Battle of Trenton

For the battle that took place near Trenton on January 2, 1777, see Battle of the Assunpink Creek.

Battle of Trenton Washington Crossing the Delaware (1851) Oil on canvas by Emanuel Leutze Date December 26, 1776 Location Trenton, New Jersey Result Decisive American Victory Belligerents United States Hessians Great Britain Commanders and leaders George Washington Johann Rall † Strength 2,400 18 guns 1,400 6 guns 20 British Dragoons Casualties and losses 4 wounded 2 froze to death 25 killed 90 wounded 920 troops and 6 guns captured

The Battle of Trenton took place on December 26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War after Washington's crossing of the Delaware River north of Trenton, New Jersey. The hazardous crossing in adverse weather allowed General George Washington to lead the main body of the Continental Army against the Hessian garrison of Trenton. After a brief struggle, the entire garrison, except for a few men who escaped across Assunpink Creek, was captured, with negligible losses to the Americans. The battle boosted the Continental Army's flagging morale and won praise for Washington's generalship from Frederick the Great.

The Continental Army had just suffered several defeats in New York, and had been forced to retreat all the way across New Jersey. Morale in the army was at an all-time low. In an attempt to save the army and end the year on a positive note, American Commander, George Washington, devised a plan to cross the Delaware River on Christmas night and surround the Hessian garrison.

The crossing proved to be dangerous, as the river was very icy. Two of the attacking groups were unable to cross the river, and that left Washington and his 2,400 men alone in the assault. The army marched 9 miles down south to Trenton. When the Hessians saw the Americans approaching, they formed up into lines and began an organized retreat. However, when the Hessians had been pushed back to the city, the American artillery broke their lines and the Hessians resistance collapsed. Almost the entire garrison of 1,400 men was captured.

Despite the battles small numbers, its effect was enormous throughout the colonies. The revolution itself had been in doubt only a week earlier, and the army seemed on the verge of collapse. However, with this victory, many soldiers agreed to stay and many new recruits came and joined the ranks.

Background

Prior to the battle, American morale was at an all time low. The Americans had been ousted from New York by the British and their Hessians allies, and the Army had been forced to retreat across New Jersey. Even George Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, expressed some doubts. He wrote to his cousin in Virginia "I think the game is pretty near up."

Trenton, at the time a small town in western New Jersey, was occupied by three regiments of Hessian soldiers commanded by Colonel Johann Rall totaling about 1,400 men. Washington's force totaled about 2,400 men. He was aided by Major General Nathanael Greene, brigadier general Hugh Mercer and Major General John Sullivan.

The American victory was aided by John Honeyman, who gathered intelligence in Trenton and misled the Hessian defenders. He was responsible for estimating the strength of the Hessian defenders and for convincing them that the Americans were confused and in no condition to attack. Also, the weather made Washington's crossing of the Delaware River next to impossible, further enhancing the element of surprise. The Hessians sent out a patrol every night to check for nearby enemy forces, but they were not sent out that night because of the storm.

Prelude

American plan

The American plan of attack under Washington

The American plan relied on launching coordinated attacks from three different directions. General John Cadwalader would launch a diversionary attack against the British garrison at Bordentown, in order to block off any reinforcements. General James Ewing would take 700 militia across the river at Trenton Ferry, seize the bridge over the Assunpink Creek and prevent any enemy troops from escaping. The main assault force of 2,400 men would cross the river nine miles north of Trenton, and then split into two groups, one under Greene and one under Sullivan, in order to launch a pre-dawn attack. Sullivan would attack the town from the South, and Greene from the North. Depending on the success of the operation, the Americans might possibly follow up with separate attacks on Princeton and New Brunswick.

During the week prior to Christmas, American advance parties had begun to ambush enemy cavalry patrols, capturing dispatch riders, and attacking Hessian pickets. This became so effective, that the Hessian commander had to send 100 infantry and an artillery detachment to protect his letter to the British commander at Princeton. Washington also ordered that all possible crossings near their encampment on the Delaware were to be watched day and night, as he believed that Howe would launch an attack on Philadelphia if the river froze over.

