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What did Washington and his troops do on Christmas Day 1776?
On December 25, 1776, General Washington, leading the soldiers into battle for the first time in the war, crosses the Delaware River with 5,400 troops, surprising and overwhelming the Hessian force that was celebrating Christmas at their winter quarters in Trenton, New Jersey.
What happened during the Christmas Day of 1776 in the poem Battle of Trenton?
New Jersey | Dec 26, 1776. After crossing the Delaware River in a treacherous storm, General George Washington’s army defeated a garrison of Hessian mercenaries at Trenton. The victory set the stage for another success at Princeton a week later and boosted the morale of the American troops.
What happened on the night of December 25 1776?
On the night of December 25, 1776, General George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River. They launched a surprise attack on Hessian forces in New Jersey. The Hessians were hired German soldiers who fought for the British. This was a key moment in the American Revolution.
What did George Washington do on Christmas night in 1776 that was unheard of at the time?
1. Washington crossed the Delaware River so that his army could attack an isolated garrison of Hessian troops located at Trenton, New Jersey. After several councils of war, General George Washington set the date for the river crossing for Christmas night 1776.
What Battle was the turning point of the American Revolution?
The Battle of Saratoga occurred in September and October, 1777, during the second year of the American Revolution. It included two crucial battles, fought eighteen days apart, and was a decisive victory for the Continental Army and a crucial turning point in the Revolutionary War.
Why was Battle of Trenton important?
The surprise victory at Trenton was important to the American cause for several reasons: For the first time, Washington’s forces had defeated a regular army in the field. The victory sharply increased morale. New enlistments were stimulated and many of the current soldiers reenlisted.
What was the story of Christmas Eve 1776?
There was perhaps no darker Christmas Eve in American history than in 1776. The cause of American liberty and independence was on the very verge of disintegration. General George Washington’s army (that had once had more than 20,000 soldiers) had melted to only about 3,000 fit for duty.
Where was Washington the night before Christmas 1776?
A plaque on the site of the Samuel Merrick house placed by the Daughters of the American Revolution denotes the structure’s historical significance. (Author Photo) On the night before Christmas, Washington met with his generals in the home of Samuel Merrick in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where General Nathanael Greene had made his headquarters.
What was the date of the Battle of Trenton?
On the night of Christmas, December 25, 1776, Washington implemented at audacious plan that would improve the fortunes of the American forces. The general daringly led his men across the icy Delaware River and on a ten-mile march into Trenton, New Jersey, where they surprised a garrison of 1,500 Hessians.
What was the date of the Christmas night raid?
December 25, 1776: George Washington’s Christmas night raid December 25, 2013 “The great Christmas night raid in 1776 would forever serve as a model of how a special operation – or a conventional mission, for that matter – might be successfully conducted.