Crossing the Delaware

What actually happened?: Having no support from Congress, Washington was convinced that the men would quit on January 1, 1777. He needed to boost their morale quickly. He believed that a victory in Battle would do that. So he planned a Christmas Day attack on the German Hessian mercenaries in Trenton (Germans have a reputation of drinking heavily on Christmas). 

To accomplish this, he would need to get thousands of soldiers across the Delaware river by night, without being detected.

By some miracle, he got them across.

The attack on Trenton was truly miraculous. The Hessians were slaughtered, and the Americans did not lose a single soldier!

"The hand of Providence has been so conspicuous in all this, that he must be worse than an infidel that lacks faith, and more than wicked, that has not gratitude enough to acknowledge his obligations."

-GEORGE WASHINGTON

Click here to return to the decisions