Battle of Trenton Washington Crossing the Delaware (1851) Oil on canvas by Emanuel Leutze Date December 26, 1776 Location Trenton, New Jersey Result Resounding American victory Belligerents Continental Army a Hessian Brigade Commanders George Washington Johann Rall† Strength 2,400 18 guns [1] 1,400 6 guns [2] Casualties and losses 2 dead, On the march 4 wounded 23 dead, 92 wounded, 913 captured

New York and New Jersey, 1776–1777 Long Island – Kip's Bay – Harlem Heights – Pell's Point – White Plains – Fort Washington – 1st Trenton – 2nd Trenton – Princeton – Forage War – Bound Brook

The Battle of Trenton was a battle which took place on December 26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War after Washington's crossing of the Delaware River. General George Washington led the main Continental Army across the river to surprise and virtually eliminate the Hessian garrison at Trenton, New Jersey. This much-needed victory helped to preserve the Continental Army and set the stage for the Battle of Princeton the following week. Download high resolution version (950x558, 918 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: American Revolutionary War Emanuel Leutze George Washington Delaware River Washington Crossing the Delaware Categories: U.S. history images ... Washington Crossing the Delaware is an 1851 oil-on-canvas painting by Emanuel Leutze. ... Washington Crossing the Delaware Westward the Course of Empire Takes its Way Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze (May 24, 1816 – July 18, 1868) was a German-born American painter. ... is the 360th day of the year (361st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1776 (disambiguation). ... Nickname: Location of Trenton inside of Mercer County Coordinates: , Country State County Mercer Incorporated November 13, 1792 Government  - Mayor Douglas H. Palmer Area  - City  8. ... This article is about the U.S. state. ... Illustration depicting uniforms and weapons used during the 1779 to 1783 period of the American Revolution by showing four soldiers standing in an informal group General George Washington, was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army on June 15, 1775. ... The term Hessian refers to the inhabitants of the German state of Hesse. ... George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799)[1] led Americas Continental Army to victory over Britain in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and in 1789 was elected the first President of the United States of America. ... Colonel Johannn Rall (alt. ... Temporary grave of an American machine-gunner during the Battle of Normandy. ... Combatants United States Great Britain Commanders George Washington, Charles Lee Sir William Howe, Lord Cornwallis Strength 19,000 regulars and militia 25,000 soldiers, 10,000 seamen The New York and New Jersey campaign was a series of engagements in the American Revolutionary War between British forces under General Sir... Combatants United States Kingdom of Great Britain Commanders George Washington, Israel Putnam William Howe, Charles Cornwallis, Henry Clinton Strength 11,000-13,000 unknown, nearly 20,000 (about 10,000 of which were militia ) 22,000 (including 9,000 Hessians) Casualties 1,719 total (312 dead, 1,407 wounded, captured... The Landing at Kips Bay was a British maneuver during the New York Campaign in the American Revolutionary War. ... The Battle of Harlem Heights was a skirmish in the New York Campaign of the American Revolutionary War. ... The Battle of Pells Point, also known as the Battle of Pelham, was a skirmish during the American Revolutionary War. ... Combatants United States Britain Commanders George Washington William Howe Strength 14,500 men 14,000 men Casualties 300 killed and wounded 313 killed and wounded Battle of White Plains Historic Site : George Washingtons HQ The Battle of White Plains was an inconclusive meeting on October 28, 1776 in the... Combatants United States Britain Hessian Army Commanders George Washington Robert Magaw William Howe Wilhelm Knyphausen Strength 2,900 8,000 Casualties 53 killed, 96 wounded, & 2,818 captured 78 killed, 374 wounded Fort Washington was a fort located at the upermost tip of Manhattan, New York overlooking the Hudson River... The Second Battle of Trenton took place on January 2, 1777 during the American Revolutionary War. ... Combatants United States Kingdom of Great Britain Commanders George Washington, Hugh Mercer†, John Haslet† Charles Mawhood Strength 4,600 1,200 (Rearguard of main force) Casualties 46 killed c. ... The Forage War was a partisan war consisting of many small skirmishes that took place in New Jersey during the American Revolutionary War in 1777, following the battles of Trenton and Princeton. ... Battlefield Marker The Battle of Bound Brook , one of the battles in New Jersey during the American War for Independence, occurred on April 13, 1777 and resulted in a defeat for the Continental Army who were routed by about 4,000 troops under British command. ... For other uses, see Battle (disambiguation). ... is the 360th day of the year (361st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see 1776 (disambiguation). ... This article is about military actions only. ... Washington Crossing the Delaware, by Emanuel Leutze, 1851, Metropolitan Museum Washingtons crossing of the Delaware, occurring on December 25, 1776 during the American Revolutionary War, was the first move in a surprise attack against the Hessian forces at Trenton, New Jersey in the Battle of Trenton. ... George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799)[1] led Americas Continental Army to victory over Britain in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and in 1789 was elected the first President of the United States of America. ... Illustration depicting uniforms and weapons used during the 1779 to 1783 period of the American Revolution by showing four soldiers standing in an informal group General George Washington, was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army on June 15, 1775. ... The term Hessian refers to the inhabitants of the German state of Hesse. ... Nickname: Location of Trenton inside of Mercer County Coordinates: , Country State County Mercer Incorporated November 13, 1792 Government  - Mayor Douglas H. Palmer Area  - City  8. ... Combatants United States Kingdom of Great Britain Commanders George Washington, Hugh Mercer†, John Haslet† Charles Mawhood Strength 4,600 1,200 (Rearguard of main force) Casualties 46 killed c. ...

