page_title: George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River
section_title: Crossing
hierarchical_section_title: George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River / Crossing
caption_attribution_description: The plan of attack under Washington. General John Sullivan was to advance from the south, and cut off the Hessian escape, while Greene was to surround the other side of the Hessians. From by Richard W. Stewart.
context_page_description: George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River, which occurred on the night of December 25–26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, was the first move in a surprise attack organized by George Washington against Hessian forces in Trenton, New Jersey, on the morning of December 26. Planned in partial secrecy, Washington led a column of Continental Army troops across the icy Delaware River in a logistically challenging and dangerous operation. Other planned crossings in support of the operation were either called off or ineffective, but this did not prevent Washington from surprising and defeating the troops of Johann Rall quartered in Trenton. The army crossed the river back to Pennsylvania, this time laden with prisoners and military stores taken as a result of the battle.
  Washington's army then crossed the river a third time at the end of the year, under conditions made more difficult by the uncertain thickness of the ice on the river. They defeated British reinforcements under Lord Cornwallis at Trenton on January 2, 1777, and defeated his rear guard at Princeton on January 3, before retreating to winter quarters in Morristown, New Jersey.
context_section_description: On the morning of December 25, Washington ordered his army to prepare three days' food and issued orders that every soldier be outfitted with fresh flints for their muskets.   He was also somewhat worried by intelligence reports that the British were planning their own crossing once the Delaware was frozen over.  At 4 pm Washington's army turned out for its evening parade, where the troops were issued ammunition, and even the officers and musicians were ordered to carry muskets.  They were told that they were departing on a secret mission.  Marching eight abreast in close formations and ordered to be as quiet as possible, they left the camp for McConkey's Ferry.  Washington's plan required the crossing to begin as soon as it was dark enough to conceal their movements on the river, but most of the troops did not reach the crossing point until about 6 pm, about ninety minutes after sunset.  The weather got progressively worse, turning from drizzle to rain to sleet and snow.  "It blew a hurricane," recalled one soldier.
  Washington had given charge of the crossing logistics to his chief of artillery, Henry Knox.  In addition to the crossing of large numbers of troops (most of whom could not swim), he had to safely transport horses and eighteen pieces of artillery over the river.  Knox wrote that the crossing was accomplished "with almost infinite difficulty", and that its most significant danger was floating ice in the river.  One observer noted that the whole operation might well have failed "but for the stentorian lungs of Colonel Knox". The unusually cold weather of the 1770s and the icy river were likely related to the Little Ice Age.
  Washington was among the first of the troops to cross, going with Virginia troops led by General Adam Stephen.  These troops formed a sentry line around the landing area in New Jersey, with strict instructions that no one was to pass through.  The password was "Victory or Death".  The rest of the army crossed without significant incident, although a few men, including Delaware's Colonel John Haslet, fell into the water.
  The amount of ice on the river prevented the artillery from finishing the crossing until 3 am on December 26. The troops were ready to march around 4 am.
  The two other crossings fared less well.  The treacherous weather and ice jams on the river stopped General Ewing from even attempting a crossing below Trenton. Colonel Cadwalader crossed a significant portion of his men to New Jersey, but when he found that he could not get his artillery across the river he recalled his men from New Jersey. When he received word about Washington's victory, he crossed his men over again but retreated when he found out that Washington had not stayed in New Jersey.
caption: Map showing Washington's movements leading up to the Battle of Trenton
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