The Battle of Trenton In 1776, America was discouraged from taking part in the war. There hadn’t been many victories against the British and morale was at an all-time low. George Washington knew he needed to do something to keep his soldiers together. Without a confidence boost, there would be no hope for his men to want to continue fighting. As Christmas was approaching Washington finalized his plan. He and his army would attack the Hessian camp, controlled by General Rahl, on the morning after Christmas, when he knew the enemy would be too groggy and tired from a night of celebration to fight back. Not only that, but armies didn’t generally fight at night or in the winter, so the Hessians would be caught completely off guard. Washington…show more content… Knowing that Honeyman had served the British, the local loyalists trusted him and didn’t give him a second thought. Honeyman used this advantage and gained information about British and Hessian location, strategies, and plans for battle. Once he had gathered all this information, he staged his kidnapping by American forces and met up with Washington to tell him the information he had…show more content… He and his two thousand and four hundred men set out for Trenton on Christmas Eve. Crossing the icy water of the Delaware was no small task, but luckily Washington and his men made it safely across, thanks to some skilled fisherman helping them navigate the treacherous waters. Two men had fallen overboard during the voyage, but luckily they made it back on their boat in time and survived.
At about 8:00 in the morning, Washington and his men set out for Trenton, a dangerous nine-mile walk. A lot of his soldiers didn’t have shoes or proper clothing and walked barefoot in the snow. Two men even froze to death.
Finally, Washington and his ragged troops made it to about a mile from Trenton, where the first shots of the battle were fired at a Hessian outpost. The Hessians, knowing they didn’t stand a chance because they were outnumbered greatly, began their retreat. Planning for something like this, Washington had already ordered their escape route cut