When Washington Crossed the Delaware

Christmas night of 1776, was a troubled time for the United States. After six months the Declaration of Independence had been signed, General George Washington and his army, had suffered defeat after defeat at the hands of the British. Washington lead the main body of his army across the Delaware River to launch a surprise attack to the British. Washington and his men were going against the odds. People thought it was impossible for them to win against the most powerful army in those times. But men who started across the cold Delaware loved their country and their leader, they wanted to get their Independence.

When they started across the Delaware, Washington's men had no jackets to keep them warm, many had no shoes. Everyone was hungry. Under General Washington's orders they had taken every boat they could find with them, so they were safe from the British. But Washington's men were exhausted and sick. On the other side of the icy river, British had stationed Hessians. The Hessians had no respect for the American. Before dawn on December 26 they would attack the Hessians at Trenton, New Jersey. Washington thought that they could only win if his men caught the Hessians by surprise.

Thomas Paine inspired Washington's men to fight against the British. On Christmas night of 1776, Washington led twenty-four hundred men to a crossing point 9 miles upstream from Trenton. Washington's men crowded into large boats that would take them to the opposite shore. They had eighteen cannons, so getting them across the river was very hard. But at three o' clock in the morning, the crossing was complete! Washington's army thought that their surprise attack would no be effective because they had to do it during the daylight, but they still did it. The American soldiers bombard them so much, that the Hessians had to leave the place. 19-year-old Captain Alexander Hamilton lead one of the companies firing the Hessians. Another person who was there was James Monroe, which later he would become the fifth president of United States. The battle was called "The Battle of Trenton", which Washington's army won.