Who led the Continental Army across the Delaware River before the December 1776 attack on Trenton?

George Washington led the Continental Army across the Delaware River before the December 1776 attack on Trenton.

Washington organized the nighttime crossing during the early hours of December 25–26, 1776. The operation moved soldiers, horses, and artillery from Pennsylvania into New Jersey in difficult winter conditions. Its purpose was to surprise Hessian troops stationed at Trenton.

The crossing was the opening move in a larger maneuver. On the morning of December 26, Washington's forces attacked and defeated the Hessian garrison in the Battle of Trenton. The victory helped restore morale after a series of American defeats and encouraged enlistments in the Continental Army.

The famous crossing is often represented by Emanuel Leutze's 1851 painting, Washington Crossing the Delaware. The painting is dramatic and historically stylized; its boat, passengers, and composition do not precisely reproduce the actual conditions. The military operation itself, however, is documented as a coordinated night crossing led by Washington.