A Christmas Miracle: The Crossing of the Delaware
(Eight Key American Revolutionary Events Series)
On the bitterly cold night of December 25, 1776, the banks of the Delaware River were shrouded in darkness and ice. General George Washington, just 44 years old, stood among his weary Continental Army. Their spirits were battered after months of defeat, their feet wrapped in rags or bare against the frozen mud. Many soldiers’ enlistments would expire at the end of the year, and the Revolution itself seemed on the verge of collapse.
Yet, amid despair, Washington sensed the possibility of a turning point. Just days before, he had ordered Thomas Paine’s new pamphlet, The American Crisis, read aloud to the troops: “Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered…” The words sparked a flicker of hope. Now, on Christmas Day, Washington revealed a daring plan: his army would cross the ice-choked Delaware River under cover of night and strike the Hessian garrison at Trenton, New Jersey, at dawn.
The plan was ambitious. Washington’s strategy called for three separate crossings: his own main force of 2,400 men would cross at McConkey’s Ferry, ten miles north of Trenton, while two other groups under Generals Cadwalader and Ewing would cross further south to cut off escape and reinforce the attack. But as the night wore on, a brutal nor’easter swept in, pelting the men with sleet and snow. The river was choked with ice, and the wind howled like a banshee. Only Washington’s main column managed to cross; the others, stymied by the storm, were forced to turn back.
The crossing itself was a feat of endurance and skill. Colonel Henry Knox, Washington’s chief of artillery, directed the operation, aided by Captain John Glover’s Marblehead regiment—seasoned New England sailors who manhandled Durham boats and ferries through the swirling, ice-laden waters. Horses and eighteen pieces of artillery were loaded aboard, the men ordered to be as quiet as possible. The operation, supposed to begin at sunset, was delayed; most troops didn’t reach the crossing point until after 6 p.m., and the last men didn’t land on the New Jersey shore until nearly 3 a.m.—hours behind schedule.
Victory or Death
Washington himself worried the plan was madness, but retreat was not an option. “As I was certain there was no making a retreat … I determined to push on at all events,” he later wrote. The password for the night was “Victory or Death”.
As dawn broke, the exhausted army formed into columns and began the ten-mile march to Trenton. The weather shifted from drizzle to sleet to snow. Many soldiers marched barefoot, leaving bloody tracks in the snow, their muskets’ powder ruined by the storm. Washington’s order rang out: “Use the bayonet!”
At Trenton, about 1,400 Hessian soldiers under Colonel Johann Rall, exhausted from weeks of harassment and lulled by Christmas, were caught completely off guard. Washington split his force: one column under General Nathanael Greene attacked from the north, while another under General John Sullivan moved in from the west, blocking the Hessians’ escape.
The attack began at daybreak. The Hessians, startled from their beds, scrambled to form ranks. The Americans pressed their advantage, engaging in a running fight through the streets. Rall, mortally wounded, formally surrendered before dying. By mid-morning, the battle was over: 22 Hessians were killed, 83 wounded, and nearly 900 captured. The Americans suffered only two deaths from exposure and five wounded in battle.
Washington, reportedly shaking hands with a captured officer, declared, “This is a glorious day for our country.” The victory was both military and miraculous. Against all odds—ill-equipped men, a ferocious storm, and a broken timetable—Washington’s leadership and the resilience of his army had delivered a stunning blow. The victory at Trenton invigorated the Revolution, inspiring new enlistments and restoring hope across the colonies.
In the days that followed, Washington pressed his advantage, winning again at Princeton and reclaiming much of New Jersey. But it was that singular Christmas night—crossing a frozen river in the dead of night, that endures as a testament to courage, resolve, and the power of hope in the darkest hours—a true Christmas miracle that changed the destiny of a nation.