The Rebels Were Desperate

American general George Washington was in a desperate situation before the battle of Trenton. Defeated repeatedly by the British Army and its German or "Hessian" mercenaries, Washington's Continental Army was so unprepared for winter that many soldiers wore rags on their feet instead of shoes. Although Washington had about 10,000 men under his command, about 5,000 of them were sick. 4,500 of Washington's men were due to get out of the service on December 31. Under the circumstances, Washington had no choice but to attack while he still had an army to attack with. He chose the Hessian garrison at Trenton, New Jersey, for his target.

The Hessians Weren't Drunk

The Hessian defeat at Trenton is often blamed on the incompetence of Colonel Johann Rall and on the drunken sleepiness of the Hessians after celebrating Christmas. Rall is supposed to have ignored repeated warnings of an American attack, not even bothering to read a crucial letter that could have warned him to be ready. This version of events was largely based on American propaganda at the time and is not what actually happened, according to historian Phillip Thomas Tucker's book "George Washington's Surprise Attack." Rall was aware of the warnings but mistook a brief attack by Virginian partisans on December 25 for the rebel offensive he had been warned about. Regardless, he still ordered his grenadiers to remain on full alert in case of attack, and most of them could not even have afforded to buy alcohol according to Tucker.

The Crossing Was the Worst Part

For the American forces, the crossing of the river Delaware was the worst part of the battle. The crossing was made in the middle of the night and took much longer than it was supposed to because of a fierce winter storm. Instead of reaching the other side at midnight, Washington's forces didn't get there until 3:00 in the morning. Washington had planned for three separate attacks by 5,500 men, but only the 2,400 under Washington himself managed to get across the river in time to do anything. Two men drowned on the way across. When the American forces got across the river, they found that many of their muskets wouldn't fire because the powder was too wet. Knowing he had no choice except to win the battle or lose the war, Washington ordered John Sullivan to take the town with a bayonet charge.

There Were Few Casualties

The fighting lasted for only an hour and a half, but the Hessians resisted as well as they could. Colonel Rall personally led a counterattack by the Hessian forces to try to drive the Americans back, but he was wounded in the attempt, an injury that would later prove fatal. Despite the hand-to-hand fighting, the battle was really decided by the American artillery. Washington had six times as many artillery pieces as Rall and was able to position them to fire straight down the streets of Trenton at the Hessian forces. With 22 men dead and 92 wounded, 948 Hessian soldiers surrendered to avoid being wiped out. American forces had only five men wounded. The two men who drowned were the only American fatalities.