Other American Units in The Campaign
Although the main Continental Army force was the only American formation involved in the attack on Trenton, Washington had planned two additional crossings of the Delaware to assist in the attack. Pennsylvania militia Brigadier General John Cadwalader's brigade, composed of militia companies called associators and a number of smaller Continental Army regiments, did get some units across the river at Dunk's Ferry, but ice jams on the far side made it impossible to cross everyone, including Cadwalader and the artillery, and the effort was abandoned. A battalion of Marines under Major Samuel Nicholas was attached to Cadwalader's brigade but did not participate in Battle of Trenton. Pennsylvania brigadier James Ewing was unable to cross any of his troops (militia companies that had been assigned to the reserve force known as the Flying Camp earlier in the year) due to difficult icy conditions at the Trenton Ferry. Ewing's artillery did fire across the river during the battle.
| Other American units | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Unit | Commander | Unit size | Notes |
| Cadwalader's Brigade | Brig. Gen. John Cadwalader | 2,322 estimated | Some crossed at Dunk's Ferry but then withdrew. |
| Philadelphia Associators | Capt. George Henry | 1,500 estimated | The Associators (or at least some of them) and the Delaware militia were the only troops that successfully crossed the Delaware. They returned after it was clear the artillery could not be crossed, upon which Cadwalader and Hitchcock abandoned the effort. |
| Morgan's Regiment, Philadelphia Militia | Col. Jacob Morgan | ||
| Bayard's Regiment, Philadelphia Militia | Col. John Bayard | ||
| Cadwalader's Regiment, Philadelphia Militia | Lt. Col. John Nixon | ||
| Matlack's Rifle Battalion, Philadelphia Militia | Col. Timothy Matlack | ||
| Kent County, Delaware Militia Company | Capt. Thomas Rodney | ||
| Two artillery companies | |||
| Hitchcock's Brigade | Col. Daniel Hitchcock | 822 estimated | |
| Nixon's Regiment, Massachusetts Continentals | Col. John Nixon | 156 | The numbers from Hitchcock's brigade were published in Wright from the General Return of 22 December 1776 and are hard to read. |
| Varnum's Regiment, Rhode Island Continentals | Col. James Varnum | 138 | |
| Hitchcock's Regiment, Rhode Island Continentals | Maj. Israel Angell | 114 | Angell commanded because Hitchcock led the brigade. |
| Little's Regiment, Massachusetts Continentals | Lt. Col. William Henshaw | 168 | Col. Moses Little was sick at Peekskill, New York. |
| Lippitt's Regiment, Rhode Island Line | Col. Christopher Lippitt | 171 | Wright called this unit a Continental Army regiment, whereas Fischer listed it as militia. |
| Ewing's Brigade, Pennsylvania Militia of the Flying Camp | Brig. Gen. James Ewing | 1,000–1,200 | This brigade was to cross at the Trenton Ferry, directly across from the town. Fischer lists fewer units than Stryker does, estimating the brigade to have 826 men. |
| Cumberland County Regiment | Col. Frederick Watts | ||
| Cumberland County Regiment | Col. William Montgomery | ||
| Lancaster County Regiment | Col. Jacob Klotz | ||
| York County Regiment | Col. Richard McCallister | ||
| Chester County Regiment | Col. James Moore | ||
| Detachment, Bucks County Regiment | Col. Joseph Hart | This unit is not listed by Fischer, but is listed by Stryker as part of Ewing's brigade. Stryker estimates that this unit and Dickinson's New Jersey militia combined numbered between 300 and 500 men. | |
| New Jersey militia | Brig. Gen. Philemon Dickinson | These units are not listed by Fischer, but are listed by Stryker as part of Ewing's brigade. | |
| Detachment, 1st Regiment Hunterdon County, New Jersey militia | Col. Isaac Smith | ||
| Detachment, 2nd Regiment Middlesex County, New Jersey militia | Col. John Neilson | ||
Read more about this topic: Order Of Battle Of The Battle Of Trenton
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