Battle of Trenton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Battle of Trenton |
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| Part of the American Revolutionary War | |||||||
 Battle of Trenton, H. Charles McBarron Jr. |
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| Belligerents | |||||||
 United States |
 Hesse-Kassel |
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| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
 George Washington Nathanael Greene John Sullivan |
Johann Rall † |
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| Strength | |||||||
| 2,400 | 1,500 | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| 2 dead from exposure 5 wounded |
22 killed 83 wounded 800–900 captured |
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The Battle of Trenton was a small but crucial American Revolutionary War battle that took place on the morning of December 26, 1776, in Trenton, New Jersey. After General George Washington crossed the Delaware River north of Trenton the previous night, he led the main body of the Continental Army against Hessian soldiers stationed at Trenton. After a short battle, almost two-thirds of the Hessian force was captured with few losses to the Americans.
Before the Battle of Trenton, the Continental Army had suffered several defeats in New York and had been forced to retreat through New Jersey to Pennsylvania. Morale (confidence during hard times) in the army was low. To end the year on a positive note, George Washington—Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army—designed a plan to cross the Delaware River on the night of December 25–26 and surround the Hessians' garrison.
Because the river was icy and the weather was severe, the crossing was dangerous. Two groups of soldiers were unable to cross the river, leaving Washington with only 2,400 men under his command in the attack. This was 3,000 fewer than he had planned to have. The army marched 9 miles (14.5 km) south to Trenton. The Hessians, thinking they were safe from the Americans' army, had lowered their guard and had no long-distance outposts or patrols. Washington's forces caught them off guard. After a short but fierce resistance, most of the Hessians surrendered and were captured. About one-third escaped across Assunpink Creek.
Even though the battle did not involve a large number of soldiers, the victory inspired patriots and sympathizers of the newly formed United States. Because so many were questioning whether or not the revolution would be successful just a week earlier, the army had seemed like it was about to collapse. The dramatic victory inspired soldiers to serve longer and attracted new recruits to the ranks.
Contents
Background
In the 1760s, the American colonies started a revolution because they wanted to become independent from English rule. The English wanted to remain in control of the American colonies. This is what had begun the Revolutionary War in 1775. By 1776, American soldiers had been fighting the British for over a year, and the morale was extremely low. The Americans had been pushed out of New York by the British and their hired Hessian auxiliaries (a group of soldiers who are serving a nation at war but are not part of the regular army). The Continental Army had been forced to retreat across New Jersey. Ninety percent of the Continental Army soldiers who had served at Long Island were gone. Soldiers had deserted, feeling that independence from England was no longer possible. Even Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, had expressed some doubts, writing to his cousin in Virginia, "I think the game is pretty near up."
At the time, a small town in New Jersey called Trenton was occupied by four regiments of Hessian soldiers (numbering about 1,500 men). The Hessian soldiers were commanded by Colonel Johann Rall.
On December 20, 1776, about 2,000 troops led by General Sullivan arrived in Washington's camp. They had been under the command of Charles Lee and had been moving slowly through northern New Jersey when Lee was captured. That same day, an additional 800 troops arrived from Fort Ticonderoga under the command of Horatio Gates. Washington's army now contained 2,400 men. The infantry divisions were commanded by Major Generals Nathanael Greene and John Sullivan. The artillery division was under the direction of Brigadier General Henry Knox.
Prelude
Intelligence
George Washington had placed a spy named John Honeyman, posing as a Tory, in Trenton. Honeyman had served with Major General James Wolfe in Quebec at the Battle of the Plains of Abraham on September 13, 1759, and had no trouble being able to pose as a Tory. Honeyman was a butcher and bartender who traded with the British and Hessians. This helped him to gather intelligence (collect facts about an opposing army) and to convince the Hessians that the Continental Army was in such a low state of morale that they would not attack Trenton. Shortly before Christmas, Honeyman arranged to be captured by the Continental Army. They, of course, had orders to bring him to Washington unharmed. After being questioned by Washington, he was imprisoned in a hut to be tried as a Tory in the morning, but a small fire broke out nearby, enabling him to "escape." This plan allowed Honeyman to give Washington any news he had without the Hessians suspecting anything.
