The Surprise Summary and Analysis

The troops got into Trenton about 7:30 in the morning. To Washington's relief, the Hessians were completely caught off guard. For all of his worrying, Washington had his surprise attack. From the beginning, the Hessians retreated. Though they fought bravely the entire way, they did continue to move back from Washington's forces.

Although the Hessians prepared in every other way possible against an attack, the weather played a crucial role in the events. As the nor'easter blew through, the soldiers that were out on duty grew cold and tired. After a week of constant alarms and patrols, the men were exhausted. Since the weather worsened, they relaxed their vigilance a little. After some time they were allowed to come indoors to warm up and rest or wait out the storm altogether.

The Hessians received incorrect intelligence that the Americans surrounded...