| What makes it historical? |
At this site, General Washington’s troops stationed their artillery after crossing the Delaware and laid siege to the Hessian garrison in Trenton! The Hessians were exhausted and unprepared, and when their leader, Colonel Johann Rall, was shot, they quickly surrendered.
But the battle wasn’t over yet! British Generals Cornwallis and Grant were heading south from Princeton, so Washington’s troops had to withdraw back across the Delaware to regroup. They returned on New Year’s Day with 5,000 troops against 5,500 British and had a series of skirmishes. By day, they were outnumbered and outgunned, but by night, as during the first Delaware crossing, the Continental Army had the advantage.
General Washington ordered 500 soldiers to stay behind and keep the campfires lit while the rest of the troops marched north under cover of darkness to Princeton! They burned a crucial supply bridge, and fought a tough battle but ultimately broke through the British lines, took prisoners, and continued north to their new winter quarters at Morristown! This monumental victory invigorated the colonial cause and probably saved General Washington’s career! |
