Editing Washington Crossing (section)

== The Crossing ==

The plan called for three separate crossings of the Delaware, with the main force of 2,400 men under Washington's direct command crossing at McConkey's Ferry (now Washington Crossing, Pennsylvania) nine miles above Trenton. Two supporting forces would cross downstream to cut off the Hessian retreat and block any reinforcements. The operation began on Christmas evening, with troops assembling at the ferry landing as darkness fell. The weather was terrible: temperatures were below freezing, and a storm brought snow, sleet, and high winds. The river was clogged with ice, making the crossing treacherous and slow. The flat-bottomed Durham boats, normally used for cargo, proved barely adequate for transporting men, horses, and artillery across the swift current.<ref name="ketchum">{{cite book |last=Ketchum |first=Richard M. |title=The Winter Soldiers: The Battles for Trenton and Princeton |year=1973 |publisher=Doubleday |location=Garden City, NY}}</ref>

The crossing took far longer than planned. Washington had hoped to complete the operation by midnight and attack at dawn, but the last troops did not reach the New Jersey shore until 3:00 a.m. The supporting crossings downstream failed entirely, leaving Washington without the forces intended to block the Hessian retreat. Despite these setbacks, Washington decided to press forward. The army formed up and began the nine-mile march to Trenton, arriving at the outskirts of town around 8:00 a.m. on December 26. The storm that had made the crossing so difficult now proved advantageous: the Hessians, confident that no army would venture out in such weather, had relaxed their guard. The Americans achieved complete surprise.<ref name="fischer"/>