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After the battle of Trenton, Washington went back across the Delaware River. He had not men enough to fight the whole British army.

But the Americans were glad when they heard that he had beaten the Hessians. They sent him more soldiers. Then he went back across the river to Trenton again.

There was a British general named Cornwallis. He marched to Trenton. He fought against Washington. Cornwallis had more men than Washington had. Night came, and they could not see to fight. There was a little creek between the two armies.

Washington had not boats enough to carry his men across the river. Cornwallis was sure to beat him if they should fight a battle the next morning.

Cornwallis said, "I will catch the fox in the morning."

He called Washington a fox. He thought he had him in a trap. Cornwallis sent for some more soldiers to come from Princeton in the morning. He wanted them to help him catch the fox.

But foxes sometimes get out of traps.

When it was dark, Washington had all his campfires lighted. He put men to digging where the British could hear them. He made Cornwallis think that he was throwing up banks of earth and getting ready to fight in the morning.

But Washington did not stay in Trenton. He did not wish to be caught like a fox in a trap. He could not get across the river. But he knew a road that went around the place where Cornwallis and his army were. He took that road and got behind the British army.

It was just like John waiting to catch James. James is in the house. John is waiting at the front door to catch James when he comes out. But James slips out by the back way. John hears him call "Hello!" James has gone around behind him and got away.

Washington went out of Trenton in the darkness. You might say that he marched out by the back door. He left Cornwallis watching the front door. The Americans went away quietly. They left a few men to keep up the fires, and make a noise like digging. Before morning these slipped away too.

When morning came, Cornwallis went to catch his fox. But the fox was not there. He looked for the Americans. There was the place where they had been digging. Their campfires were still burning. But where had they gone?

Cornwallis thought that Washington had crossed the river by some means. But soon he heard guns firing away back toward Princeton. He thought that it must be thunder. But he found that it was a battle. Then he knew that Washington had gone to Princeton.

Washington had marched all night. When he got to Princeton, he met the British coming out to go to Trenton. They were going to help Cornwallis to catch Washington. But Washington had come to Princeton to catch them. He had a hard fight with the British at Princeton. But at last he beat them.

When Cornwallis knew that the Americans had gone to Princeton, he hurried there to help his men. But it was too late. Washington had beaten the British at Princeton, and had gone on into the hills, where he was safe.

The fox had got out of the trap.

Directions

Study the lesson for one week.

Over the week:

  • Read the story multiple times.
  • Review the synopsis.
  • Study the vocabulary words.
  • Learn the concepts.
  • Complete the enrichment activities.
  • Study the review questions.

Synopsis

After winning the battle of Trenton, George Washington and his men rowed back across the Delaware River. Washington received additional soldiers, but not enough to fight the British general, Cornwallis, who marched to Trenton with his troops. Cornwallis had even more soldiers coming from Princeton, New Jersey. Cornwallis said, 'I will catch the fox in the morning,' and thought he had caught the fox (George Washington) in a trap. The night before Cornwallis planned to attack, Washington lit campfires and directed his men to make digging sounds where the British could hear them. Washington's army snuck around Cornwallis and marched to Princeton, where they defeated the soldiers on their way to join Cornwallis. After their victory, Washington and his troops slipped into the hills where Cornwallis could not find them. The fox had escaped the trap.

Vocabulary

Battle: A sustained fight between large, organized armed forces.
Creek: A small stream.
Campfire: An open-air fire in a camp.
Trap: A situation where people lie in wait to make a surprise attack.

Concepts

In the story, Washington sneaks around Cornwallis in Trenton and attacks the additional British soldiers marching from Princeton to help Cornwallis.

See below a map showing part of New Jersey.

Trace Washington's route from Trenton to Princeton.

  1. Find the city of Trenton. Trenton is circled in purple and marked by a big red star.
  2. Trace the black arrow to the town of Princeton.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Narrate the Story

  • After reading or listening to the story, narrate the story events aloud using your own words.

Activity 2: Model the Story

Using Legos, blocks, or figurines, model the landforms, the troops, and the troop movements from the story:

  • Model three groups: Washington's troops, Cornwallis' troops, and Cornwallis' reinforcement troops marching from Princeton.
  • Model two landforms: the river and the hills.
  • March Washington's troops around Cornwallis to attack and defeat the reinforcement soldiers coming from Princeton.
  • March Washington's troops to the hills.

Activity 3: Color the Story   

  • Click the crayon above, and complete page 24 of 'History Coloring Pages for First Grade.'

Activity 4: Study the Story Picture

Study the picture below of Washington battling Cornwallis' reinforcements at Princeton. Zoom in to see the details and find the following:

  • British Soldiers (in red)
  • American Soldiers (in blue)
  • George Washington (the closest man on a horse)
  • American Flag
  • British Flags

In the center of the painting wearing blue and gold, American general, Hugh Mercer, holds a sword defiantly over his head as the British strike at him. He is mortally wounded in the battle.

Review

Question 1

Why did Washington order his men to light fires and dig where the British could hear them?
1 / 4

Answer 1

Washington wanted to fool the British into thinking the American troops planned to fight the British in the morning.
1 / 4

Question 2

Describe the trap that Cornwallis set for Washington.
2 / 4

Answer 2

Cornwallis, his troops already outnumbering Washington's, had even more soldiers coming from Princeton.
2 / 4

Question 3

What did Washington do to evade a certain loss to Cornwallis?
3 / 4

Answer 3

Washington and his troops snuck around Cornwallis' army, marched to Princeton, and defeated the soldiers coming to join Cornwallis.
3 / 4

Question 4

What did Washington do after winning at Princeton?
4 / 4

Answer 4

Washington and his army retreated up into the hills, where Cornwallis could not find them.
4 / 4

  1. Why did Washington order his men to light fires and dig where the British could hear them? Washington wanted to fool the British into thinking the American troops planned to fight the British in the morning.
  2. Describe the trap that Cornwallis set for Washington. Cornwallis, his troops already outnumbering Washington's, had even more soldiers coming from Princeton.
  3. What did Washington do to evade a certain loss to Cornwallis? Washington and his troops snuck around Cornwallis' army, marched to Princeton, and defeated the soldiers coming to join Cornwallis.
  4. What did Washington do after winning at Princeton? Washington and his army retreated up into the hills, where Cornwallis could not find them.

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