Follow in the Steps of the Ten Crucial Days
Following the defeat at the Battle of Long Island, which led to the loss of New York City to the British, General George Washington became desperate for a victory to secure his army’s morale, attract new recruits, and keep the fledgling independence initiative moving forward.
Exhausted, and facing the prospect of mass desertion, Washington made a desperate gamble on Christmas night by crossing the Delaware River into British occupied colony of New Jersey. The next morning, Washington's army surprised a garrison of Hessian mercenaries at Trenton, and defeated the British reinforcements under Charles Lord Cornwallis just days later at Princeton.
Thanks to Washington’s leadership and determination, the army that nearly disintegrated after retreating from New York proved to Britain that it still had fight left. These ten days and the battles fought in them helped save the American war effort against Britain.
Before You Go:
- Download The Liberty Trail New Jersey app
- Watch the Revolutionary War Animated Map.
- Read our Ten Crucial Days article.
- Download the American Battlefield Trust map of Trenton.
- Download the American Battlefield Trust map of Princeton.
- Watch our In4 video on the Battle of Princeton.
Crossing from Pennsylvania
This is the Pennsylvania site of Washington’s famous Crossing of the Delaware River. Right before the beginning of the campaign, Washington’s army was in dire shape, with little hope of victory. Washington knew that unless something was done soon, his entire army would melt away. He decided to gamble everything on a surprise attack, and began to cross into New Jersey throughout the night.
Landing for a surprise attack
This is the New Jersey site of Washington’s Crossing, and where he began the march towards Trenton. Conditions that night were incredibly harsh, and many American troops lacked proper clothing and gear for the weather. Two men would die from exposure on the march, but the army successfully reached Trenton without alerting the enemy.
A reviving victory
This museum was one of the historical buildings in Trenton occupied by Hessian troops under Colonel Johann Rall when Washington began his attack and took them by surprise. While legends that the Hessians were completely incapacitated by a night of Christmas cheer are somewhat exaggerated, it is true that they offered very little resistance to the attack. By the end of the day over nine hundred Hessians were captured, eighty-three wounded, and twenty-two killed, including Colonel Rall, at the cost of no American lives.
proving their mettle
Though he won a resounding victory at Trenton, Washington knew he could not stay there for long as British reinforcements arrived. He set out again to avoid them, but stumbled into the British rearguard led by Charles Cornwallis. Despite the surprise, and despite the loss of Brigadier General Hugh Mercer, the Battle of Princeton turned out to be yet another decisive victory for Washington, and one which inspired more men to join the Continental Army.
