Washington's battle plan was flawless, but there are always many situations that arise in war or natural factors, or human factors, or even purely accidental events, can change the outcome of the war.
This surprise attack organized by Washington encountered a series of unexpected events.
First, a report was received that there were royalist disturbances in Philadelphia, and General Putnam and his successor troops had to remain in Philadelphia and could not participate in the night crossing.
It is unclear through what channels Rahl obtained top-secret intelligence that the Continental army would launch an attack. Moreover, the timing perfectly matched, on December 25th, Christmas Day.
Rahl ordered the duty officer to be on high alert, and sure enough, around 6 p.m. that day, alarm shots rang out from the British army's outpost, followed by continuous firing, and the attackers were quickly repelled.
No one could say who these attackers were, perhaps local militia; in any case, they were not Washington's troops.
This attack was a "lucky hit" that greatly helped Washington, serving an unexpected purpose of diverting enemy attention.
Almost simultaneously, Washington led the Continental army to gather by the Delaware River, awaiting another reinforcement unit led by General Gates.
At this point, another unexpected event occurred: General Gates sent a messenger with an urgent and important letter.
The letter stated that General Gates was unwell and had urgently requested leave to Philadelphia, so he could not lead his troops to assist in the battle.
However, by the time Charles in Philadelphia met General Gates, Washington's Christmas operation had already concluded.
At the time, Charles had just finished suppressing the rebellion and was unclear about the details of the attack, but based on limited intelligence, he guessed that Washington's offensive should have yielded some results.
But since General Gates, a key part of the plan, was now in front of him, this operation was certainly not going to be too perfect.
So Charles almost didn't hesitate.
He immediately ordered General Putnam to lead the five hundred emergency troops, who had not yet been disbanded, to set off to support Washington.
If it failed, they would serve as a supplementary force.
If it succeeded, General Washington would be given the opportunity to see if the victory could be expanded.
He also gave a speech at the Continental Congress, arguing that everyone should trust General Washington and support him as much as possible at such a time.
The front line should be maintained in New York, and the British army should not be allowed to advance to Philadelphia.
Gates was only appointed Adjutant General by Washington's recommendation at the Second Continental Congress.
Unexpectedly, he dared to defy public opinion and play petty tricks in the face of a great enemy.
Washington was furious, but he thought that the arrow was already on the string, and he had to attack even without reinforcements!
At Washington's command, the soldiers boarded the boats and began to cross the river.
Speed is paramount in warfare.
A surprise attack should especially seize every second, breaking into the enemy's formation with lightning speed.
Unfortunately, the wind was strong and the waves were high.
Floating ice flowing rapidly down the river struck the sides of the boats with thudding sounds, and the wooden boats swayed and tossed like autumn leaves, always in danger of capsizing.
The wind also worked against them, blowing the ferry boats off course.
The river crossing was a struggle for life and death.
It was 4 a.m. when the entire army landed on the opposite bank, and there were still nine miles to Trenton from the riverbank.
Clearly, launching the attack at 5 a.m. was no longer possible.
If they lost the element of surprise after daylight, the entire plan would be in vain; if they were discovered by the enemy halfway and had to fight with their backs to the river, thousands of Continental army soldiers would become a Christmas gift for the enemy.
Washington made a decisive decision, not waiting for all the heavy weapons to be unloaded, and urgently ordered the troops to rush towards the enemy camp in Trenton.
From morning, snow mixed with hail began to fall, the north wind howled, and flakes filled the sky.
Along the way, hunger and cold attacked, and two soldiers were frozen to death and lay by the roadside, showing the harshness of the conditions.
While the wind and snow caused great hardship for the Continental army, the British army did not fare any better.
They were so cold that they huddled in their barracks, sleeping soundly, completely unable to hear the sound of the attacking troops' cannons rolling.
The gunpowder carried by the American army got damp during the river crossing, so Washington ordered bayonets to be fixed, preparing for hand-to-hand combat!
At exactly eight o'clock, they finally reached a small village outside Trenton.
At this time, heavy snow covered everything, and the roads were indistinct.
Washington inquired of a farmer who was up early collecting firewood.
The man immediately pointed enthusiastically: "That house ahead is the enemy's sentry checkpoint, and there is a sentry under the big tree.
May God bless your success!"
To avoid alerting the enemy, Washington ordered a small detachment to surround and monitor the enemy sentry post, while the main force continued to advance.
Ten minutes later, gunfire like popping Dianas rang out in Trenton.
The Continental army, with bayonets fixed, shouted slogans and quickly occupied the outpost.
Washington led the charge, rushing with the artillery into the main street—king Street.
The Hessian army hastily beat their drums, the light cavalry blew their bugles, and some enemy soldiers fired wildly from the windows of their barracks.
Other enemy soldiers swarmed out, but failed to form ranks.
Washington judged from the gunfire that Sullivan's unit had outflanked them and was attacking from the river side.
A small detachment of enemy soldiers set up two cannons in the street, attempting to block the American army's path.
Washington ordered Lieutenant James Monroe to lead men to drive away the enemy artillery.
Before the enemy cannons could fire, they were captured by the American army, causing the enemy to lose their firepower advantage.
