The Battle of the Assunpink Creek Frequently Asked Questions also known as The Second Battle of Trenton took place on January 2, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War. Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis had left 1,400 British troops under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Mawhood in Princeton, New Jersey. Following a surprise victory at the Battle of Trenton early in the morning of December 26, 1776, General George Washington of the Continental Army and his council of war expected a strong British counter-attack. Washington and his council decided to meet this attack in Trenton.