On December 20, 2,000 men arrived to join up with Washington's Army. They had been under the command of Charles Lee, retreating across Northern New Jersey, until Lee was captured and the Army went to regroup with Washington. That same day, an additional 800 troops arrived from Fort Ticonderoga under the command of Horatio Gates.

Hessian moves

Trenton had two main streets, King (now Warren) Street and Queen (now Broad) Street, and the town consisted of about 100 houses. Rall had been ordered to build a redoubt at the head of these two streets (where the battle monument stands today) by his superior, Carl von Donop, whose own brigade was stationed in Bordentown. Donop himself had marched south to Mount Holly on December 22 to deal with the South Jersey Rising, and clashed with the New Jersey militia there on December 23.

Donop was reluctant to give command of Trenton to Rall. Rall was noted to be loud, and a drunk, and was unacquainted with the language, but he was also a 36-year soldier with a great deal of battle experience. He had requested reinforcements and been turned down by British commander General James Grant. Grant regarded the Americans with great disdain and sent no reinforcements.

As Christmas approached, Loyalists came to the town with reports that the Americans were planning something. Even some American deserters told the Hessians that rations were being prepared to cross the river. Rall publicly dismissed all of this talk as nonsense, but privately in letters to his superiors, he expressed that he was worried of an imminent attack. He wrote to Donop that he was "liable to be attacked an any moment." As the Americans began to disrupt the Hessian supply lines, the officers started to share Rall's fears. One wrote "We have not slept one night in peace since we came to this place,"

The main force of 1,400 men was divided into three regiments:Knyphausen, Lossberg and Rall. That night they had not sent out any patrols because of the severe weather.

Crossing and march

Main article: Washington's crossing of the Delaware River

Before Washington and his troops left, Benjamin Rush had come in an attempt to cheer up the General. While he was there he saw a note Washington had written which said "Victory or Death". Those words would be the password for the surprise attack. Each soldier carried 60 rounds of ammunition, and three days rations. The Americans were already behind schedule when they began the crossing. Henry Knox had overall command of the crossing. The men went across in Durham Boats, while the horses and artillery went across on large ferries. The terrible weather conditions delayed the landing in New Jersey, which were supposed to be completed by 12:00 am until 3:00 am, and Washington realized it would be impossible to launch a pre-dawn attack. Another setback also occurred for the Americans. Both General Cadwalader and Ewing were unable to join in the attack due to the weather conditions.

The two groups stayed together until they reached Birmingham, where the two groups split apart. For the next two hours, the American troops marched to Trenton. Many did not have boots, so they were forced to wear rags around their feet. Many men's feet bled, turning the snow to a dark red. Two men died on the trip. As they continued their march, Washington rode up and down their line, encouraging the men to continue on. While they were marching, General Sullivan had a courier tell Washington that the weather was making it very difficult to fire. Washington responded, "Tell General Sullivan to use the bayonet. I am resolved to take Trenton."

Unknown to Washington, an officer in the American Army had ordered a raid on a Hessian outpost. Washington was furious, believing that the element of surprise had been completely lost, but it turned out otherwise. Rall believed the raid was the attack that he had been warned about, and did not take any further precautions.

Battle

American attack

The opening stages of Battle.

A small guard post was set up by the Hessians in Pennington about nine miles (14 km) north of Trenton, east of Washington's route to the city. When the squad guarding this post saw the large American force on the march, Lieutenant von Wiederholdt, in command of this Pennington picket, briefly engaged the Americans, then made an organized retreat. On their retreat, they were cut off by men under Hugh Mercer, and forced to fall back to another picket post of one of the Lossberg regiments. As they engaged the Americans, they retreated towards the town, keeping up continuous fire as they did. Once in Trenton the picket began to receive support from other Hessian guard companies on the outskirts of the town. Another guard company nearer to the Delaware River rushed east to their aid, leaving open the River Road into Trenton. Washington ordered that the escape route to Princeton be cut off, sending infantry in battle formation to block it off, while artillery formed at the head of King and Queen streets.

