“Christmas day at night, one hour before day, is the time fixed upon for our attempt upon Trenton. For Heaven’s sake keep this to yourself, as the discovery of it may prove fatal to us; our numbers, I am sorry to say, being less than I had any conception of; yet nothing but necessity, dire necessity, will, nay must, justify an attack. Prepare, and in concert with Griffin, attack as many of their posts as you possibly can, with a prospect of success; the more we can attack at the same instant, the more confusion we shall spread, and the greater good will result from it. * * I have ordered our men to be provided with three days’ provision ready cooked, with which, and their blankets, they are to march; for if we are successful, which Heaven grant, and the circumstances favor, we may push on. I shall direct every ferry and ford to be well guarded, and not a soul suffered to pass without an officer’s going down with the permit. Do the same with you.” It has been said that Christmas night was fixed upon for the enterprise, because the Germans are prone to revel and carouse on that festival, and it was supposed a great part of the troops would be intoxicated, and in a state of disorder and confusion; but in truth Washington would have chosen an earlier day, had it been in his power. “We could not ripen matters for the attack before the time mentioned,” said he in his letter to Reed, “so much out of sorts, and so much in want of every thing are the troops under Sullivan.” Early on the eventful evening (Dec. 25th), the troops destined for Washington’s part of the attack, about two thousand four hundred strong, with a train of twenty small pieces, were paraded near McKonkey’s Ferry, ready to pass as soon as it grew dark, in the hope of being all on the other side by twelve o’clock. Washington repaired to the ground accompanied by Generals Greene, Sullivan, Mercer, Stephen, and Lord Stirling. Greene was full of ardor for the enterprise; eager, no doubt, to wipe out the recollection of Fort Washington. It was, indeed, an anxious moment for all.