U.S. plan
During the week before the battle, the U.S. sent small groups of soldiers to ambush enemy cavalry patrols. The U.S. soldiers captured despatch riders and attacked Hessian guards.
The U.S. plan depended on being able to attack at the same time from three different directions.
- General John Cadwalader would cross at Dunk's Ferry and start an attack against the British garrison at Bordentown, New Jersey, to block off British reinforcements from the south and to create a diversion.
- Washington's main-attack force of 2,400 men would cross the river 9 mi (14 km) north of Trenton and split into two groups. Generals Greene and Sullivan would begin attacking before dawn. Sullivan would attack the town from the south and Greene from the north. Depending on the success of the operation, the Americans would possibly follow up with separate attacks on Princeton and New Brunswick.
- General James Ewing would take 700 militia across the river further south at Trenton Ferry, seize the bridge over the Assunpink Creek, and prevent enemy troops from escaping.
Washington ordered Ewing and his Pennsylvania militia to try to get information on Hessian movements and technology. Ewing instead made three successful raids across the river. On December 17 and 18, 1776, they attacked an outpost of jägers, and on the 21st, they set fire to several houses. Washington had soldiers constantly watching all possible crossings near the Continental Army encampment on the Delaware River because he believed William Howe would attack from the north if the river froze over.
Hessian moves
On December 14, 1776, the Hessians arrived in Trenton to set up their winter quarters. At the time, Trenton was a small town with about 100 houses and two main streets: King (now Warren) Street and Queen (now Broad) Street. Carl von Donop, the Hessian Colonel Johann Rall's superior, had marched south to Mount Holly on December 22 to fight with some New Jersey militia there on December 23.
Donop despised Rall and did not want to give command of Trenton to Rall while he was in Mount Holly. Rall was known to be loud and unfamiliar with the English language, but he was also a 36-year soldier with a great deal of battle experience. His request for reinforcements had been turned down by British commander General James Grant, who thought the American rebels were poor soldiers. Despite Rall's experience, the Hessians at Trenton did not admire their commander.
Trenton did not have city walls or fortifications, which was normal for U.S. settlements. Some Hessian officers had suggested to Rall that it would be wise to fortify the town, and two of his engineers had advised that a redoubt be built at the upper end of town and fortifications be built along the river. The engineers even drew up the plans, but Rall disagreed with them. When Rall was again urged to fortify the town, he replied, "Let them come...We will go at them with the bayonet."
As Christmas Day approached, Loyalists and deserters told the Hessians that the Americans were planning to come across the river and that they were preparing rations for the soldiers. This news worried Rall. He acted like a confident leader, but he secretly wrote letters to his superiors to tell them that he felt as if the Americans could attack at any moment. He asked that British troops come to help by establishing a garrison in Maidenhead (now Lawrenceville). He felt that because Trenton was "indefensible," a nearby garrison would help defend the roads from Americans. The British denied his request.
The main Hessian force of 1,500 men was divided into three regiments led by Knyphausen, Lossberg, and Rall. That night, they did not send out any patrols because of the severe weather.
Crossing and march
At approximately 11:00 p.m. on Christmas Day, Washington and his soldiers began to cross the Delaware River. Each soldier carried 60 rounds of ammunition (bullets) and three days of rations for the battle. The soldiers, with John Glover in command, began to cross the river in Durham boats. The horses and artillery crossed on large ferries. Though several men fell overboard during the crossing, no one died, and all the artillery pieces made it over in good condition.
The rain had changed to sleet and then to snow as temperatures dropped. This put the entire mission behind schedule. The crossing into New Jersey, which was supposed to be completed by midnight, was not completed until 3:00 a.m. Washington realized that it was too late to be able to attack Trenton before dawn.
