Posted on 12/23/2008 1:42:36 PM PST by jessduntno
Christmas Night, 1776 By Newt Gingrich
On Christmas Day, 1776, nearly all thought the Revolution was lost, except for a valiant few who still believed in "The Cause." We owe our liberty today to those valiant few.
Led by George Washington, most of his army, dressed in rags and barefoot, faced a winter gale of rain, sleet, ice and snow. This band of patriots braved a midnight river crossing and a nine mile march over frozen roads to win a spectacular victory at Trenton, New Jersey, the following morning. Those were indeed times, as Thomas Paine would write, that "try men's souls."
In a season that has become too commercialized and -- worse yet -- had much of its religious meaning driven from the public square, Washington's Christmas crossing is a story that should be remembered and celebrated, this Christmas and every Christmas.
Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of Christ, to be with family and friends, and, I would add, to give thanks to God for those who endured so much on that Christmas night, 232 years ago.
(Excerpt) Read more at humanevents.com ...
Lamh Foistenach Abu!
FYI
Lamh Foistenach Abu!
Revolutions are typically won by relatively few men. That is another reason we must closely watch the Obamatons and Congressional rats. They intend to transform our country into a mirror image of what our founders fought and died for.
"Since 1893, the Trenton Battle Monument has glorified American troops under
George Washington's command that defeated three Hessian regiments in the
Battle of Trenton on December 26, 1776; the monument is one hundred fifty feet
high and made of granite."
History looking back with Ned Jilton
Bloody Footprints in the Snow
Published Monday, December 22 2008 -
At some time in school we have all seen the picture of Washington crossing the Delaware. There’s General George Washington standing in the boat, the color bearer with the flag standing behind him, while the oarsmen row through chunks of ice on the river.
The question is do you remember why the crossing, and the events surrounding it, are so important?
December, 1776, Washington’s army that once numbered almost 20,000 is down to 2,000 that are fit to fight. The rest have been killed, wounded, deserted or so sick they have to be moved in carts. There is little or no food or medicine and few, if any, of the soldiers have heavy clothes or blankets to shield them against the brutally cold winter weather.
General Washington has yet to win a battle. He has been driven out of New York, across New Jersey and into Pennsylvania with only the Delaware River between him and the British. To complicate matters, the enlistments of the soldiers run out at the end of the month and they will go home.
Washington must come up with some way to feed, clothe, equip and pay the soldiers so that they will stay in the army while at the same time he must come up with a plan to stop the British and change the fortunes of the war or the colonies will lose their newly acquired independence.
The answer was across the Delaware River in Trenton.
In Trenton were stationed 1,200 Hessians, German mercenaries, to watch Washington’s army while the British waited for the river to freeze so they could cross. Stored there with the Hessians was large amount of food, winter clothing, arms and everything else Washington would need to supply his army.
Washington came up with a bold plan.
On Christmas night, Washington crossed his army over the river under cover of darkness using every boat that could be found. Once all his troops were on the other side he marched them eight miles in snow to Trenton to attack at dawn.
Think about it, these 2,000 men had only seven days left to serve in the Continental army before they could go home. They were crossing the river and marching through brutally cold weather with little or no winter clothing, some with no shoes. They really did leave bloody footprints in the snow. Two of the men froze to death before they got there.
At 8 am, on December 26, Washington and the Continental army surprised the Hessians at Trenton. The battle was over almost as quick as it started. The Hessians surrendered and Washington had his first victory of the revolution. He only lost six men in the battle.
More important than the victory, he had captured guns, powder, horses, winter clothes, blankets, meat, five tons of flour, cornmeal and every thing else he needed to supply his army.
After the battle Washington addressed his troops, many of whom were packing to go home.
“We know not how to spare you” he said, “If you will stay one month longer you will render service to the cause of liberty and to your country.”
Flush with victory and spurred on by Washington’s words, as well as a promised ten dollar bonus, the men stayed.
The next thirty days saw an amazing turn around in the war. Washington’s army marched out of Trenton just as the British arrived and surprised them from behind 12 miles away in Princeton and won another victory.
Following that victory Washington set up his headquarters in Morristown, New Jersey, and sent his troops out to cut the British supply lines. The British were forced back into New York, giving up all they had gained that summer and fall.
In one month’s time we went from seven days away from losing the war to driving the British army back to where they started thanks to a general that would not surrender and young men who left bloody footprints in the snow.
Indeed, arguably Trenton was the key victory during the RevWar.