General John Sullivan, leading the southern American column entered Trenton on the abandoned river road, and made hard for the only crossing over the Assunpink Creek, which was the only way out of Trenton to the south, in hopes of cutting off the Hessian escape. Sullivan briefly held up his advance to order to make sure that Greene's division had time to drive the Hessians from their outposts in the north. Soon after, they continued their advance, attacking the Hermitage, home of Philemon Dickinson, where 50 Jägers under the command of Lieutenant von Grothausen were stationed. Lieutenant von Grothausen brought 12 of his Jägers into action against the advanced guard, but had only advanced a few hundred yards when he saw a column of Americans advancing to the Hermitage. He pulled back to the Hessian barracks, and was joined by the rest of the Jägers, who had evacuated the Hermitage. After one volley, they turned and ran, some trying to swim across the creek, while others escaped over the bridge, which had not yet been cut off. The 20 British Dragoons present also fled at this time.

Lieutenant Biel, Rall's brigade adjutant, finally awoke his commander, who found that the rebels had taken the "V" of the major streets of the town where earlier that month Pauli would have constructed the redoubt. Rall ordered his own regiment to form up at the lower end of King Street, the Lossberg regiment to prepare for an advance up Queen Street, and the Knyphausen regiment to stand by as a reserve for Rall's advance up King Street.

The American cannon that had been stationed at the head of the two major streets soon came into action. In reply, Rall directed his regiment, supported by a few companies of the Lossberg regiment, to clear the guns. The Hessians formed into their ranks, and began to advance up the street, but their formations were quickly broken by the Americans guns, and fire from Mercer's men who had taken the houses on the left side of the street. Their ranks broke, and the Hessians fled. Rall then ordered two three-pound cannon into action. The cannon managed to get of 6 rounds each, but within just a few minutes, half of the Hessians manning their guns were killed by the American cannon. The remaining men fled to cover behind houses and fences. Knox, at the head of King Street, saw the Hessian guns being knocked out of action and ordered that they be taken. Six men ran, and seized the cannon, turning them on the Hessians. At once following the capture on the cannon, men under the command of George Weedon advanced down King Street.

On Queen Street, all Hessian attempts to advance up the street were repulsed by guns under the command of Thomas Forrest. Two more Hessian guns were silenced, after they had only fired four rounds each. One of Forrest's Howitzers was put out of action with a broken axle.

In the southern part of the town, under the command of Sullivan, the Americans began to overwhelm the Hessians. John Stark led a bayonet charge at the Knyphausen regiment, breaking down most resistance as most of the Hessian weapons could not fire, and Sullivan personally led a column of men to block off any more troops from escaping across the creek.

Hessian resistance collapses

The Final Stages of Battle.

The Knyphausen regiment of Hessians was separated from the other two regiments and driven back through the southern end of Trenton by John Sullivan's column. The other two Hessian regiments, Lossberg and Rall, retreated into an open field and attempted a counterattack in order to escape to Princeton. Rall ordered a bayonet charge, and the Lossberg regiment began to advance. However, the Rall regiment refused to attack, and the counter-attack was driven back. Rall, believing that they were surrounded, ordered his force to retreat southeast into an apple orchard just outside Trenton. The Hessians in the orchard attempted to reorganize, and make one last attempt to retake the town so they could make a breakout.

The Americans, by this time, occupied the majority of the buildings and, from cover, fired into the ranks of the Rall regiment as the Hessians advanced. As the Hessians fought back into the streets of Trenton, they came under fire from cannons, and even some civilians who had joined the battle. Their formations were broken up by cannon fire. Many the Hessians weapons would not fire, and the Americans were firing from behind walls, and through windows, making it very difficult for the Hessians to fire back. Unable to stand the fire any longer, and taking heavy casualties, they retreated from the town. At this point, Rall was mortally wounded. The Hessians then fell back to the Orchard, where they were then surrounded and forced to surrender.

