Henry Knox's First Hand Account of the Battle of Trenton
Henry Knox, George Washington's chief of artillery during the Revolutionary War, provided a vivid firsthand account of the Battle of Trenton (December 26, 1776) in a letter to his wife, Lucy Knox, dated December 28, 1776. As a key participant responsible for transporting the artillery across the Delaware River and commanding it during the battle, Knox's description captures the hardship of the crossing and the chaos of the surprise attack on the Hessian forces.
Henry Knox by Gilbert Stuart 1806
Key Excerpts from Knox's Letter
Knox described the strategic context and the daring plan:
"Trenton is an open town, situated nearly on the banks of the Delaware, accessible on all sides. Our army was scattered along the river for nearly twenty-five miles. Our intelligence agreed that the force of the enemy in Trenton was from two to three thousand, with about six field cannon, and that they were pretty secure in their situation, and that they were Hessians—no British troops. A hardy design was formed of attacking the town by storm. Accordingly a part of the army, consisting of about 2,500 or 3,000, passed the river on Christmas night, with almost infinite difficulty, with eighteen field-pieces. Floating ice in the river made the labor almost incredible... It hail'd with great violence [during the march]; the Troops march’d with the most profound silence and good order."
He then recounted the battle itself with dramatic flair:
"We forc’d [the outguards] & enter’d the Town with them pell-mell; and here succeeded a scene of war of which I had often conceived, but never saw before. The hurry, fright, & confusion of the enemy was [not] unlike that which will be when the last trump shall sound. They endeavor’d to form in the streets, the heads of which we had previously the possession of with cannon & howitzers; these, in the twinkling of an eye, cleared the streets. The backs of the houses were resorted to for shelter; these proved ineffectual—the musketry soon dislodg’d them. Finally they were driven through the town into an open plain beyond. Here they form’d in an instant. During the contest in the streets measures were taken for putting an entire stop to their retreat by posting troops and cannon in such passes and roads as it was possible for them to get away by. The poor fellows, after they were form’d on the plains, saw themselves completely surrounded. The only resource left was to force their way thro’ numbers unknown to them, strongly posted with cannon. The Hessians lost part of their cannon in the town; they did not relish the project of forcing, & were oblig’d to surrender upon the spot, with all their artillery, 6 brass pieces, arms, colors, &c."
Near the end of the letter he writes this:
"after having march’d off the prisoners & secur’d the Cannon stores &c we return’d to the place 9 miles distant where we had embarkd from – Providence seem’d to have smil’d upon every part of this enterprize; great advantages may be gaind from it if we [take the] proper advantages..."
Full original handwritten letter and transcription