The Battle of 2nd Trenton and The Battle of Princeton
After George Washington’s Christmas surprise at the Battle of Trenton, the Americans were feeling pretty good about themselves. They wanted more. Washington decided it was time to cross the Delaware river again and take Trenton and New Jersey for good.
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Battle of Trenton Recap
George Washington boldly crossed the Delaware river on a freezing cold Christmas night in 1776. The next morning Washington’s Continental army routed 1400 Hessian soldiers who were stationed in Trenton, New Jersey. Washington knew that he could not hold Trenton at that time because the majority of his troops had been unsuccessful crossing the river on Christmas night. He gathered much needed supplies and retreated back across the river before British and Hessian reinforcements arrived. The victory at Trenton on December 26, 1776 gave the American’s momentum and set the stage for the events that would take place over the next 10 days.
Washington Crosses the Delaware… Again
George Washington wanted to drive the British further away from the Continental Capital of Philadelphia and establish his winter headquarters in New Jersey. He sent an advance force across the Delaware river led by Nathanael Greene. Washington along with 2000 troops joined Greene in Trenton on December 30th 1776.
General Washington knew the great value of information. He always wanted to know as much about his enemy’s movements and positions as possible. He ordered militia Colonel John Cadwalader to obtain accurate intelligence at any cost on the British forces in the area. That priceless information would prove pivotal in Washington’s preparation and planning. Through spies, bribes, and patriotic citizens, he learned that British General Charles Cornwallis had amassed as many as 8000 troops in nearby Princeton. A hand drawn map by Cadwalader of British troop positions and defenses in Princeton gave Washington the intelligence upper hand.
Washington knew that he would be under attack in Trenton soon, and that he needed to bolster his numbers in order to stand a chance. The problem was that many of the local militia enlistments were running up. He pleaded with the militiamen to stay on. Luckily enough the money the militiamen needed to continue on arrived just in time for them to commit to staying. He now had around 7000 men.
The Battle of Second Trenton
Washington and his army began taking a defensive position along Assunpink Creek and building earthworks. He also positioned 1000 of his men on the road between Princeton and Trenton to delay Cornwallis' approach into Trenton, and that's just what they did. On January 2, 1777 Cornwallis began his march to Trenton with 5500 men. He left around 1400 men in Princeton under the command of Lt. Col. Charles Mawhood. Washington’s outer defensive troops harassed Cornwallis with multiple skirmishes and turned what should have been a 3 hour march into an all day march. This gave Washington more time to prepare his defenses. By the time Cornwallis reached Trenton, he was already running out of daylight.
Cornwallis’ British and Hessian troops hastily made several assaults late in the day but they were all unsuccessful. The Hessians attempted to rush the narrow stone bridge across the Assunpink Creek but were turned back every time by the Virginia Brigade along with Continental artillery. The Virginia Brigade reportedly was ordered to shoot their enemies in the legs which would force their fellow soldiers to pull them to safety or leave them for dead. The bodies began to pile up and the bridge became a killing ground. According to one American soldier "the bridge looked red as blood, with their killed and wounded and red coats."
When nightfall came, Cornwallis knew that he had Washington on the ropes and that he would be able to overwhelm him the next day. Some of his officers believed that they needed to continue the attack but they were overruled. Cornwallis sent troops to defend the Delaware River and keep Washington from escaping. Washington was seemingly trapped.
One of General George Washington’s favorite tactics was tricking his enemy into thinking he was somewhere he wasn’t and moving his troops under the cover of darkness. He loved to use the element of surprise. After nightfall, Washington convened a council of war with his senior officers. They were in a precarious position that they did not believe they could hold much longer. They devised a daring plan. A plan not only to escape but also to attack the enemy. Again, they used intelligence to their advantage. They were alerted to the fact that the British had failed to guard a road to Princeton that was unknown to the British.
Washington Sneaks Away
Washington ordered a small number of his men to keep the campfires burning and to make noise, creating the illusion that they were still there. Meanwhile, the rest of the army began a midnight march towards Princeton. In order to hide their movements, it was a silent march with no torches. They even wrapped their wagon wheels with heavy cloth in order to muffle the sound.
The battle of Princeton was a battle that almost didn’t take place, at least not with any historical significance. Cornwallis had ordered Lt. Col. Charles Mawhood to leave Princeton, and march toward Trenton to provide reinforcements. Mawhood was marching south on the Post Road, Washington was marching north on a lesser traveled road cutting through farmland. They almost missed each other. However, Washington’s march was a little behind schedule. He sent a detachment under the command of General Hugh Mercer to seize and destroy the Stony Brook bridge along the Post Road. It's debatable who saw who first, but at this point Mercer and Mawhood are aware of each other and preparing to engage.
The Battle of Princeton
At this point the British held the numerical advantage and initially routed the Americans with a bayonet charge. Mercer himself was surrounded yet refused to lay down his arms and surrender. He was run through with bayonets several times. Because of the way he was dressed compared to the other soldiers, the tenacious way he fought, and his refusal to surrender; many of the British soldiers believed they had actually killed George Washington himself.
The success of the battle hung in the balance at this point. In fact, all of the momentum gained crossing the Delaware and defeating the Hessians on December 26 was at risk of being lost. Washington knew that this battle could not be lost. Colonel John Cadwalader and his militia were sent to reinforce Mercer’s initial force. The Americans now held the numerical advantage but the British forces were far more experienced and still maintained the advantage on the field. Upon seeing this, Washington himself rode into the battle leading fresh troops. Washington rode to within 30 yards of the British lines. One of Washington’s officers, John Fitzgerald, reportedly covered his eyes expecting Washington to be killed. 
Appearing at the front with his men, Washington reinvigorated his men. The Americans were able to break the British lines, and Mawhood’s men were in shambles. Meanwhile, General John Sulivan was marching towards the town. There was a small garrison of British soldiers that remained in Princeton. While some retreated, around 200 hunkered down to hold off the Americans in Nassau Hall. They hoped that they would be able to hold the town until reinforcements arrived. Nassau Hall stands on what is now Princeton University. American artillery Captain Alexander Hamilton positioned cannons around the building and began firing. Allegedly a portrait of King George II inside of Nassau Hall was decapitated by an American Artillary shell. Once the shelling started the British garrison soon surrendered. To this day, you can still see the damage to the surface of the building.
After the Battles
There was a lot at stake for Washington over these 10 crucial days. The victory at Princeton following the victory at Trenton was huge for Washington and the Continental army. Princeton was Washington’s first victory over British regulars on the battlefield. Morale amongst the army is through the roof as they made their true winter camp in Morristown, NJ in the Ramapo Mountains. Morale wasn’t the only thing gained though. Washington’s boldness at Trenton and Princeton paid off by forcing British General William Howe, the Commander-In-Chief of British land forces, to pull his units that had been spread throughout the New Jersey countryside back into New York. There is a lot of discrepancy among historians and records concerning casualty numbers, but it is fair to say that British losses far outnumbered American losses. Another positive of the British forces moving back to New York is that it put more breathing room between the British army and the American capitol in Philadelphia. If Washington lost these battles and his army there would have been nothing between Cornwallis and Philadelphia. A devastating loss at either Trenton or Princeton would have most certainly ended the revolution.
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