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Christmas Surprise


        Trenton, New Jersey; December 26, 1776.

 

        To: The Second Continental Congress, in session in Baltimore.

 

        My dear Sirs:

 

        I have the honor to report a Victory by the our Army over the Hessian Mercenaries in the pay of  George III. As I Reported in my Last epistle, superior forces of the Crown compelled me to retreat our Army from New York City. We lost our Fortresses named Washington and Lee, and we did Retire behind the Delaware river. At that time I advised you Of the Necessity of Your departure for Baltimore, as I could no more Defend our capital of Philadelphia. You wisely and Justly did as I requested, and to our further Good Fortune the commanding General of the Crown army, Sir William Howe, recalled his Troops to Winter quarters.  A detachment of his men, Hessians all, went into Quarters in Trenton. Their officer commanding was Colonel Johann Rall, a professional Officer known for his demanding orders and strict discipline. It is also said that he is an earnest chessplayer, who does not indulge the vices of drink or dice. With such a serious-minded opponent I did not anticipate that I would be Able to defeat him with Ease; indeed I did Expect a Sanguinary encounter.

        You may Enquire as to My decision to Attack such a formidable Foe in the most Inauspicious season of the Year. I meditated on the Obstacles presented by the Weather, and concluded that what may Impede our army would Likewise impede the King's Army in quarters in New York; it was my Expectation that the snow and Ice and the other infelcities of Winter would make the roads impassable; thus the Hessians at Trenton would be isolated, as a pawn without his Brothers. In such a state of isolation I Imagined that we could take Trenton in a swift Attack, in the manner of the Italian chess masters, who scorn no Sacrifice in the pursuit of Conquest.

         Our recent disasters and defeats provoked in the minds of the Royal commanders a Sense of victory that would lead them into error; it was my intention to take Advantage of their misplaced Certainty of Triumph. I Discovered that less than one thousand Five Hundred Hessians were quartered in Trenton. Our forces being nearly a thousand men more, I entertained Hopes that such a Superiority would give us Better chances.  I Confirmed my decision to Attack by this Truth: I knew Where they had disposed their Men, while I was unknown to them. It was as a Chessboard with a curtain, one that I could penetrate with my vision but that Remained opaque to them; I could dispose of my plan Whilst they perforce Needed to await my Action.

        I mustered our Force on Christmas Night to cross the Delaware. I must own that it proved a most cold and Bitter passage, with great discomfort and much suffering by Our men. The wind blew with great ferocity and there was sleet and snow. The Ice obstructed our passage, and we forced it with Great labor and difficulty. Once on the east bank of the River our forces took some time to Muster. At length we found ourselves marching in Respectable order toward Trenton. Some of our men, greatly hobbled by Lack of Shoes and other Footwear, fell out of march, But other men endured the same Discomfiting, so great was their Desire to avenge their recent defeats at the hands of the Hessians.

        I admit to considerable  unease of mind as we approached Trenton. The march through the woods summouned to my Mind the most disastrous march that I undertook with Colonel Braddock in our most recent War.  In such circumstances a commander learns the truth First spoken by Julius Caesar about the Belgian Woods: "it is a place full of terrors."  Our Fears were compounded by the swirling snow and whistling Wind. It seemed to Me as we marched along that each Shadow was a Hessian soldier or a British Spy. I wished Most earnestly for the smell of powder and the sound of Guns to put a Stop to our Dread concerns.

        After much marching in this Cold and Merciless Wilderness we came at Last to the limits of Trenton Town. I ordered a halt and gave the men Leave to rest while I spied out the town. I could see few Lights but much darkness, as I expected the effects of Christmas Revelry to still be taking its toll of the Merrymakers.  I took conference with my Officers, and we came to a Final plan, namely to advance into town in a single Body. I feared that a strategem that Divided our force would lead to possible confusion, where Our soldiers could find themselves firing on one another in the Darkness.

