Crossing of the Delaware and the Battle of Trenton
Also called: Battle of Trenton, Washington’s Crossing
Driven from New York, Washington crossed the ice-choked Delaware on Christmas night and next morning surprised and defeated the Hessian garrison at Trenton.
Emanuel Leutze · Public domain · Source
In the summer of 1776 Britain sent a fleet and more than 30,000 troops to New York. Beaten on Long Island in August, Washington slipped his army across to Manhattan by night and in September gave up New York. The Continental Army was chased across New Jersey and over the Delaware into Pennsylvania, and as enlistments ran out the army seemed about to dissolve.
On Christmas night Washington ferried about 2,400 men and their cannon across the ice-choked Delaware. Marching all night through sleet, on the morning of the 26th they fell on the Hessian (German) garrison at Trenton and captured nearly 900, then won again at Princeton on 3 January 1777. They were small battles, but they revived the failing hope of independence.
