The Skirmish at Johnson’s Ferry
December 24, 1776: A Hessian patrol out of Trenton encounters a small force of local militia in the area of Johnson’s Ferry.
Thursday
December 24, 2026
Friday
December 25, 2026
Washington’s Crossing
December 25, 1776: 2,400 men, 100 horses, and 18 cannon under the command of General George Washington cross the Delaware River under cover of darkness and a growing nor’easter. It is the last desperate gamble of an army on the brink of destruction.
Saturday
December 26, 2026
The March to Trenton
December 26, 1776: Concluding their crossing of the river, the Continental Army marches through the wind, hail, rain, and snow toward Trenton.
The First Battle of Trenton
December 26, 1776: The Continental Army surprises Colonel Rall’s Hessian garrison at Trenton. Washington wins a stunning victory.
The Second Battle of Trenton
January 2, 1777: Eight days later, Washington’s army is back in Trenton, dug in along the south side of the Assunpink Creek. British and Hessian forces under General Lord Charles Cornwallis attack with full force.
Sunday
December 27, 2026
Occupied New Jersey
December–January, 1776/77: Thousands of non-combatants; men, women, and children, patriots, loyalists, and neutrals, are caught up in the horrors of war when the fighting comes to New Jersey. Learn their stories and what life was like for the civilian population during the darkest hours of the War for Independence.
The Battle of Princeton
January 3, 1777: One last bold gamble, as Washington’s exhausted army marches the frozen backroad toward the British occupied town of Princeton. But the Continental army is not the only force on the move…