The morning of December 26, 1776, did not start according to plan. The night before, George Washington had led 2,400 Continental Army soldiers across the Delaware River, thinking that two additional troop columns were doing the same at other designated crossing points. The Patriots were tasked with neutralizing a garrison of Hessian auxiliaries at Trenton, New Jersey, before pivoting to nearby British outposts.
Instead, only one column succeeded in crossing the Delaware, and hours behind schedule. Yet in this confluence of challenge, error, and bad breaks, Washington exhibited an enduring priority of the American military: adaptability. He pressed the attack, and his victory saved the Patriot cause.