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The FReeper Foxhole Revisits
The Battle of Trenton
The First American Christmas
Appraising the Situation: December 13-December 25, 1776
As Maj. General William Howe entered winter quarters on December 13, 1776, Lt. General Charles Cornwallis now received permission to halt his advance at the Delaware River. Howe, supported by Maj. General Henry Clinton, wanted to pull his line of defense to between Brunswick and Newark. However, Cornwallis convinced Howe to extend the lines for several reasons. Tthe Americans were considered a minimal threat to the distant garrisons and lines of communication. Pulling back would make the British appear weak and unable to maintain positions. Such a move would also deprive New Jersey Loyalists of military protection during the winter.
As the British Army settled in for the winter, garrisons of Hessians were established at Burlington and another at Trenton under Colonel Johann Rall. Garrisons of British troops were established at Bordentown, Pennington, Perth Amboy and Princeton, while Cornwallis set up his base of operations at Brunswick, twenty-five miles behind the forward garrisons. Meanwhile, General George Washington's army was receiving a boost with new arrivals. Pennsylvania and Maryland militia under Colonel John Cadwalader and Colonel Nicholas Haussegger had begun to arrive on December 5 and continued to stream in.
On December 20, 1776, Maj. General John Sullivan arrived in command of the remaining 2,000 men from the 5,000 that had been under Maj. General Charles Lee's command untl his capture. On the same day, Maj. General Horatio Gates arrived 800 men set down from Fort Ticonderoga by Northern Department Commander Maj. General Philip Schuyler. Even though the New Jersey militia had not come to General Washington's call, they were carrying out their own campaign. They had remained near their homes to protect them from the British and especially the Hessian troops, who had quickly developed a reputation among the rebels for brutality and theft. The militia were soon taking advantage of the stretched British lines across New Jersey by carrying out regular raids on British patrols, stealing supplies and interfering with communications.
On December 22, 1776, General Washington had about 6,000 men listed in his roles having lost men on November 30 when their enlistments ran out. Of those, about 4,700 were fit for duty. His fall campaign had been little more than a series of retreats and morale was very low with the successive defeats and the loss of New York City. On December 31, more enlistments would run out and reduce his force to under 1,500 men. Winter was coming fast and the British would be able to continue their pursuit once the Delaware River froze over.
General Washington decided to attack the unsuspecting British forces who had entered winter quarters and were celebrating the holidays. He hoped to salvage a victory at the end of a disappointing campaign. He first wanted to attack the Hessians at Bordentown, but the local militia in that area was too weak to offer support. He then chose the isolated Hessian garrison under the command of Colonel Johann Rall. Rall had not heeded orders to build fortifications and send out patrols. Even though he was a skilled soldier and able commander, Rall had a low estimation of the rebels, calling them "country clowns." Washington planned for for an early morning attack on December 26. He knew the Hessians would heartily celebrate Christmas on the evening of December 25, so he meant to attack when they were tired and probably hungover.
The Battle: December 26, 1776
General George Washington ordered the crossing of the Delaware River to begin right after dark on Christmas Day, December 25, 1776. He wanted to be in position to launch his attack in the early morning hours. He expected the Hessian troops to have heartily celebrated Christmas and be drunk and tired when he attacked. A storm blew up and the men were forced to cross in the ice and snow, which slowed the crossing.
General Washington personally led 2,400 men, horses and eighteen cannon across the river the river at McKonkey's Ferry, which was nine miles above Trenton. He would then attack the town from the north. Brig. General James Ewing was to lead 1,000 militia at the Trenton Ferry and block a retreat to the south. Colonel John Cadwalader would lead 2,000 men, mostly militia, across the river at Bordentown and attack the garrison there as a diversion. However, with the storm, Ewing was unable to make it across, while Cadwalader was unable to bring his artillery and too late to be of any assistance.
General Washington's troops set out at 2 P.M. and began crossing atfter dark. The crossing was to be completed by 12:00 A.M., but the storm began at 11 P.M. and delayed completion of the crossing until 3:00 A.M. and the column was not fully ready to march until 4:00 A.M. The hoped for surprise attack in the early morning darkness was now impossible. However, Colonel Rall still felt unthreatened. Even with intelligence from Loyalists and American deserters having given away the day and hour of the attack, Rall did not know how large the attacking force would be.
At Birmingham, about four miles from their crossing, General Washington's force split into two columns. Maj. General Nathanael Greene led one column onto the Pennington Road to attack the garrison from the north. General Washington accompanied this column. Maj. General John Sullivan led the second column continued on the river road so it could attack the garrison from the west. By 6:00 A.M. the troops were miserable. Two men reportedly froze to death and muskets won't fire because of the cold, but Washington was committed and would not give up.
At the Hessian garrison in Trenton, Colonel Rall had passed out and was sound asleep along with most of his 1,200 man force, which was divided into three regiments: Knyphausen, Lossberg and Rall. They had sent out no patrols because of the severe weather. The weather had taken a toll on General Washington's troops, but had also given them cover. At 8:00 A.M. General Washington came upon a house about half a mile from Trenton where Hessian sentries were posted. The first shots were fired in the engagement. Only a few minutes later, General Sullivan's column routed the Hessian sentries at the outpost a half a mile west of Trenton.
Colonel Rall himself was slow to wake and dress because of the effects of the late night. The Hessians turned out quickly and formed up, but their attempts to attack to the north were hampered by the flanking fire from the western column and the artillery. The Americans positioned two cannon on a rise that guarded the two main routes out of town. The Hessians tried to bring four guns into action, but American fire kept them silent. Captain William Washington, cousin to General Washington, and Lieutenant James Monroe, future President of the United States, were wounded while capturing the Hessian guns.
The Knyphausen regiment of Hessians was separated from the other two regiments and driven back through the southern end of Trenton by Maj. General John Sullivan's column. Many men of this regiment were subsequently able to escape to the south where Brig. General James Ewing's troops were to have been located. The other two Hessian regiments, Lossberg and Rall, retreated into an open field and attempted a counterattack that was quickly driven back. Colonel Johann Rall ordered his force to retreat southeast into an apple orchard just outside Trenton. Only moments after giving the order, Rall was mortally wounded.
Once in the orchard, the Hessians formed up and attempted to make their way north to the road to Princeton. When they reentered the town, the Continentals now joined by civilians fired on them from buildings and other cover. Their formations were broken up by cannonfire. The two regiments retreat back to the orchard where they were forced to surrender.The remnants of the Knyphausen Regiment were making for Bordentown, but they were slowed when they tried to haul their cannon through boggy ground. They soon found themselves surrounded by General Sullivan's men and they also surrendered. It was only 9:30 A.M. and had been an overwhelming victory for General George Washington.
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