 During the night , Washington called a council of war and asked his officers whether they should stand and fight , attempt to cross the river somewhere , or take the backroads to attack Princeton . Although the idea had already occurred to Washington , he learned from Arthur St. Clair and John Cadwalader that his plan to attack Princeton was indeed possible . Two intelligence collection efforts , both of which came to fruition at the end of December 1776 , supported such a surprise attack . After consulting with his officers , they agreed that the best option was to attack Princeton . 
