It is Dec. 17, 1776. Hounded by superior British forces, his army decimated by disease, desertion and lack of funds, General George Washington faces the unthinkable: he is losing the war for American Independence. A week later, on Christmas Eve, Washington will make one of the most courageous decisions in military history. Staking everything on a risky surprise attack against a garrison of battle-hardened Hessian mercenaries, Washington sets out across the ice-choked Delaware River.