26 December 1776 to 6 January 1777
Trenton and Princeton
With Howe’s army in winter quarters in a chain of posts across New Jersey, Washington crosses the ice-choked Delaware on Christmas night with 2,400 men and marches nine miles through sleet. At eight in the morning of 26 December he attacks the Hessian garrison at Trenton and takes 800 to 900 prisoners, for five wounded. He then takes his army back across the river.
Washington Crossing the Delaware, painting by Emanuel Leutze, 1851Wikimedia Commons, Emanuel Leutze, CC0 (Washington Crossing the Delaware MET DP258220.jpg)
The Capture of the Hessians at Trenton, 26 December 1776, painting by John TrumbullWikimedia Commons, John Trumbull, Public domain (The Capture of the Hessians at Trenton December 26 1776.jpeg)
At the end of December he crosses again. On 2 January Cornwallis comes down from Princeton and attacks him at Assunpink Creek. That night Washington leaves his campfires burning, marches round the British flank and defeats their rear guard at Princeton the next morning. He then takes the army into the hills at Morristown for the winter, and the British keep only their posts at New Brunswick and Perth Amboy.
The Death of General Mercer at the Battle of Princeton, 3 January 1777, painting by John TrumbullWikimedia Commons, John Trumbull, Public domain (The Death of General Mercer at the Battle of Princeton January 3 1777.jpeg)
Sources
- Robert Middlekauff, The Glorious Cause (2005).
- David McCullough, 1776 (2005).
- David Hackett Fischer, Washington’s Crossing (2004).
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