Second Battle of Trenton

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American Revolutionary War
Northern Campaign
General George Washington at Trenton , painting by John Trumbull

The Battle of Assunpink Creek , also known as the Second Battle of Trenton , took place near the city of Trenton, New Jersey on January 2, 1777 and is considered a success for the American Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War .

Strategic location

The British Supreme Commander Charles Cornwallis held Princeton, New Jersey , with 1,400 soldiers under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Mawhood. After the American surprise victory in the Battle of Trenton , the American forces withdrew to their camp in Pennsylvania . The American high command under General George Washington expected a massive counterattack from the British. After evaluating the strategic situation, Washington and his staff made the decision to oppose this counterattack again in Trenton.

American preparations

On December 30, 1776, the continental army moved back to Trenton. General Washington defensively placed his troops on the southern side of Assunpink Creek to the south of the city. He ordered digging work to begin immediately, and erected a line of defense that stretched three miles to the Delaware River. Joseph Reed, an adviser to Washington, realized that the river contained some shallow spots that enemy troops could attack on the American right flank. The American troops, on the other hand, were unable to retreat quickly across the river because their ships were a few miles upstream. Washington then ordered its officers to prepare for a retreat and to hold the current position only temporarily.

In this situation, the continental army threatened to dissolve itself. Most of the soldiers' regular service ended on December 31, 1776, and Washington struggled to persuade the men to do another month of military service. With a patriotic address and a premium of ten dollars per capita, he finally managed to get most of the soldiers to stay in the army. On the same day Washington learned that the opposing army would attack with 8,000 men.

On January 1, 1777, the American military treasury arrived in Trenton and Washington promptly paid out the pay. Congress also gave Washington unrestricted supreme command. Washington decided to stay in Trenton and ordered General John Cadwalader to march with his 1,800 militiamen from Crosswicks, New Jersey, and reinforce the main army in Trenton.

British preparations

Lord Cornwallis postponed his planned return to Great Britain at this point, and conferred with his General Staff at Princeton. The British officer James Grant and the Hessian commander Karl Emil von Donop convinced their commander in chief to attack the enemy with combined troops in Trenton.

Larger parts of the British and Hessian troops left Princeton before dawn on January 2, 1777 and marched in rows of three and with 28 cannons to the target of Trenton, 11 miles away. Three British regiments, the 17th, the 40th and the 55th, were left behind at Princeton under the command of Colonel Charles Mawhood with some cannons as rearguard, with orders to follow to Trenton the following day. Another 1,500 men were left behind in Maidenhead and the commanding Colonel Alexander Leslie was also ordered to follow with a delay.

Course of the battle

At the head of his army, Cornwallis placed a line of rifles made up of Hessian fighters and British light infantry. Two days earlier, American troops had holed up in a defensive position in front of Trenton in order to hold off the British attack as long as possible. When the British vanguard arrived, the then drunk American commander Fermoy fled and was immediately replaced by Colonel Edward Hand. From their cover, the American units fired at the largely unprotected attackers, but were gradually pushed back by the overwhelming British forces. Colonel Hand and his soldiers used the prepared retreat route on the Five Mile Run to the wooded area on Shabbakonk Creek. There some continental soldiers took up well camouflaged positions near the river, while the main part continued to retreat unnoticed. When the British soldiers crossed the bridge, they were caught under fire from very close range without being able to see the enemy. The Americans also used grapes , which further increased British casualties. Because of the intense fire, the British forces believed they were facing the entire American force. As a result, they formed up for battle and brought their cannons into position. Then they combed the undergrowth, but the Americans had already withdrawn further. This action alone saved Washington about 1/2 hour in time. At three in the afternoon the British reached another line of defense at Stockton Hollow, half a mile from Trenton. Washington planned to hold up the British forces until nightfall to prevent an attack on the American main force at Assunpink Creek. The British continued to attack Colonel Hands soldiers, so they had to slowly withdraw towards Trenton. On the retreat, the American forces also fired from the cover of the houses at the approaching British. When Hands' troops finally reached Assunpink Creek, they were bayonet attacked by Hessian soldiers, which led to great confusion among the Americans. Washington recognized the danger and intervened directly in the fighting. He ordered the soldiers who were already fleeing to regroup and hold the line. Washington fired American artillery to cover the maneuver.

American retreat

Cornwalli's decision

When Lord Cornwallis reached the city of Trenton with the main body of his army, he immediately convened a council of war to discuss how to proceed. Cornwallis' quartermaster, William Erskine, urged Cornwallis to continue the attack immediately. Erskine feared that Washington would continue to withdraw with its army that night. General James Grant countered that, in his opinion, the Americans could not withdraw and that it would be better to let the exhausted British troops rest overnight and not continue their attack until the next morning. Cornwallis didn't want to wait until the next morning to attack, but eventually decided to stop the fight instead of having his troops attack in the dark. Cornwallis said “We have old Fox (Washington) safe now. We'll get him the next morning. ”The British troops then moved into their night quarters on a hill north of the city of Trenton.

Washington's decision

During the night the American artillery, under the command of Henry Knox , fired sporadically volleys in the direction of Trenton so as not to let the British army calm down. Washington also held a council of war with its officers and, after extensive deliberations, decided to move with his army to Princeton around 2 a.m. Washington left 500 men and 2 cannons behind. The men feigned entrenchment work to create the impression that Washington's army was digging in in anticipation of the British attack. In the early morning of January 3rd, the American rearguard withdrew, so that the British attack that followed was in vain.

losses

Of the 6,000 continental soldiers, 100 were killed or wounded. The British and Hessian sides had 365 casualties, the majority of whom were wounded or taken prisoner.

consequences

American forces reached Princeton on the morning of January 3rd. After a brief skirmish , the British garrison under the command of Charles Mawhood was defeated and most of the British soldiers were taken prisoner. After the third defeat in just 10 days, the British Army withdrew from New Jersey to New York.

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Frequently Asked Questions
  2. ^ McCullough, p. 284
  3. ↑ Ketchum, page 276
  4. ↑ a b c d Ketchum page 284
  5. ↑ Ketchum, page 277
  6. ^ McCullough, p. 285
  7. ↑ Ketchum, page 278
  8. ↑ Ketchum, page 280
  9. ^ Ketchum, page 282
  10. ↑ a b Lengel, page 199
  11. ↑ a b Ketchum, page 286
  12. ↑ a b Ketchum, page 288
  13. ↑ Lengel, page 200
  14. ↑ a b c d e Ketchum page 289
  15. ↑ Ketchum, page 290
  16. ↑ Lengel, page 201
  17. ↑ a b c d e Ketchum page 291
  18. ↑ a b Ketchum, page 294
  19. ↑ Ketchum, page 296
  20. ↑ Fischer, page 412
  21. ^ McCullough, p. 288

credentials

Coordinates: 40 ° 13 ′ 18 ″  N , 74 ° 45 ′ 22 ″  W.