On the 5th Day of Christmas Past,
Question: What changed the tide of the American Revolution for George Washington and his men Christmas Day 1776?
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“George Washington’s Christmas 1776”
“At the end of 1776, the Revolutionary War looked like it might be lost for colonial forces. A series of defeats by the British had depleted morale, and many soldiers had deserted the Continental Army. Desperate to strike a decisive victory, General George Washington planned to lead 2,400 troops on a daring nighttime crossing of an ice-choked Delaware River. They were crossing not just to get to the other side but to surprise attack upon a force of German soldiers (Hessian garrison) of roughly 1,400 soldiers located in and around Trenton, New Jersey. 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 was inspired to set the date for the river crossing for Christmas night 1776.
George Washington’s plan of attack included three different crossings of the Delaware River that Christmas night. Col. Cadwalader was to lead his force of 1,200 Philadelphia militia and 600 Continentals across the river near Burlington, New Jersey. His role was to harass and prevent the British and Hessian units near the town from racing north to support the Hessians at Trenton. Gen. James Ewing’s force of 800 Pennsylvania militia was to cross the river at Trenton and take up defensive positions along the Assunpink River and bridge. Ewing’s soldiers would work to prevent the Hessians from retreating from Trenton. And Washington and his 2,400 soldiers would cross at McConkey’s and Johnson’s ferries, roughly 10 miles north of Trenton and would then march down to Trenton to surprise the garrison at dawn. This was an ambitious plan, one that even well rested and experienced troops would have had difficulty in executing.
Lurking within Washington’s headquarters was a British spy who has never been identified. This spy was privy to the their plans and passed them on to British leaders who did not think they would actually attack but passed it on to Hessian Col Johann Rall, warning him to be vigilant. Two American deserters who had crossed the river also told the Hessians that the American army was ready to move. So why wasn’t Rall more active in opposing the crossing or better prepared to defend the town? History records that a series of false alarms and the growing storm had given the Hessian defenders a sense that no attack was likely this night. How might history have changed if the Hessians responded differently to all this intelligence?
That Christmas night by the time most of the soldiers had reached the launching point for the boats, the drizzle had turned into a driving rain. And by 11 o’clock that evening, while the boats were crossing the river, a howling nor’easter made the miserable crossing even worse. One soldier recorded that “it blew a perfect hurricane” as snow and sleet lashed Washington’s army. Washington was blessed to have a large number of experienced watermen of New Englanders with extensive experience as seamen as well as other experienced watermen from the Philadelphia area, many familiar with this exact stretch of river. They were able to provide the muscle and skill needed to make the perilous nighttime crossing. The crossing was done in shallow draft Durham boats – strongly built cargo vessels with high side walls and robust enough to survive the ice-choked Delaware. Heavy artillery pieces and horses were transported on large flat-bottomed ferries and other watercraft more suited to carrying that type of difficult cargo. Despite the trouble Washington and the Continental army wanted the extra firepower that the artillery could produce. The Continentals brought 18 cannons over the river, horses to pull the carriages, and enough ammunition for the coming battle. The 6-Pounders alone weighed as much as 1,750 pounds and were the most difficult to transport to the far side of the river. Washington’s soldiers were forced to stand during the entire crossing.
It shouldn’t be all that surprising that Washington’s carefully choreographed attack plan fell so far behind schedule. His men were tired, hungry, and ill-clothed. They had to march many miles through the dark and snow to even reach the river crossing site, many without shoes. From there, they needed to board boats at night, during a frightening winter storm with a great contingent of heavy artillery pieces with them.
Finally across the river, Washington was dismayed to discover that he was a full three hours behind his schedule and that his main force was the only of the three groups who managed to cross. They were still 10 miles from the outskirts of Trenton with roads that were now slick with ice and snow and many of his men without shoes. With every delay Washington’s fears that his army would be caught in the open magnified. What to do? Contemplating his choices Washington was seen praying on a crate near a fire. Washington later wrote, when remembering this fateful moment, “…As I was certain there was no making a retreat without being discovered, and harassed on repassing the River, I determined to push on at all Events.”
General Washington’s decision paid off. Many of the Hessians were still disoriented from the previous night’s holiday bender, and colonial forces defeated them with minimal bloodshed. The large artillery they brought proved its worth. Washington positioned his cannons and other artillery on the high-ground. The severe weather of sleet and snow made it so the muskets the German soldiers were using couldn’t fire, but Washington’s cannons could, and that turned out to make the critical difference.
While Washington had pulled off a shock victory, his army was unequipped to hold the city and he was forced to re-cross the Delaware that same day—this time with nearly 1,000 Hessian prisoners in tow. Washington would go on to score successive victories at the Battles of the Assunpink Creek and Princeton, and his audacious crossing of the frozen Delaware served as a crucial rallying cry for the beleaguered Continental Army. This Crossing marked the beginning of the 10 Crucial Days that turned the tide of the American Revolution.”
It seems very appropriate that on a Christmas Day Washington and his men were so carefully watched over and willing to sacrifice for us inspite of impossible conditions. That Christmas Day marked the tide of the turning point of the war in favor of establishing the land of the free.
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