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I don't base my research on "official" histories, my research is focused whenever possible on first person period accounts or records written shortly thereafter.

You can believe whatever story you wish. I don't mean to disparage your family lore but generally family legends are not very accurate compared to documentary evidence. The concept that the Hessians had pre-arranged to surrender to the Americans at Trenton is laughable and is not corroborated by any documented period accounts nor does it make any sense if you understand the circumstances that faced the armies in late December 1776.

The concept of the Hessians pre-arranging their surrender to the Americans at Trenton makes about as much sense as would General Grant making a deal to surrender the Union Army to General Lee at Appomattox. It makes no sense.

Wow, I am shocked that any reasonable person would even infer what you did.

Lets have a little fun....if the Hessians had indeed agreed to surrender beforehand to the Americans as you seem to believe, answer these questions.

1) Why didn't they just march to the Delaware, stack their arms and surrender right from the start ? Once they had surrendered, they would have been dishonored in the eyes of their King, regardless of whether they fought or not, so why not just give up without firing a shot ?

2) Did the 100+ Hessians who were killed or wounded, forget the plan ? It must have really sucked for the guys who were killed since they didn't get a very good deal.

3) If surrender was such a good idea for the Hessian enlistedmen, why did over 600 Hessian soldiers flee the town, swim across a frigid creek to get away and run for reinforcements at Bordentown, only a few miles away ? I guess they hadn't been told about the plan.

4) Did it ever occur to you that your family lore might be cover for the fact that the Hessians were embarrassed by the fact that the ragtag Americans completely defeated them ? What better way to preserve their shattered dignity than to say they hadn't been beaten, that their defeat had all been part of a larger planned conspiracy.

If I had been a Hessian, I would have been very embarrassed by what happened at Trenton. Especially in the eyes of my countrymen who would have expected me to fight to the death rather than surrender myself to a barefoot American farmer. If I were in their shoes, I might have made up a convenient story to cover my a*s too.