If you visit Trenton, you can stand at the spot at the top of the hill where The General stood and ordered Alexander Hamilton to set up the cannon. It was also from where he ordered a few men (including his cousin and 17 y/o James Monroe) to take a Hessian artillery emplacement. Monroe was wounded, but showed incredible bravery.
You can also visit the Old Barracks built during the French and Indian War and where many of the German officers stayed during their occupation of Trenton. Highly recommended.
I read that book a little over a year ago and it gave me a new perspective on how difficult those times were and how blessed we were to have George Washington.
Today, we are long on politicians and short on statesmen.
For anyone interested, this painting in on permanent display in New York City at the Metropolitan Museum of Art on 5th Ave and 85th Street.
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From Wikipedia...
German-born Emmanuel Leutze grew up in America, then returned to Germany as an adult, where he conceived of the idea for this painting during the Revolutions of 1848. Hoping to encourage Europe's liberal reformers through the example of the American Revolution, and using American tourists and art students as models and assistants, Leutze finished the first painting in 1850. Just after it was completed, the first version was damaged by fire in his studio, subsequently restored, and acquired by the Kunsthalle Bremen. In 1942, during World War II, it was destroyed in a bombing raid by the British Royal Air Force (which has led to a persistent joke that the raid was Britain's final retaliation for the American Revolution).
The second painting, a full-sized copy of the first, was begun in 1850 and placed on exhibition in New York in October 1851. More than 50,000 people viewed it. The painting was originally bought by Marshall O. Roberts for $10,000 (at the time, an enormous sum). After changing ownership several times, it was finally donated to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 1897. It remains on exhibition there today.
In January 2003, the painting was defaced when a former Metropolitan Museum of Art guard glued a picture of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to it. No permanent damage was caused.[1]
Another duplicate painting, an exact replica, hangs in the lobby of the West Wing of the White House.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Washington_Crossing_the_Delaware
“An excellent book on the subject is “1776” by David Mcullough.”
Yes. I’ve read Truman and John Adams as well...do you know about his site?
http://www.simonsays.com/content/destination.cfm?tab=1&pid=328883
That painting is at MoMA? I guess I actually have a reason to go there now. I don’t do art museums.
On the map above, Mercer is Gen. Hugh Mercer, who died a hero's death a week or so later from wounds received at the Battle of Princeton; Greene is Nathaneal Greene, a Rhode Island Quaker who became the General's best field commander; Sullivan was a tough New Hampshireman who was best known for delivering vengeance on the Iroquois who had been fighting alongside the Brits and were responsible for atrocities against our citizens. Rall (or sometimes Rahl) was the German Colonel in charge who paid no attention to the warning from a spy that the Americans were advancing. Rall continued to drink and play cards. He took a belly shot during the battle and died a few days later. He wanted Washington to see him, but The General never came.
Bit of trivia: Mercer, Greene and Sullivan Streets are parallel and near each other in Greenwich Village and the SOHO section of NYC.
Yup, and it’s huge! About 12 x 20 feet.
A young black man named Tom Graves wanted to fight but Washington said he was too young. When the horses were gathered, someone asked, "who will hold the General's horses?" Jocko was quick to step forward, saying, "I will."
When the troops rowed back after the battle, instead of finding their horses hitched to a post, the reins were in the hands of Graves, who had frozen to death.
When George Washington realized the supreme sacrifice made by the little Negro boy, he was very much impressed. He told his officers about it and they in turn told their men whose hopes and valor were restored as if by magic. The Colonials charged the Red Coats and Hessians at Trenton, routing the garrison, killing and capturing over 1,000 royalists. Only four patriots died; two in battle and two frozen to death. Jocko is counted among the latter.
It was the turning point for Washington. Nicholas Cresswell who knew the father of our country personally; wrote the following:
Six weeks ago, I was lamenting the unhappy situation of the Americans and crying the wretched conditions of the much beloved General... But now the scale turned and Washington's name is extolled to the clouds.
After the War, and after serving as the first President of the United States, George Washington returned to his estate at Mount Vernon. There he ordered two sculptures to be erected commemorating America's great political and military crisis: A Dove of Peace in iron-work was added to the cupola as a weather vane and a statue of Jocko stepping bravely forward to hold the horses as if saying, "I will, " was set up on the lawn before the mansion.
Excellent map!
Thanks for that map, Pharmboy. And thanks to you, I now find myself referring to George Washington as “The General”. LOL
I always enjoy your early America pings and stories. Merry Christmas!
You could tell where the Continental Army marched by the trail of blood left in the snow. Many didn’t have shoes to wear and walked with their feet bound with rags. Next time you complain about being cold, just imagine how much these men suffered to win our independence. God bless our troops, past, present, and future.
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