It was about 11 p.m. on Christmas Day, and there were about 2,400 soldiers huddled together in three separate areas along the half-frozen river. Tired from previous battles they had lost, they were waiting in the freezing weather for two other Divisions of men and artillery to arrive, so they could all cross the river together. Unable to wait any longer, the 2,400 men proceeded to get into boats and paddle over to the other side of the river to engage the enemy. Early in the morning of Dec. 26, the soldiers separated into two columns and reached the outskirts of the unsuspecting enemy encampment, where its soldiers were very groggy and hungover from the previous days’ Christmas celebration. There were about 1,400 soldiers in the enemy camp. A battle ensued, and though several hundred of the enemy escaped, the 2,400 soldiers captured about 1,000 of the enemy at a cost of only four lives. They surrounded the town and encampment because they didn’t have the artillery to finish a total victory, but their strategic efforts sent a resounding message that raised the spirits and determination of the American Colonists. Yes, this was Dec. 25 and Dec. 26, 1776, during the American Revolution, and it was Patriot General George Washington, who was leading his soldiers across the Delaware River hoping to surprise the Hessian force celebrating Christmas in their winter headquarters at Trenton, New Jersey.
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