After a series of defeats in New York in 1776, General George Washington’s Continental Army retreated across New Jersey and on December 8th escaped across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. Unable to find boats, the British could not pursue farther and went into winter quarters, leaving a chain of outposts throughout New Jersey, including a Trenton outpost of three regiments of Hessian soldiers. In desperate need of a victory, Washington decided to cross the Delaware River on Christmas night and launch a surprise attack on Trenton. As night fell, an army of 2,400 men began crossing the ice-filled river, and by midnight a storm of sleet, hail, and snow was striking the army. For almost ten hours, boats moved continuously back and forth across the river, ferrying men, horses, and cannon to the Jersey side, and it was nearly 4 in the morning before the entire army was assembled and ready to march to Trenton. On the morning of December 26th, after a nine-mile march, the Hessian garrison was surrounded and defeated. The decisive victory at Trenton gave the Continentals a tremendous morale boost and saved the Revolution.