At 4:00 am, Washington's soldiers began to march toward Trenton. Along the way, several civilians joined as volunteers and led as guides (such as John Mott) because of their knowledge of the land. The soldiers marched to Birmingham (now West Trenton) together and then split forces. Greene’s force headed east to approach Trenton by the Scotch and Pennington Roads. Sullivan headed southwest to approach by way of River Road.
Many of the troops did not have boots, so they were forced to wear rags around their feet. Some of the men's feet bled, turning the snow to a dark red. Two men died on the march. As they marched, Washington rode up and down the line, encouraging the men to continue. General Sullivan sent a courier to tell Washington that the weather was wetting his men's gunpowder. Washington replied, "Tell General Sullivan to use the bayonet. I am resolved to take Trenton."
About 2 miles (3 km) outside the town, the main companies were startled by the sudden appearance of armed men, but they were American. The men, led by Adam Stephen, had not known about the plan to attack Trenton and had attacked a Hessian outpost. Washington feared that his element of surprise was taken and shouted at Steven, "You, sir! You, sir, may have ruined all my plans by having them put on their guard!" The attack on the Hessian outpost ended up working in Washington's favor. In the event, Rall thought the first raid led by Adam Stephen was the attack which Grant had warned him about, and that there would be no more action that day.
Battle
U.S. attack
At 8:00 a.m., Washington led an assault on a Hession outpost at a copper shop on Pennington Road, about one mile northwest of Trenton. As the Hessian commander of the outpost, Lieutenant Andreas Wiederholdt, left the shop, an American fired at him but missed. Wiederholdt immediately shouted, "Der Feind!" (The Enemy!) and other Hessians came out. The Americans and the Hessians exchanged fire and the Hessians began to retreat from the outpost. The Americans were able to drive the Hessians, who were joined by other companies of Hessians and using houses as cover, to the outskirts of town. One of the companies that joined Wiederholdt's men was posted near the Delaware River. This left River Road into Trenton open. Washington ordered the escape route to Princeton to be cut off, sending infantry in battle formation to block it, while artillery formed at the head of King and Queen Streets.
Leading the southern U.S. column, General Sullivan entered Trenton by the abandoned River Road and blocked the only crossing over the Assunpink Creek to cut off the Hessian escape. Sullivan briefly paused his advance to make sure Greene's division had time to drive the Hessians from their outposts in the north. Soon after, Sullivan's men continued their advance. Lieutenant von Grothausen was stationed, with jägers, at the home of Philemon Dickinson. The Hessians were driven back and the 20 British dragoons also fled. Some tried to swim across the creek, while others escaped over the bridge which had not yet been cut off. As Greene and Sullivan's columns pushed into the town, Washington moved to the high ground north of King and Queen Streets so that he could see the action and direct his troops. By this time, U.S. artillery from the other side of the Delaware River had come into action, destroying the Hessian positions.
When the alarm sounded, the three Hessian regiments who were stationed at Trenton began to prepare for battle. Rall awoke to find that the rebels had taken the "V" of the main streets of the town. This is where the engineers had recommended building a redoubt. Rall ordered his 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. On both sides of town, the U.S. cannons and soldiers fired too much for the Hessian soldiers to be able to fight back. The Hessian soldiers fell back and fled to a field. Many were lost to grapeshot and musket fire. Sullivan led a column of men to block off the escape of the troops across the creek.
Hessian resistance collapses
The Hessians in the field attempted to reorganize and make one last attempt to retake the town so they could make a breakout. Rall decided to attack the U.S. flank (the sides or back of the formation of soldiers) on the heights north of the town. Rall yelled "Forward! Advance! Advance!" and the Hessians began to move, with the brigade's band playing fifes, bugles, and drums to help the Hessians' spirit.
Washington, still on high ground, saw the Hessians approaching the U.S. flank. He moved his troops to assume battle formation against the enemy. The two Hessian regiments began marching toward King Street but were caught in U.S. fire that came at them from three directions. Some Americans had taken up positions inside houses where civilians joined the fight against the Hessians. The Hessians' formations broke, and they began to scatter. Washington led his troops down from high ground while yelling, "March on, my brave fellows, after me!" Most of the Hessians retreated into an orchard with the Americans in close pursuit. Quickly surrounded, the Hessians were offered terms of surrender, to which they agreed.
