✦ History

Part of American Revolutionary War

Battle of Trenton

December 26, 1776 · Trenton

Result American victory

Decisive American Revolutionary War battle on the morning of 26 December 1776 in Trenton, New Jersey, following George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River the previous night. Washington's 2,400 Continentals surprised Hessian auxiliaries, capturing nearly two-thirds of the garrison with minimal American losses. The victory revived the Continental Army's collapsing morale and inspired re-enlistments.

On the map Contemporaries

American

British

Hesse-Kassel

United States
Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel
George Washington military commander Alexander Hamilton Nathanael Greene military commander Henry Knox Brigadier General, directed the artillery in the Delaware crossing and the attack John Sullivan military commander
Johann Rall Colonel, Commanded the Hessian garrison; mortally wounded in the battle

Strength and losses

Strength
2,400c. 2,400
Casualties
c. 10
Wounded
5
Strength
1,500c. 1,500
Casualties
c. 1,300
Killed
22
Wounded
83
Captured
800–900
Guns lost
c. 10

Units

Continental Army Aaron Burr Lieutenant Colonel Aaron Ogden Abraham Buford Alexander Hamilton General Alexander McDougall Major General Anthony Wayne Artemas Ward Major General Arthur St. Clair Benjamin Lincoln Major General Casimir Pulaski General Christopher Greene Colonel Daniel Morgan General Edward Hand George Clinton George Mathews Green Clay Henry Dearborn General Henry Knox Major General Henry Lee III Horatio Gates Hugh Mercer Brigadier General Israel Putnam General James Clinton Major General James McHenry James Monroe Major James Wilkinson James Winchester James Wood Jean François Hamtramck Colonel Johann de Kalb Major General John Armstrong Jr. General John Brooks Colonel John Francis Mercer Colonel John Glover John Hardin Colonel John Hoskins Stone John Marshall John Stark Major General John Sullivan Major General John Thomas Major General Joseph Bloomfield Joseph Warren Major General Josiah Harmar Josiah Tattnall (politician) Lachlan McIntosh Brigadier General Levin Winder Marquis de Lafayette Morgan Lewis Nathan Hale Colonel Nathanael Greene Major General Peleg Wadsworth General Peter Gansevoort Major General Philip Schuyler General Pierse Long Colonel Richard Butler Robert Magaw Colonel Samuel Smith Seth Warner Colonel Tadeusz Kościuszko Lieutenant General Thomas Knowlton Timothy Pickering General William Barton William Bradford William Darke William Eaton General William Maxwell Brigadier General William Moultrie Major General William Prescott Colonel William Sanford Pennington Major William Whipple William Woodford Brigadier General Benedict Arnold 1775–1780 Charles Lee 1775–1780 George Washington 1775–1783 James Moore Brigadier General · 1775–1777 William Alexander 1775–present 14th Continental Regiment 1st Maryland Regiment
Rall's Hessian brigade

Related events 1 degree away • 2 degrees away

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