Today Linda, daughter Rachael, grandson Gavin, and I visited Washington Crossing Park on the Delaware River. On Christmas Eve, 1776, Washington assembled his troops on the Pennsylvania side of the river and crossed over to New Jersey. The move included horses and cannons. Once the Jersey side was reached, the troops had to march nine miles through the snow to Trenton, where a force of Hessians was located.
A second group of soldiers was supposed to cross south of Trenton and march north to capture the Hessians in a pincer movement, but that group never made it across the river.
People sometimes question whether Washington would be standing on a boat crossing the river as he is pictured in the famous painting by Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze. He might very well have been, since the boats used were ore boats that had no seats. The experienced boatmen were from Marblehead, Massachusetts, an example of inter-colony unity.
These were tough and hard men. At least one froze to death during the operation. Nonetheless, the troops who did make it across the Delaware reached Trenton on Christmas morning, routed the Hessians, and may have saved the American Revolution.
This country was once blessed by amazing leaders. People like Washington, Franklin, and Adams were giants. They combined intelligence with integrity, and we should be proud of them.
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