Battle of Trenton

Background. In early December 1776, American morale was incredibly low. Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, devised a plan to cross the Delaware River on the night of December 25–26 and surround the Hessians' garrison, hoping to end the year on a positive note. Trenton, then a small New Jersey town, was occupied by four Hessian regiments of about 1,400 men commanded by Colonel Johann Rall, who had established winter quarters there on December 14.

Intelligence and Deception. Washington had stationed a spy, John Honeyman, in Trenton posing as a Tory. Honeyman gathered intelligence and convinced the Hessians that the Continental Army's low morale made an attack on Trenton unlikely. On the evening before the battle, Rall celebrated Christmas with his troops at the farm of Abraham Hunt, a wealthy Trenton merchant, who played the friendly Loyalist host and gave Rall a false sense of serenity while Washington prepared the surprise attack.

Preliminary Operations. During the week before the battle, American advance parties ambushed enemy cavalry patrols, captured dispatch riders, and attacked Hessian pickets; on December 17 and 18 they struck an outpost of jägers, and on the 21st they set fire to several houses. On December 20, some 2,000 troops under General Sullivan arrived in Washington's camp. A spy reported to Grant that Washington had called a council of war, and Grant told Rall to be on his guard.

Outcome and Aftermath. The Hessians lost 22 killed, including Colonel Rall, with 83 wounded and 896 captured, including the wounded; just over a third of the force escaped across Assunpink Creek. All four Hessian colonels in Trenton were killed. The Americans captured the entire Hessian store of provisions—flour, meats, liquors, shoes, boots, clothing, and bedding—supplies as needed by the Continental forces as weapons and horses. Washington reportedly called it a glorious day for the country, but without his 2,400 men he lacked the forces to attack Princeton and New Brunswick.