One week after his game-changing victory at Trenton, Washington decided to tempt fate by recrossing the Delaware. It was a very risky move that could have (and should have) lost the Revolution. British General Cornwallis, seeking revenge, swooped down on the Rebel army. His superior army arrived in the late afternoon, enough daylight remained for an assault that would likely have ended the Revolution. The overconfident Cornwallis decided to wait until the next day to do it right. Through the night, the Americans remained encamped with their campfires burning. The next morning when the redcoats attacked, all they found was the remains of the campfires. It turns out that the old fox had fled during the night on a back road. Washington had the horses’ hooves and wagon wheels covered with rags to reduce the noise. He left a few men to keep the fires burning. Washington had a big head start as he marched on Princeton, where he surprised and defeated a British detachment coming to join Cornwallis. This was the cherry on the top of the Trenton victory and all because the British thought they had him in the bag. By the way, Washington was almost killed in the battle. Just another reason why he was a very lucky man.
– Oh Say Can You See? by John and Claire Whitcomb pp. 71
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