Although ordered to join Rall, the remains of the Knyphausen regiment mistakenly marched in the opposite direction. They tried to escape across the bridge but found it had been taken. The Americans quickly swept in, defeating a Hessian attempt to break through their lines. Surrounded by Sullivan's men, the regiment surrendered, just minutes after the rest of the brigade.
Casualties and capture
The Hessian forces lost 22 who were killed in action; 83 were wounded and 896 were captured – including the wounded. The Americans suffered only two deaths during the march and five wounded from battle. Two important U.S. officers were wounded while leading the charge down King Street: William Washington, cousin of General Washington, and 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, preventing him from bleeding to death. Other losses experienced by the Patriots from exhaustion, exposure, and illness in the following days, however, may have raised their losses above those of the Hessians.
Rall was mortally wounded in the battle and died later that night 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 about 200 additional men, along with the regiment's cannon, supplies, approximately 1,000 arms, and much-needed ammunition. The Americans also captured the Hessians' entire store of provisions—tons of flour, dried and salted meats, ale, and other liquors, as well as shoes, boots, clothing, and bedding—things that were as much needed by the ragtag Continental forces as weapons and horses. The captured Hessians were sent to Philadelphia and later Lancaster. In 1777, they were moved to Virginia.
Aftermath
On December 28, after the Hessians' surrender, General Washington interviewed Lieutenant (later Colonel) Andreas Wiederhold, who detailed the failures of Rall's preparation. Washington soon learned, however, that Cadwalader and Ewing had been unable to complete their crossing, leaving his worn-out army of 2,400 men isolated. Washington realized he did not yet have the forces to attack Princeton and New Brunswick.
By noon, Washington's force had moved back across the Delaware into Pennsylvania, taking their prisoners and captured supplies with them. Washington would follow up his success a week later in the Battle of the Assunpink Creek and the Battle of Princeton.
Legacy
This small but crucial battle, as with the later Battle of Cowpens, had an effect that was much greater than its size. The Patriot victory at Trenton gave the Continental Congress new confidence, as it proved that colonial forces could defeat regulars. Soldiers re-enlisted in the Continental Army, and fear of the Hessians decreased. The writings of Thomas Paine and more successful actions by the New Jersey Militia also helped gain colonial support for the rebellion.
The Trenton Battle Monument, standing at "Five Points" in Trenton, endures as a tribute to this U.S. victory. The crossing of the Delaware River and the battle are reenacted by local enthusiasts every year (unless the weather is too severe on the river).
Eight current Army National Guard units (101st Engineer Batallion, 103rd Engineer Batallion, A/1-104th Cavalry Regiment, 111th Infantry Regiment, 125th Quartermaster Company, 175th Infantry Regiment, 181st Infantry Regiment, and 198th Signal Batallion) and one currently-active Regular Army Artillery battalion (1st Batallion, 5th Field Artillery) originated with U.S. units that participated in the Battle of Trenton. There are thirty current units of the U.S. Army with colonial roots.
Painting
In 1851, German-American artist Emanuel Leutze painted the second of three paintings depicting Washington crossing the Delaware. At the time of its first exhibition, it gained much attention in Europe and the United States. Leutze hoped it would bring revolutionary feelings in Germany. After six months in Germany, the painting was shipped to New York City where the New York Mirror newspaper praised it with the words, "the grandest, most majestic, and most effective painting ever exhibited in America." It is currently in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and is "one of the most famous American paintings." The painting is the centerpiece of the collections in the American Wing. It is still one of the most recognizable paintings at the Metropolitan. It is central to the canon of American historical art images, remaining just as popular now as when it was first exhibited.
Images for kids
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The future president James Monroe fought in the Battle of Trenton alongside George Washington.
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See also
In Spanish: Batalla de Trenton para niños
