Washington leads troops on raid at Trenton, New Jersey
On this night in 1776 future resident General George Washington leads his small and bedraggled army in a daring raid on British and Hessian troops at Trenton New Jersey during the American Revolution.Just prior to launching boats from McKonkeys Ferry across the Delaware River Washington had an excerpt from Thomas Paines inspirational pamphlet The Crisispublished two days earlierread aloud to the army.The pamphlet began These are the times that try mens souls.The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will in this crisis shrink from the service of their country but he that stands by it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.
Tyranny like hell is not easily conquered yet we have this consolation with us that the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph.Although Americans often think of President George Washington as stately and composed in actuality the revolutionary hero could be quite down-to-earth even coarse a trait that endeared him to his troops.One historians account supported by the memoirs of troops in attendance at the famous crossing of the Delaware suggests that as Washington was stepping into a boat in which the portly General Henry Knox was already seated he poked Knox with his boot and said shift that fat [a..] Harrybut slowly or youll swamp the damned boat.The freezing wet and frightened soldiers broke into hysterical laughter as word of Washingtons wisecrack drifted down the line of boats poised to cross the icy river.Early on the morning of December 26 2500 American soldiers led by Washington surprised the mainly Hessian soldiers at Trenton (allegedly hung-over over after a night of Christmas cheer) and after a short battle took control of the town.
The scrappy Washington ordered his soldiers to take whatever ammunition and supplies they could carry and scurried back across the Delaware.Washingtons daring attack after a string of demoralizing retreats gave a desperately needed boost to the flagging spirits of the Continental Army.
