George Washington's Continental Army troops crossed the Delaware River during the surprise operation of December 25–26, 1776.
Washington led the main column from Pennsylvania across the icy river toward New Jersey. The dangerous nighttime crossing was the first move in a maneuver that culminated in the Battle of Trenton on the morning of December 26. The Continental Army attacked Hessian troops stationed in Trenton and achieved an important victory.
The operation was conducted under difficult conditions. Snow, sleet, rain, strong currents, and ice delayed the movement, and artillery did not finish crossing until about 3 a.m. Washington's army later crossed the Delaware again while returning with prisoners and captured supplies.
The crossing is often remembered through Emanuel Leutze's 1851 painting Washington Crossing the Delaware. The painting is a dramatic artistic interpretation rather than a literal record of every detail, but the historical river crossing itself occurred during the Revolutionary War campaign around Trenton.