Me-Ki-Gal: The Battle of Trenton occurred in the aftermath of a disastrous series of actions within what are now known as the Burroughs of Brooklyn, Queens, Manhattan, and Bronx, New York, all but one of which (Lord Howe's disastrous amphibious assault on Throg's Neck, which is truly ironic seeing as Lord Howe was the greatest practitioner of amphibious operations of the Eighteenth Century) were British victories, with the result that George Washington's little (and shrinking) army was forced out of the 5-Boro area essentially into hiding in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Many supporters of the revolution were becoming discouraged, and Washington needed a victory. So, he chose to cross back into New Jersey and, instead of engaging in open battle, to conduct a guerrilla-style raid on the Hessian garrison in Trenton. I suspect that Washington was aware of the extent to which Germans over-do their Christmas celebrations (I get to say that, because I'm talking about my own people here: look at my last name!), so he would have known that the enemy soldiers would have bellies crammed with food and veins full of beer and wine, and would be in no condition to fight. The raid was over quickly, and was a complete victory for Washington. Washington held the ground gained in the raid by conducting a successful defensive action a week later at the Battle of Assunpink Creek, which he immediately followed up (the same day!) with a fluid maneuver-style (almost Rommel-esque) action known as the Battle of Princeton, which ejected British forces from the Trenton-Princeton area. There really wasn't anything secret about it, although Washington's stealthy crossing of the Delaware River into New Jersey in terrible weather remains legendary.