The remains of the Knyphausen Regiment were attempting to escape to Bordentown, but they were slowed when they tried to haul their cannon through boggy ground. The Americans quickly swept in, and a Hessian attempt to break through their lines failed. They were cut off from the bridge, surrounded by Sullivan's men, and forced to surrender. The regiment surrendered just minutes after the rest of the brigade.

George Washington at the Battle of Trenton engraving by the Illman Brothers in 1870

Casualties

The American forces had suffered only a handful of wounded, although two men died of hypothermia on the march and more the next night, while the Hessians suffered 115 casualties with at least 25 dead, as well as 920 captured. The captured Hessians were sent to Philadelphia, and later Lancaster only to be moved once again in 1777, this time to Virginia. Rall was mortally wounded and died later that day at his headquarters. All four Hessian colonels in Trenton were killed in the battle. The Lossberg regiment was effectively removed from the British forces. Parts of the Knyphausen regiment escaped to the south, but Sullivan captured some 200 men along with the regiment's cannons and supplies. Also captured were about 1,000 arms and some much-needed ammunition.

Effects

Following the surrender of the Hessians, Washington is reported to have grabbed the hand of a young officer and said "This is a glorious day for our country." However, he soon learned that Cadwalader and Ewing had been unable to make the crossing, leaving his worn-out army of 2,400 men alone. Without their 2,600 men, Washington realized that he would not be able to push onto Princeton and New Brunswick at that time.

This small but decisive battle, as with the much later Battle of Cowpens, had an effect disproportionate to its size. The colonial effort across the colonies was galvanized and the psychological dominance achieved by the British Government troops in the previous months overturned. Morale in the army and among the civilian population skyrocketed. Howe was stunned that such a substantial Hessian garrison could be surprised and overwhelmed so easily, without putting up any notable resistance.

Aftermath

Surrender of the Hessian Troops

By noon, Washington's force had moved to recross the Delaware back into Pennsylvania, taking their prisoners and captured supplies with them. This battle gave the Continental Congress a new confidence because it proved Colonial forces could defeat regulars. It also increased the re-enlistments in the Continental Army forces. The colonials had now proved themselves against a European army and the fear the Hessians inspired earlier that year in New York was broken.

Only four Americans were wounded, two during the rush to capture Hessian artillery before they could be used in the battle. These wounded were officers: Captain William Washington (the general's cousin), who was badly wounded in both hands, and young Lieutenant James Monroe, the future President of the United States. Monroe was carried from the field bleeding badly after he was struck in the left shoulder by a musket ball, which severed an artery. Doctor John Riker clamped the artery, keeping him from bleeding to death.

After Washington's victory at Princeton the following week, Fredrick the Great is to have pronounced his achievements during those few weeks the most brilliant in military history.

Legacy

The hours before the battle served as the inspiration for the famous painting Washington Crossing the Delaware. by German American Artist Emanuel Leutze. The image in the painting, in which Washington stands majestic in his boat as it is crossing the Delaware River, is believed by some, to be more symbolic than historically accurate, since the waters of the river were icy and treacherous, and the flag Monroe holds was not created until six months after the battle. The crossing also occurred before dawn. Many doubt, and have doubted, that Washington stood, but many scholars believe that they all stood, albeit in a different type of boat. However, since the crossing took place in a storm, anyone who sat down in the boats would have been sitting in ice water. Perhaps standing up made sense. Nonetheless, the image has become an icon of American history.

The Trenton Battle Monument erected at "Five Points" stands as a tribute to this crucial American victory. The crossing and battle is reenacted every year.

See also

• New Jersey during the American Revolution
• Battle of Princeton
• Trenton order of Battle

References

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