The American army attacked from two sides, disorienting the enemy.
Colonel Rahl was sleeping soundly, suddenly awakened by a burst of gunfire.
With bleary, drunken eyes, he saw the Continental army seemingly descending from the sky, his own men leaderless, scattered like headless flies.
Seeing his troops losing control, he quickly mounted his horse and led his men to break through the encirclement.
He had already broken out of the town, intending to retreat towards Princeton, but then he suddenly thought that fleeing in front of the rebels would be too shameful.
He was also unwilling to leave his personal luggage and valuables behind.
So he changed his mind and, bravely and rashly, led his grenadiers back into the fight.
Just then, a vengeful bullet struck him in a vital spot, and he immediately fell from his horse.
His subordinates scattered and fled; those who couldn't escape quickly raised their hands in surrender.
The Battle of Trenton, organized by Washington, achieved brilliant results.
A total of twenty-two enemy soldiers were killed, nearly eight hundred were captured, and countless weapons and ammunition were seized.
The American losses were very light: two killed and five wounded.
Among the wounded was Lieutenant James Monroe, who had captured the enemy's cannons; he later became the fifth President of the United States.
Slightly regrettable was that General Ewing's troops were blocked from crossing the river and did not engage in combat.
Some of the scattered British army surrendered, and because of the absence of General Gates and General Putnam, many British soldiers escaped, which reduced Washington's plan for total annihilation and resulted in much less success than in actual history.
After the victory, some officers advocated for expanding the gains and pursuing the enemy while momentum was high, but Washington remained exceptionally calm.
The Battle of Trenton could not change the balance of power between the two sides, and a large enemy force would soon launch a retaliatory counterattack.
He decisively ordered his troops to withdraw from Trenton, taking the spoils of war and escorting eight hundred prisoners, and recrossed the river back into Pennsylvania.
The Battle of Trenton ended at the close of 1776.
Turning back to General William Howe, he was resting and waiting in New York, ready to lead a large army directly to Philadelphia, the temporary capital of the Americans, as soon as the main force could cross the river on the ice.
When the news of the Hessian army's annihilation arrived, General Howe was both shocked and angry.
He found it hard to imagine that three veteran regiments would lay down their arms and surrender to a ragged, undisciplined militia.
He resolved to commit greater military force to contend with Washington.
He ordered Cornwallis to remain in command, leading over seven thousand elite troops to Trenton to seek a decisive battle with the Continental army.
However, this British army movement had already been detected by Washington.
After Washington dealt with the prisoners of war and supplies, he led his troops across the Delaware River and reoccupied Trenton.
On December 31st, reconnaissance revealed that British General Cornwallis was gathering vehicles to march on Trenton.
General Howe followed with a thousand light infantry.
Washington, in response, ordered Generals Mifflin and Cadwalader to quickly rendezvous, bringing the total strength to 3,660 men.
The main force was deployed on the east bank of Assunpink Creek, between Trenton and Princeton.
The creek was not wide but very deep.
There was a narrow stone bridge over the creek, which some of the Hessian army had used to escape during the Battle of Trenton.
The Continental army's cannons were positioned on high ground, ready to deliver a heavy blow to the invading enemy.
At noon on January 2, 1777, Cornwallis' forces arrived in Trenton and began their attack without rest.
Small detachments of the Continental army resisted stubbornly, and it was nearly sunset before the British army reached the west bank of Assunpink Creek.
Cornwallis divided his army into several columns to repeatedly contend for the stone bridge.
Washington personally directed the defense on the front line, and all British attempts to force a crossing were repelled.
As night fell, both sides ceased hostilities.
While the soldiers slept soundly, the opposing commanders stayed up all night, strategizing and outwitting each other.
Cornwallis' aide suggested a surprise attack on the American camp that night, but Cornwallis disagreed because he had already agreed with the British commander stationed in Princeton to launch a pincer attack on Washington's army simultaneously the next morning.
He said confidently, "We've finally cornered that old fox Washington; we'll catch him tomorrow morning!"
For Washington, it was a sleepless night.
Large numbers of British troops were stationed in Trenton and Princeton, and the Continental army's position was between the two.
Although Cornwallis' attack was repelled today, it would be difficult to hold the crossing for long.
Furthermore, they had to guard against a rear attack from the British in Princeton; if superior forces attacked from both sides simultaneously, the consequences would be very serious.
That night, he convened an emergency military meeting, proposing his feigned attack tactic.
According to reconnaissance, there were over seven thousand enemy troops in Trenton, but only three regiments in Princeton.
Washington decided to avoid the strong and attack the weak, abandoning the powerful to strike at the vulnerable.
Before the enemy could act, he planned a forced march to Princeton, aiming to completely wipe out the garrison there in one swoop.
It required secrecy and speed, catching the Princeton garrison by surprise.
If this battle succeeded, it would not only allow them to escape certain death and turn danger into safety, but also shift them from a passive to an active position.
To deceive the enemy, Washington set up a feint.
He assigned a small detachment to continuously add wood to the bonfires, making them burn brighter and brighter throughout the night.