Background

Trenton was occupied by three regiments of Hessian soldiers commanded by Colonel Johann Rall for a total of about 1,400 men. Washington's force of about 2,400 attacked in two columns: Major General Nathanael Greene's division from the north, and Major General John Sullivan's division from the west. A third division never made it across the river because of the weather but was supposed to attack from the south. Colonel Johannn Rall (alt. ... Charles Willson Peale painted a portrait of General Greene from life in 1783, which was then copied several times by C.W. Peale and his son, Rembrandt Peale. ... John Sullivan (b. ...

The American victory was aided by John Honeyman, a spy enlisted by Washington, 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 crossing of the Delaware 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. John Honeyman (1729 - August 18, 1822) was an American spy for George Washington. ...

Battle

Delayed by a snowstorm which began at 23:00 on Christmas Day, the American troops were unable to reach the east bank of the Delaware River until 3:00 a.m. on December 26. With the storm still raging, fighting began around 08:00 and was over by 09:00. Image File history File links Metadata Size of this preview: 799 × 600 pixelsFull resolution (986 × 740 pixel, file size: 310 KB, MIME type: image/jpeg) source: http://www. ... is the 360th day of the year (361st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

Trenton had two main streets, King (now Warren) Street and Queen (now Broad) Street. Rall had been ordered to build a redoubt at the head of these two streets (where the battle monument stands today) by his superior, Count Carl von Donop, whose own brigade was stationed in Bordentown. Von Donop was not in Bordentown. He had marched south to Mount Holly on the 22nd to deal with the South Jersey Rising, and clashed with the New Jersey militia there on the 23rd. An officer of the Hessian engineers, Captain Pauli, was sent to Trenton with those orders but was sent back by Rall, without building the redoubt. When Rall was warned that the Patriots might attack, he replied, "Let them come. We need no trenches. We will go at them with the bayonet." (In a side note: It is also theorized that Rall completely ignored the warning. It is theorized that he was playing cards when the letter of warning arrived and that he simply slipped it into his jacket pocket and forgot about it. The letter then was later found on his body after he was killed in the battle of Trenton.)^[3] A redoubt is a fort or fort system usually consisting of an enclosed defensive emplacement outside a larger fort. ... Carl Emil Kurt von Donop (died 1777) was a British in the American Revolutionary War. ... Combatants Continental Army a Hessian Brigade Commanders Colonel Samuel Griffin Carl von Donop Strength 600 2,000 The Battle of Iron Works Hill took place from December 23 to December 26, 1776 during the American War of Independence, which took place just beyond the Delaware River at Mount Holly between... For other uses, see bayonet (disambiguation). ...

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 Wiederhold, in command of this Pennington picket, made an organized retreat. 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. General John Sullivan, leading the southern American column entered Trenton by this route 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. The term Hessian refers to the inhabitants of the German state of Hesse. ... For the Delaware River in Kansas, see Delaware River (Kansas) The Delaware River is a river on the Atlantic coast of the United States. ...

