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It's 8 a.m. on Boxing Day, December 26, 1776 in the city of Trenton, New Jersey.

Inside the bedroom of a small house on King Street, a group of soldiers do their best to shake off their exhaustion and climb out of bed. One of them, a younger man, wakes up with a musket still clutched in his hands. He prides himself

out of bed and then stretches long and hard. He's already dressed for combat, but that's nothing new.

He and his fellow troops have grown accustomed to sleeping in their uniforms.

This young man is part of a force of 1,500 Hessians, German soldiers for hire.

They've been on the payroll of the British Empire ever since the American colonies declared their war of independence,

and this soldier has been earning his paychecks. For weeks, the Hessians have endured constant harassment.

Nearly every day, it seems, the colonial forces strike at their posts and patrols.

Even last night, on Christmas, the Colonials launched a surprise attack. The Hessians managed to

ward them off, but today the young soldier praised that Colonials will give them a break,

so they can get some much-needed rest. But then, the young soldier praised that colonials will give them a break, so they can get some much-needed rest.

But then, from outside in the street, they hear one of their own shouting an alarm, screaming in German, the enemy, the enemy.

When the shooting starts, the young soldier and the rest of his comrades grip their weapons tight and head for the door.

When they bustle out into the main road, the young soldier sees an astonishing sight, though.

His fellow Hessians, scattering in all directions, as colonial soldiers on forceback stream into the snow-covered streets of Trenton from two sides.

Backed by the sound of thundering cannon, the colonials are heavily armed and they vastly outnumber

the Hessians. Almost immediately, the young soldier can see that victory is impossible. So instead

of defending the town, he drops his musket and runs for his life.

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