Faced with a fast approaching end to the enlistments of much of his Continental Army and a near year of engage-and-retreat across New York and New Jersey, General George Washington crossed the Delaware River from Pennsylvania on Christmas night with half his men (and none of his artillery) to completely surprise the Hessian garrison in Trenton, New Jersey on this day in 1776.
With the loss of only 4 American lives, Washington’s army succeeded in overwhelming the 1400 Hessian troops taking nearly 1000 prisoners. Without his artillery, Washington was forced to retreat across the Delaware after the victory but returned a few days later to advance upon and win again at Princeton on January 3, 1777. These victories, while strategically insignificant, encouraged soldiers, citizens and the Continental Congress to believe in the potential of the Continental Army.
After Princeton, the army went into winter quarters at Jockey Hollow just south of Morristown, New Jersey.
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