The Crossing and March

Before Washington and his troops left, Benjamin Rush had come in an attempt to cheer up the General. While he was there he saw a note Washington had written, which said:

"Victory or Death".

Those words would be the password for the surprise attack. Each soldier carried 60 rounds of ammunition, and three days rations.[26] When the army arrived at the shores of the Delaware, they were already behind schedule and clouds began to form above them. It began to rain, then it hailed, and then it snowed. Nevertheless, the Americans began to cross the river, of which Henry Knox had overall command.

The men went across in Durham boats, while the horses and artillery went across on large ferries.[28] The 14th Continental Regiment of John Glover manned the boats. During the crossing, several men fell overboard, including Colonel John Haslet. Haslet was quickly pulled out of the water. No one died during the crossing, and all the artillery pieces made it over in good condition.[29]

Two small detachments of infantry, of about 40 men, each were ordered ahead of main columns.[30] Their job was to set roadblocks ahead of the main army, and take prisoner whoever came or left the town.[30] One of the groups was sent north of Trenton, and the other was sent to block River Road, which ran along the Delaware River to Trenton.

The terrible weather conditions delayed the landing in New Jersey, which were supposed to be completed by 12:00 am until 3:00 am, and Washington realized it would be impossible to launch a pre-dawn attack. Another setback also occurred for the Americans, as both General Cadwalader and Ewing were unable to join in the attack due to the weather conditions.

At 4:00 am they began to march towards Trenton. Along the way, several civilians joined as volunteers, and led as guides because of their knowledge of the terrain. After marching 1.5 miles (2 km) through windy roads into the wind, they reach Bear Tavern where they turned right. The ground slippery, but it was level, making it easier for the horses and artillery and they made better time. They soon reached Jacob's Creek, where, after a difficult process, the Americans made it across. The two groups stayed together until they reached Birmingham, where they split apart. Soon after they reached the house of Benjamin Moore, and the family offered food and drink to Washington. At this point the first signs of daylight began to appear. Many of the troops did not have boots, so they were forced to wear rags around their feet. Some of the men's feet bled, turning the snow to a dark red. Two men died on the trip.

As they continued their march, Washington rode up and down their line, encouraging the men to continue on. While they were marching, General Sullivan had a courier tell Washington that the weather was making it difficult to fire. Washington responded, "Tell General Sullivan to use the bayonet. I am resolved to take Trenton." This weather would later impact the Hessain's ability to defend the town.

About 2 miles (3 km) outside the town, the main columns reunited with the advance parties. However, 50 armed men suddenly appeared, but it turned out that they were American. Led by Adam Stephen, they did not know of the plan to attack Trenton, and therefore had attacked a Hessian outpost.[41] Washington feared that this would have put all the Hessian on guard, and he angrily shouted at Stephen, saying "You sir! You Sir, may have ruined all my plans by having them put on their guard." Despite this, Washington ordered that they continue to advance towards Trenton. The raid turned out to favor the Americans, as Rall believed this was the attack that Grant had warned him about, and believed that there would be no further action that day.

PREVIOUS: Preparation | Crossing and March | NEXT: 1st Battle of Trenton Pt.I