Battle of the Assunpink Creek.html



Battle of the Assunpink Creek Part of the American Revolutionary War Date January 2, 1777 Location Trenton, New Jersey Result American Victory1 Belligerents United States Great Britain Commanders George Washington Charles Cornwallis Strength 6,000 40 guns2 8,000 28 guns2 Casualties and losses 100 killed or wounded3 365 killed, wounded or captured3

v • d • e New York and New Jersey 1776–1777 Long Island – Kip's Bay – Harlem Heights – Pell's Point – White Plains – Fort Washington – Iron Works Hill – Trenton – Assunpink Creek – Princeton – Forage War – Millstone – Bound Brook – Short Hills

The Battle of the Assunpink Creek⁴ also known as The Second Battle of Trenton took place on January 2, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War.

Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis had left 1,400 British troops under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Mawhood in Princeton, New Jersey. Following a surprise victory at the Battle of Trenton early in the morning of December 26, 1776, General George Washington of the Continental Army and his council of war expected a strong British counter-attack. Washington and his council decided to meet this attack in Trenton.

The Battle

On December 30, he crossed the Delaware River back into New Jersey and, over the next few days, massed his troops on higher ground south of Trenton, across a stream running through downtown called Assunpink Creek. On January 2, 1777, the day-long march ended when the larger British army led by General Cornwallis encountered Washington's own army. The Americans slowly withdrew, splitting into smaller units in order to harass the British.⁵ The small groups of American soldiers had succeeded in slowing Cornwallis' march from Princeton to Trenton, and inflicting heavy casualties, but the British force arrived en masse in the late afternoon.⁵

The armies were facing each other from 200 yards (200 m) apart with only the creek and the bridge in between. Cornwallis ordered the assault. Cannon and rifle fire erupted from Washington's side leaving heavy British casualties after fierce fighting. Two more attempts were made by the British to take the bridge, but each time they were repulsed.⁵ The bridge held, darkness fell, and Cornwallis withdrew. Hundreds of British soldiers were recovered from the bridge ending the battle. Cornwallis commented "Rest for now. We'll bag the fox in the morning."⁵

American withdrawal

That night, Washington's army built up their campfires before silently slipping away after midnight while an unsuspecting Cornwallis slept. Cornwallis had failed to post adequate scouts to detect movements by Washington's army. Washington and his staff decided to sneak away in the night, marching around the British forces and attacking their rear in Princeton. The Americans left a token force to build fortifications as though they were planning to defend at the creek and to disguise the sound of their march. British forces perceived the movement, but Cornwallis believed this to be Americans planning a night attack and ordered British troops into defensive positions, allowing Americans to successfully march their army around Cornwallis and start the Battle of Princeton. About 40 Americans were killed or wounded in this battle.

Footnotes

References

• Fisher, David Hackett. Washington's Crossing. Oxford University Press USA, 2004, 576 pages. ISBN 0195170342
• Ketchum, Richard. The Winter Soldiers: The Battles for Trenton and Princeton. Owl Books, 1999, 448 pages. ISBN 0805060987
• Mitchell, Craig George Washington's New Jersey 2003.

See also

• New Jersey during the American Revolution
• Battle of Trenton

v • d • e New Jersey in the American Revolutionary War 1776 Fort Lee - Washington's crossing of the Delaware - First Trenton 1777 Second Trenton - Princeton - Millstone - Short Hills - Forage War - Bound Brook - Middlebrook encampment 1778 Monmouth - Molly Pitcher - Baylor Massacre - Little Egg Harbor massacre - Chestnut Neck 1779 Paulus Hook 1780 Connecticut Farms - Springfield 1783 U.S. Capital at Princeton