When the 35 Hessian Jägers under the command of Lieutenant Grothausen who were stationed at the barracks on the northern edge of the town saw the vanguard of Sullivan's forces charging into Trenton, they ran over the Assunpink bridge and left Trenton. Slowly, various companies of the three defending regiments formed and entered the battle. 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. The northern American column quickly took this position, and with their cannons denied the Hessians a chance to form in the streets, while the remaining men in the column, and the other column near the river, moved to surround the Hessians. Jäger (plural also Jäger, both pronounced as the surname Yeager) is a German word for hunter. In English it is often written with the plural Jägers, or as jaeger (pl. ...

Rall led his men and the men of the Lossberg regiment, under Lt Col. Scheffer, out of the town and attempted to reorganize and retake the town. The Americans, by this time, occupied the majority of the buildings and, from cover, fired into the ranks of the Rall regiment. The regiment broke and routed back through the ranks of the Lossberg regiment, causing more chaos. The two regiments were surrounded in an orchard south of the town, and from the smoke came the drums and standards playing the parley. Rall could be seen slumped over in his saddle; he was mortally wounded.

At the Assunpink Creek, the Knyphausen regiment, under Lt Col. von Dechow, became cut off from the bridge and was surrounded. The regiment surrendered just minutes before the rest of the brigade. 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 114 casualties with at least 23 dead, as well as 918 captured. Rall was mortally wounded and died the same day. 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. Hypothermia is a condition in which an organisms temperature drops below that Required fOr normal metabolism and Bodily functionS. In warm-blooded animals, core [[body Temperature]] is maintained nEar a constant leVel through biologic [[homEostasis]]. But wheN the body iS exposed to cold Its internal mechanismS may be unable...

The effect of this small battle, as with the much later Battle of Cowpens had an effect disproportionate to its size. The colonial effort across the colonies was galvanised and the physiological dominance achieved by the British Government troops in the previous months overturned. Howe was stunned that such as substantial Hessian garrison could be surprised and overwhelmed so easily, without putting up any notable resistance. ^[4] Combatants United States Great Britain Commanders Daniel Morgan Banastre Tarleton Strength c. ...

George Washington and the Battle of Trenton

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, under favourable conditions, 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. As Captain Johann Ewald [of the Jägers], who was with von Donop in Mt Holly at the time of the attack, said of the Colonists later, "We must now give them the honor of fortifications". This article is about the U.S. State. ... The Continental Congress was the first national government of the United States. ...

Only two Colonials were wounded, both during the Colonists 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.^[5] William Washington (February 28, 1752 to March 6, 1810), was a patriotic Southern cavalry officer during the American Revolutionary War, who held a final rank of Brigadier General in the newly created United States after the war. ... James Monroe (April 28, 1758 – July 4, 1831) was the fifth President of the United States (1817-1825). ... Federal courts Supreme Court Circuit Courts of Appeal District Courts Elections Presidential elections Midterm elections Political Parties Democratic Republican Third parties State & Local government Governors Legislatures (List) State Courts Local Government Other countries Atlas  US Government Portal      For other uses, see President of the United States (disambiguation). ... Muskets and bayonets aboard the frigate Grand Turk. ...

The hours before the battle served as the inspiration for the famous painting Washington Crossing the Delaware. The image in the painting, in which Washington stands majestic in his boat as it is crossing the Delaware River, is 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 have doubted that Washington stood, but many scholars believe they all stood, albeit in a different type of boat. Nonetheless, the image has become an icon of American history. Washington Crossing the Delaware is an 1851 oil-on-canvas painting by Emanuel Leutze. ...

Footnotes

References

• Fisher, David Hackett. Washington's Crossing. Oxford University Press USA, 2004, 576 pages. ISBN 0195170342
• Ketchum, Richard. The Winter Soldiers: The Battles for Trenton and Princeton. Owl Books, 1999, 448 pages. ISBN 0805060987
• Ferling, John. Almost a Miracle. Oxford University Press USA, 2007, 679 pages. ISBN 0195181212
• Stryker, William S. The Battles of Trenton and Princeton. Houghton, Mifflin and Company, Boston, 1898, 514 pages. 2001 Edition: Old Barracks Association, Trenton, NJ (609) 396-1776

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1776 - Fort Lee - Washington's crossing of the Delaware - First Trenton - 1777 - Second Trenton - Princeton - Millstone - Short Hills - Forage War - Bound Brook - Middlebrook encampment - 1778 - Monmouth - Molly Pitcher - Baylor Massacre - Little Egg Harbor massacre - Chestnut Neck - 1779 - Paulus Hook - 1780 - Connecticut Farms - Springfield - 1783 - U.S. Capital at Princeton