The soldiers feigned digging trenches and reinforcing fortifications all night long in the firelight, creating an impression of preparing for a desperate defense, then quickly withdrew before dawn to rejoin the main force.
British sentries observed this and reported it truthfully to their commander.
Cornwallis believed it, ordering his officers and men to sleep soundly, planning to wake early the next day to coordinate with the Princeton forces for a simultaneous pincer attack on the American army.
At this time, Washington had already assembled his troops, silently and with muffled wheels, rapidly moving towards Princeton.
The Continental army soldiers marched through the bitter cold, carrying weapons and ammunition, fortunately undetected by the enemy.
Before dawn, General Mercer's vanguard of 350 men finally reached a mile outside Princeton.
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The three British regiments garrisoned in Princeton were the 17th, 40th, and 55th Regiments, and they had already begun to move towards Trenton to coordinate with Cornwallis.
The vanguard, the 17th Regiment, happened to encounter the Continental army's leading regiment en route, and a fierce offensive battle ensued.
The Continental army was prepared and high-spirited, while the British army was caught by surprise and responded hastily.
Mercer, riding a gray horse, bravely led his troops forward, seemingly poised to sweep directly into Princeton.
Unfortunately, a stray bullet struck General Mercer's gray horse; the horse suddenly reared up, throwing its rider to the ground.
The British army seized the opportunity, rushed over, surrounded him, and repeatedly stabbed him with several bayonets.
The Continental army lost its command and its formation fell into disarray, allowing the British army to counterattack and force the Continental army to retreat step by step.
Just at this critical moment, an army appeared from their rear; it was the five hundred Philadelphia reinforcements led by General Putnam.
Because this unit was small in number and could not find the main Continental army force on this side of the Delaware River, they were guided by a messenger, crossed the river, and after circling around, reached the front line.
Suddenly seeing the flashes of battle here, they immediately rushed to provide support.
General Putnam was also a well-known veteran general, and his presence immediately stabilized morale.
The five hundred prepared reinforcements also immediately helped to stabilize the line.
But the British army's early advantage could not be eliminated immediately, and the battle became a stalemate.
Soon after, Washington arrived with the main force via a small path.
From a high vantage point, he watched as Continental army and British soldiers continuously fell, the battle at its most crucial moment.
Without waiting for his troops to deploy into formation, he roared:
"The time to try men's souls has come!"
He led the charge, spurring his horse towards the enemy lines.
Under his leadership, the main force of the Continental army pressed forward in a full assault, routing the British contingent.
When two armies meet, the brave one wins, and the Continental army also had a numerical advantage.
In just ten minutes, the British army could no longer hold out and was routed.
The remnants of the 17th Regiment fled towards Trenton.
At the same time, two other Continental army forces also entered the battle.
General St. Clair and General Sullivan's forces routed the 55th Regiment.
The scattered, defeated soldiers retreated towards Brunswick.
Finally, the 40th Regiment remained; it was positioned at the rear of the marching column and could not arrive in time to participate in the battle.
Most of them took refuge in the Princeton University campus, attempting a desperate resistance.
Washington believed a swift and decisive victory was necessary, without delay or prolonged fighting.
He ordered young officer Lieutenant Monroe to command the troops to fiercely attack Princeton University.
After firing only a few cannonballs, the enemy was forced to surrender all their weapons.
This battle was clean and decisive, considered a successful swift victory.
A total of over one hundred enemy soldiers were killed, and more than three hundred were captured, including fourteen officers.
The Continental army suffered thirty killed; unfortunately, they lost a brave and skilled general officer, Mercer.
Charles, in the rear, received the battle report but was no longer surprised by such engagements.
Because current muskets were largely inaccurate at even a slightly longer range, it was easy for enemies to escape during surprise attacks.
A battle that defeated three regiments, yet only killed and captured so few, was considered normal.
In a field battle, the number of casualties would be different.
At dawn that day, Cornwallis reorganized his troops and crossed the river, only to find the camp deserted, the embers of the bonfires still warm.
At first, he thought Washington had pulled his old trick again, a silent retreat in the style of Long Island.
But when the sun rose, he heard the booming of cannons from Princeton and immediately understood that he had fallen into a feigned attack trap.
He anticipated that the three British regiments there would be no match for the American army and was even more concerned about the loss of military supplies and personal luggage in Brunswick.
He urgently ordered his troops to run to relieve Princeton.
But it was too late; the bridges along the way had also been destroyed by the American army, and he needed to repair the bridges for the cannons to pass.
Cornwallis was impatient, and despite the icy river water, he forced his subordinates to wade through the waist-deep creek to continue their journey.
As they were moving, a 32-pound cannonball was fired from behind a distant breastwork.
Cornwallis ordered a halt, assuming there was a large American force resisting.
He first fired a volley of cannons in that direction, then sent a cavalry patrol to reconnoiter, only to find no one there.
It turned out that this captured 32-pound cannon was too heavy to move and had been left behind by the American army.
A gunner was selected from the rearguard, who was to light a match and ignite it when the pursuers approached, then leave.
This cannonball caused Cornwallis to waste a lot of ammunition and time.
When Cornwallis finally reached Princeton, he could only sigh in frustration.