The Battle of Trenton was a small but pivotal American Revolutionary War battle on the morning of December 26, 1776, in Trenton, New Jersey. After General George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River north of Trenton the previous night, Washington led the main body of the Continental Army against Hessian auxiliaries garrisoned at Trenton. After a brief battle, almost two-thirds of the Hessian force were captured, with negligible losses to the Americans. The battle significantly boosted the Continental Army's waning morale, and inspired re-enlistments. Washington first wanted to attack the Hessians at Bordentown, but the local militia in that area was too weak to offer support. He then chose Colonel Johann Hall’s isolated Hessian garrison at Trenton. They were in an exposed position, and it was known that they would heartily celebrate Christmas on the night of December 25. Washington decided on a predawn attack on December 26, while the Heissan troops and officers would be drunk and tired, and hopefully suffering hangovers. The Continental Army had previously suffered several defeats in New York and had been forced to retreat through New Jersey to Pennsylvania. On December 22, a spy reported to Grant that Washington had called a council of war; Grant told Rall to “be on your guard“. The main Hessian force of 1,500 men was divided into three regiment. That night, they did not send out any patrols because of the severe weather.

At 8 am on the morning of December 26, the Hessians established an outpost at a cooper shop on Pennington Road about one mile northwest of Trenton. Washington then led the assault on it, riding in front of his soldiers. As the Hessian commander of the outpost, Lieutenant Andreas Wiederholdt, left the shop, an American fired at him but missed. Wiederholdt immediately shouted, "Der Feind!" (The Enemy!) and other Hessians came out. The Americans fired three volleys, and the Hessians returned one of their own. Washington ordered Edward Hand's Pennsylvania Riflemen and a battalion of German-speaking infantry to block the road that led to Princeton. They attacked the Hessian outpost there. Washington had turned the tide, chasing the British forces from the Delaware River and putting them on the defensive, if only for a few days. When the Continental Congress heard of Washington’s victory at Trenton, they had renewed confidence in him and it bolstered enlistments and re-enlistments for 1777. After the Hessians’ surrender, Washington is reported to have shaken the hand of a young officer and said, “This is a glorious day for our country.” This small but decisive battle had an effect disproportionate to its size. The Patriot effort was galvanized, and the Americans overturned the psychological dominance achieved by the British troops in the previous months.