Crossing of the Delaware

Background. After early success with the British evacuation of Boston in March 1776, Washington's attempts to defend New York City failed, and Cornwallis's troops chased his army across New Jersey. Most of the army crossed the Delaware into Pennsylvania north of Trenton, destroying or moving boats to the western shore for miles. Many enlistments were due to expire at the end of 1776, and morale was lifted only by the December 19 publication of Thomas Paine's The American Crisis.

Preparations and Secrecy. Washington organized the campaign in great secrecy, planning three crossings with his own contingent as the largest, intended to lead the attack on Trenton. Having about 2,400 men able to take offensive action, he told Reed that "dire necessity" justified the risky assault. On the morning of December 25 he ordered three days' food prepared and fresh flints fitted to every musket, and that day he outlined the detailed plans for the river crossing and the planned attacks on the Hessians in Trenton.

The Crossing. Washington's army arrived at the river at 4 pm on December 25 to begin the crossing, which was to start once darkness concealed their movements; most troops did not reach the crossing point until about 6 pm, roughly ninety minutes after sunset. The army crossed the icy Delaware from present-day Bucks County, Pennsylvania to present-day Mercer County, New Jersey in one of the war's most logistically challenging and dangerous clandestine operations.

Aftermath and Further Crossings. The crossing enabled Washington's surprise defeat of the Hessian forces under Johann Rall at Trenton on the morning of December 26, 1776, even though other planned supporting crossings were called off or ineffective. After the battle, Washington's troops crossed back into Pennsylvania with Hessian prisoners and captured stores, and crossed the Delaware a third time at the end of 1776 amid uncertainty over the ice's thickness.