 After a running series of skirmishes designed to delay the British march , Cornwallis finally reached Trenton and came upon Washington 's position around sunset . In the battle that followed , Cornwallis 's forces made three attempts to either cross bridges or ford the creek ; all were successfully repulsed . Rather than attempt a nighttime assault across unknown terrain against Washington 's position , Cornwallis ordered his troops to camp , noting that he could " bag the fox " in the morning . During the night , however , Washington 's forces slipped around his , and successfully attacked the British outpost at Princeton . Although the Continental Army 's disengagement was due in large part to Washington 's use of deception , including the maintenance of blazing campfires and the presence of a small detachment of troops to keep up camp sounds throughout the night , Cornwallis also neglected to send out sufficient patrols to monitor Washington 's activities . When the disappearance of Washington 's army was discovered in the morning , Cornwallis immediately gave chase , but his troops only began to arrive two hours after the Princeton troops surrendered . Washington , his forces tired out after the night march and battle , moved north toward Morristown , while Cornwallis returned to New Brunswick , where the large base had been left garrisoned by a single regiment , and included the British <unk> . 
