Database: The Battle of Trenton

Stunning victory! Gen. Washington surprises Hessian force at Trenton. Hundreds of prisoners taken.

In a daring raid, Gen. George Washington has in one coup overcome months of reversals and achieved a marked victory. In the teeth of highly difficult conditions, the General was able to assemble some thousands of troops and ford a Delaware River encumbered by floes of ice. In fact, large numbers of his force were unable to complete the crossing, leaving the good General with less than half the troops expected for his raid. Nonetheless, the Continental Army marched through snow and sleet toward the garrisoned Hessian town of Trenton. Many of the troops were without boots and were therefore forced to tie rags about their feet and to march through the snow thus, leaving dark tracks of blood as a marker to their determination.

In Trenton, the Americans surprised a Hessian force of 1,500 groggy with sleep.

The main American force under Washington entered Trenton from the north-west. He sent Gen. Sullivan around the town to attack from the south and set additional forces in a position to the north-east, forestalling a Hessians retreat. The Hessians made a hasty attempt to form line in the town but were under artillery fire from Capt. Alexander Hamilton as well as attack from front and rear from Washington and Sullivan. Soldiers joined with inhabitants of the town to shoot from house windows upon the Hessian gunners. During this fire-fight, the commander of the garrison, Col. Rall was direly wounded. His troops retreated to an apple orchard and shortly thereafter surrendered. Nearly nine hundred Hessian troops were taken captive.

In the fight, Lieutenant James Monroe was wounded, but not grievously.

Some days before this expedition, Thos. Paine's pamphlet, The Crisis, was read aloud to these same men. Mr. Paine begins with the phrase: "These are the times that try men's souls," and notes that "the harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph."

Col. Rall died from his wounds before the conflict's end. A message was found folded in his pocket, warning him of the American approach. A warning he fatally ignored.