Washington Crossing
Crossing of the Delaware and the Battle of Trenton · December 25-26, 1776 · Delaware River, Pennsylvania and New Jersey
15 contours at 5 m, traced from USGS 3DEP 10 m elevation data. Every 5th line is drawn heavier.
What happened
With enlistments expiring and the Revolution close to collapsing, Washington ferried 2,400 men across the ice-choked Delaware on Christmas night and marched nine miles to Trenton, taking the Hessian garrison in a morning with almost no losses. It saved the war.
Why the ground mattered
The Delaware is the terrain here, and it was working for both sides. It had been Washington's moat since he retreated across it in December, which is why the Hessians felt safe enough to keep a garrison at Trenton with no earthworks. Crossing it in the dark, against ice floes, took Durham boats - shallow-draft ore carriers built for this river specifically - and local watermen who knew the ferry landings. The river that made Trenton feel defensible is exactly what let the attack arrive unannounced.
Watch
Crossing A Frozen River On Christmas - How George Washington Saved The American Revolution
A full account of the crossing and the march on Trenton - the state the army was in, why the river mattered, and how close the whole thing came to not happening.
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