Spending Christmas with Washington, December 25-26, 1776

Photo By Jeremy Coburn | As their colonies became more stable, the conflict between England, France and Spain intensified. In the 75 years from 1689 to 1763, the main European competitors engaged in a series of sporadic struggles over their imperial rivalries in Europe and colonial claims in the New World that eventually expanded to other parts of the globe. The North American colonists of all three opponents were a part of these conflicts, along with their native allies. Consequently, the threat of war overshadowed the Christmas season at times, particularly during the American Revolution.  

REDSTONE ARSENAL, ALABAMA, UNITED STATES

01.14.2025

Courtesy Story

U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command

As their colonies became more stable, the conflict between England, France and Spain intensified. In the 75 years from 1689 to 1763, the main European competitors engaged in a series of sporadic struggles over their imperial rivalries in Europe and colonial claims in the New World that eventually expanded to other parts of the globe. The North American colonists of all three opponents were a part of these conflicts, along with their native allies. Consequently, the threat of war overshadowed the Christmas season at times, particularly during the American Revolution.

The logistical difficulties of conducting military operations and sustaining an army during the winter in the early modern era usually resulted in the cessation of actual fighting, but no withdrawal from the area of operations. This was true for the Continental Army, which had only come into existence in June 1775. Despite his numerous requests for the necessary resources to support his troops as they fought to defend the new nation, General George Washington faced ongoing problems with the Continental Congress’s inability (or unwillingness) to fully fund the war effort.

For example, hunkering down in winter quarters like the encampment at Morristown, New Jersey, from December 1779 to June 1780, during the coldest winter on record, often left the main forces of the Patriot army exposed to the harsh weather due to poor shelter and inadequate clothing, as well as pestilence, malnutrition and even boredom. All of these were prime factors helping to undermine or destroy its fighting effectiveness; the lack of pay further compounded the problem. Yet as warfare evolved in the early modern era, the chances of putting a war on hiatus became less desirable or feasible. For Washington, the issue often became one of how to make the best use of his soldiers during the season of the year when the British commanders expected the inactivity of the Continental Army to make it more susceptible to attrition or desertion.

Perhaps the most well-known Christmas wartime exploit during the American Revolution was the Continental Army’s surprisingly successful raid on about 1,500 Hessian subsidy troops manning the British outpost at Trenton, New Jersey. Reinforced by about 5,000 men, Washington seized on a “now or never” opening to launch a risky attack late in the afternoon on Christmas Day 1776. Conducted under cover of darkness, the daring plan required the troops to struggle through the cold and dark to reach the crossing site on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River. By the time the soldiers arrived around 11 p.m., a full-blown nor’easter was raging.

Plans for three separate columns to cross the Delaware could not be executed because of the storm. Only the one led by Washington made it across the frigid water, along with its large quantity of supporting artillery, horses and ammunition. It took hours to ferry across the river at a point where it was only 300 yards wide. Once on the other side it took about four hours to march ten miles to Trenton. After arriving at about 8 a.m. on December 26th, the Continental Army caught the Hessians by surprise, encircled them and within two hours forced them to surrender.
Despite scurrilous accounts to the contrary, the Hessians were not hungover from the previous day’s revels. Though caught off guard, the Germans did their best to defend the outpost, but they were hampered by damp powder, no artillery support and the fatal wounding of their commanding officer. The American troops did find numerous large casks of rum (some of which they consumed), but Washington ordered the majority of the barrels destroyed because of the paramount need to secure almost 1,000 captured Hessians and care for the wounded.

• Date Taken: 01.14.2025
• Date Posted: 01.14.2025 08:43
• Story ID: 489037
• Location: REDSTONE ARSENAL, ALABAMA, US