton,
New Jersey. The unconventional attack came after several months of
substantial defeats for Washington’s army that had resulted in the loss
of New York City and other strategic points in the region.
At
about 11 p.m. on Christmas, Washington’s army commenced its crossing of
the half-frozen river at three locations. The 2,400 soldiers led by
Washington successfully braved the icy and freezing river and reached
the New Jersey side of the Delaware just before dawn. The other two
divisions, made up of some 3,000 men and crucial artillery, failed to
reach the meeting point at the appointed time.
At approximately 8
a.m. on the morning of December 26, Washington’s remaining force,
separated into two columns, reached the outskirts of Trenton and
descended on the unsuspecting Hessians. Trenton’s 1,400 Hessian
defenders were groggy from the previous evening’s festivities and
underestimated the Patriot threat after months of decisive British
victories throughout New York. Washington’s men quickly overwhelmed the
Germans’ defenses, and by 9:30 a.m. the town was surrounded. Although
several hundred Hessians escaped, nearly 1,000 were captured at the cost
of only four American lives. However, because most of Washington’s army
had failed to cross the Delaware, he was without adequate artillery or
men and was forced to withdraw from the town.
The victory was not
particularly significant from a strategic point of view, but news of
Washington’s initiative raised the spirits of the American colonists,
who previously feared that the Continental Army was incapable of
victory.
