In December 1776, General George Washington had his back to the wall. Over the summer and fall, he and the American Army suffered a series of devastating defeats and humiliating retreats at the hands of the British forces. Washington knew that the cause of American Independence could be saved only by a bold stroke of war. After his dwindling army retreated across New Jersey, they sought at least temporary safety on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River. With the traditional fighting season over, the British and their Hessian mercenaries set up a string of posts from New York City to the New Jersey side of the Delaware. This detailed battle map, published by Willam Faden in 1777, shows the heroic actions of the American forces from December 26, 1776 to January 3, 1777. With the integrity of his army at stake, Washington decided on the one course that would save the revolution; he would attack! He chose an isolated Hessian outpost in Trenton, at the very end of the British-Hessian line. On Christmas night 1776, the American Army crossed the Delaware River back into New Jersey at McKonkey’s Ferry (just northeast of Newtown on map). Then the army marched in two divisions, the left down the Pennington Road and the right down the River Road, to attack the Hessians. Catching the enemy by surprise, the result was an hour long battle leading to complete victory. The Hessian commander was killed, and over 1000 Hessians were taken prisoner. Washington then returned his army to its Pennsylvania encampment, but followed up with another victory a week later in Princeton, New Jersey (northeast of Trenton). The twin victories breathed new life into the cause of independence and led to recognition of Washington as a battlefield commander. The British knew they would now be in for a long struggle if they were to put down the American rebellion. After the Battle of Princeton, the American Army encamped in Morristown, New Jersey while the British main force was in and around New York City. Image courtesy of Library of Congress, Geography and Map Division.
