America’s first Christmas was held during a time of great uncertainty for a country that was just a few months old at the time and appeared destined for certain defeat at the hands of the British Empire.
But the commander in chief of the Continental Army and his volunteer army of patriots spent that holy day preparing for a surprise attack on British troops Trenton, New Jersey, that would not only shape the perception of the war but would prove to give the new country and its people the morale they needed to keep fight for liberty.
Most Americans have probably seen the iconic painting by Emanuel Leutze of General George Washington crossing the icy Delaware River just before midnight on Christmas Day, 1776.
Washington Crossing the Delaware. Painted by: Emanuel Leutze, in 1851. pic.twitter.com/FIvAfRNi8o
— American Ethos (@AmericanaEthos) August 23, 2022
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Washington and his force of 2,400 men crossed the river with a plan to take Trenton from the British and the empire’s hired soldiers – battle-tested German mercenary fighters called Hessians, who were essentially rented by King George III.
After months of battlefield routs and facing freezing temperatures, rain, sleet and snow, the brave Continentals approached their enemy under the cover of darkness for a pre-dawn attack to prove they could hold their own as a fighting force.
Washington and his army’s Christmas night crossing of the Delaware would turn into a decisive American victory the following day.
It would also put those who doubted the country’s military capabilities on notice that America’s earliest patriots were committed to live free or die.
With Christmas around the corner, it is important to remember how some of the most important figures in the country’s history spent their first Noel.
A Revolution on the Brink of Collapse
While Americans had been fighting the British counterparts since the spring of 1775, America did not officially declare its independence from London until July 4, 1776.
The Second Continental Congress established an organized fighting force in June 1775 and appointed Washington – an experienced former British Army officer – to lead it.
After early success against the British in Boston, Washington and his forces sustained major defeats in New York and were eventually exiled from the area and escaped into Pennsylvania by way of New Jersey.
By early December 1776, a country with hopes of independence from tyranny was losing hope, as was its military’s leader.
Washington’s army had faced attrition within its ranks, desertions were rampant and a vast majority of the enlisted men were about to be released from service. Having lost 2,800 men trying to keep New York from the invading British forces, Washington is said to have wept and resolved to protect Philadelphia – the new country’s then-capital – at all costs in November of that year.
British forces led by General William Howe opted not to pursue Washington and his amateur army into Pennsylvania as he had assumed that fighting for the winter season was over.
Instead, Howe returned to New York and ordered his forces – including the hired Hessians – to set up camp for the cold season ahead.
It was a decision that would alter history.
German Soldiers at Trenton and a Chance to Change the Trajectory of the War
German soldiers garrisoned in Trenton were veteran fighters and numbered at about 1,400 in late December 1776. Washington and his forces spent several weeks watching their movements from across the Delaware River that separates New Jersey from Pennsylvania.
Knowing his own forces could soon dwindle and that retreating from superior forces was no longer an option if his country was to survive, Washington had to make a statement.
An attack and a decisive victory would need to take place as quickly as possible.
As Washington’s estate notes of the plan:
“Washington hoped that a quick victory at Trenton would bolster sagging morale in his army and encourage more men to join the ranks of the Continentals come the new year. After several councils of war, General George Washington set the date for the river crossing for Christmas night 1776.”
The general devised a plan to dispatch three separate units to approach the garrison at Trenton with those under his direct command leading the attack.
However, only the forces directly under his command made it east of the icy river as the men began to cross at around 11 p.m.
More than half of the army was sidelined on the west side of the river due to ice and deteriorating weather conditions, but Washington pressed on through frigid temperatures.
Mount Vernon notes of Washington’s actions, “This was an ambitious plan, one that even well-rested and experienced troops would have had difficulty in executing.”
A Treacherous Night and a Decisive Victory
After making their way across the river 10 miles north of Trenton, Washington and 2,400 men marched south toward a heavily fortified position held by some of the world’s toughest soldiers. They never flinched, even when troops without shoes began to turn the snow red with blood from their feet.
Two men died during the march.
Hours behind schedule, Washington reached Trenton and his forces began their attack at mid-morning.
After a Christmas night crossing of the Delaware River north of Trenton, N.J., General Washington’s army marched through snow, sleet, & wind. The Hessian garrison at Trenton was their target on Dec. 26. Washington ordered the secret operation to be “victory or death.” pic.twitter.com/qgmCHCv8Yw
— Heinz History Center (@HistoryCenter) December 5, 2023
History notes of the attack:
“At approximately 8 a.m. on the morning of December 26, Washington’s remaining force, separated into two columns, reached the outskirts of Trenton and descended on the unsuspecting Hessians.
“Trenton’s 1,400 Hessian defenders were groggy from the previous evening’s festivities and underestimated the Patriot threat after months of decisive British victories throughout New York. Washington’s men quickly overwhelmed the Germans’ defenses, and by 9:30 a.m. the town was surrounded.”
Hundreds of surprised German soldiers escaped into the wilderness after attempts to mobilize and mount a counterattack against the Americans failed.
They were ultimately surprised, outgunned and outmaneuvered.
An estimated 1,000 were captured while Washington lost four of his men. While the battle was of little strategic importance, it sent a message that has echoed for centuries.
A Bold Christmas Plan Turned the Tide of the War and Altered the Course of Human History
An estimated 90 percent of Washington’s troops were set to become free from their enlistments at the start of the new year – less than a week after the battle at Trenton.
As Washington’s estate notes, he used their valiant efforts in the battle to inspire them to sign on to stay with him. This was a tall task for men who were cold, hungry, hunted and were most certainly envisioning the warmth of their homes.
The general and future president appealed to the men to stay and to fight.
Washington told his troops:
“My brave fellows, you have done all I asked you to do, and more than can be reasonably expected; but your country is at stake, your wives, your houses and all that you hold dear.
“You have worn yourselves out with fatigues and hardships, but we know not how to spare you. If you will consent to stay one month longer, you will render that service to the cause of liberty, and to your country, which you probably can never do under any other circumstances.”
Half of Washington’s army took him up on his offer.
Two days later on Jan. 2, 1777, Washington and his troops overwhelmed thousands of elite British troops at the Battle of the Assunpink Creek. A day later, the men routed the British at the Battle of Princeton to turn the tide of the war.
Below is a painting from July 1975 illustrating the Battle of Trenton on December 26, 1776. The battle, fought after George Washington crossed the Delaware River into New Jersey the night before, had represented an inspiring victory for the Continental Army. pic.twitter.com/KJUeItm5nQ
— Kevin Kempton (@_Kevin_Kempton_) December 8, 2023
A country that needed something and someone to believe in celebrated Washington’s resounding victories at Trenton, Assunpink Creek and Princeton.
More and more men soon enlisted to fight for Washington and for the cause of liberty.
Revolution-minded colonists from New Hampshire to Georgia coalesced around the cause and its leaders. Years of fierce fighting and unimaginable lows followed but the victories piled up until the eventual British defeat following the successful Siege of Yorktown in the autumn of 1781.
A peace agreement was signed in 1783 and Americans were free to determine their fates. We’ve continued to choose our destinies through both good times and bad for 247 years.
None of what Americans have accomplished would have been possible if not for a bold Christmas plan devised and executed by a patriot and those who bravely fought for him.
As we enjoy the warmth of family or the heat of a fireplace this Dec. 25, let us not forget the sacrifices of those who spent America’s first Christmas prepared to give their lives for the cause of freedom.