        We roused our Men and put them into Columns, advancing into the city square.  At this we discovered that Colonel Rall had roused and rallied his men to Oppose us. Well-drilled and armed, they fell into ranks and levelled their Arms and loosed disciplined Volley of shot. Our men did not Flee this musketry but rallied to reply. A hot fire Began to be exchanged, the hot flashes of Fire lighting up the falling Snow, creating a scene that I cannot Describe, the cold white snow caught by the Thundering hot musket discharge.  Orders were shouted in Both English and German tongues,  men Screamed in the agony of wounds, the only mercy came from the absence of Cavalry, sparing us the Sound of wounded horses.

        Our numbers indeed proved superior to the Hessians, and our steady firing wore them down in Numbers and fortitude. Colonel Rall had managed to rally his men, driving them from the Slumbers of rum and fruitcake, making them forsake dreams of peace for the Waking Horrors of war. Not even that effective and brave officer could drive into them the warlike spirit Necessary to confront fire so Murderous. Gradually we began to expand on our left Wing, progressing as the White player often does in a Chess-Game, moving up his pawns to the left of his queen, seeking to Disrupt the Black's Queen's side.  Colonel Rall refused us his flank, drawing his men Backward to make a smaller Target for our musket-balls and thus make his Fire upon us more Compact. His men did not have the Heart to continue this unequal Battle, and when a stray shot struck Colonel Rall, leaving him Mortally wounded, his blood staining the white Snow, his second-in-command surrendered. At the counting of the bodies we found that we had killed 29 Hessians and captured a further nine Hundred Eighteen of their number, the Balance having fled into the Night. Given their warlike nature and the certainty that Payment awaits them in New-York with General Howe, I fear we will find them on the Battlefield, arrayed against us, in our next Encounter with General Howe. I anticipate that Sir William will advance on Princeton, and then on this place, intending to redress his defeat.

         I am pleased to report that only five of our men fell in the Fighting. We have given them a Patriotic burial with the full Honors of War.

        In the closing Moments of his Life, Colonel Rall requested an Interview with me.  While I do not hold to the use of Mercenaries in War, I granted his request, as soon a Greater Judge would pass sentence on him.  He suffered a ball through the Lung, so his wind was short and his words gasped with the Difficulty of a dying man, for a dying man can do no thing with Ease. It is to his credit before History and fighting men of all Nations that his first words were a plea for Quarter for his men, that their lives should be spared. I assured him that his men would Endure no Butchery by our Army. Relieved, he then complimented me on my Generalship and audacity, and praised our men for their Gallant combat. He expressed his opinion that no soldier but a professional could stand before his Men, but that our soldiers had Proved their valor in the sternest of contests, that of close combat. In his very last act, he confessed to me that he had perhaps neglected his Duty, playing at chess all the night long. He then presented me with the score of his Game, and begged me to Forward it to Doctor Franklin and Governor Jefferson of Virginia, as he understands them to be chessplayers. With that he expired. For him, all is over.

        I append the game Score without notes or comments.

 

        I remain, Your Obedient Servant,

 

        George Washington."

 

White: Colonel Rall; Black: Captain Stumpff;

Trenton, New Jersey, 1776; King’s Gambit  1. P-K4 P-K4, 2. P-KB4 PxP, 3. N-KB3 P-KN4, 4. B-B4 P-N5, 5. 0–0 PxN, 6. QxP Q-B3, 7. P-K5 QxP, 8. P-Q3 B-R3, 9. N-B3 P-QB3, 10. QBxP Q-Q5+, 11.K-R1 BxB, 12.QR-K1+ N-K2, 13.R-K4 Q-N2, 14.QxB P-Q4, 15.BxP PxB, 16.RxN+ KxR, 17.NxP+ K-K3, 18.Q-K4+ K-Q2, 19.Q-K7+ K-B3, 20.Q-B7+ KxN, 21.P-B4+ K-Q5, 22.Q-Q6+ K-K6, 23.Q-B4+ KxP, 24.R-Q1+, and Here did the Fighting replace the Playing.