Fording the River to Grab Independence

 As the soldiers grabbed their oars preparing for the cold journey ahead, they knew that this could be the crucial moment that changed everything. They plowed ahead of the ice and strained against the current to cross the icy Delaware. Determination kept them warm as they crossed the dangerous river. And as the silence stretched, the soldiers looked at their fearless leader paving the way for them to follow and all their fear crumbled away only to be replaced with hope and will for freedom. In the Battle of Trenton, the Hessian troops (mercenaries hired by the British) suffered twenty-two deaths and ninety-two wounded while 918 were captured and 400 managed to escape in the chaos. This battle was a turning point in the American Revolution. Now the American troops were not to be underestimated under the leadership of George Washington, but would the Battle of Trenton’s success ensure that the Patriots could take down the largest and most powerful army in the world?

The American Revolution was not just a war that was quickly declared and won, for the Revolution took years; the buildup involved more and more tension until the colonies exploded. It started with the French and Indian War in 1756, also known as the Seven Years War. This war was significant because even though the British won, they fell into extreme debt. Up until then, the colonists were relatively happy with being British subjects, living a new life full of hope and freedom. Often being able to conduct much of their business freely, and to form somewhat autonomous governments, the British still needed money so they taxed the colonists. The first major tax was called the Stamp Act, passed by Parliament to be enacted on November 1, 1765, and although this tax did not affect a lot of people, many people were furious that this law was passed without their permission. “Taxation without Representation” was an anti – British saying that many colonists used when talking about the Stamp Act. Eventually, after many people voiced their displeasure, the Stamp Act was repealed. Then on June 15, 1767, the Townshend Acts were passed, which were taxes on importing goods going to the colonies. This was met with even more hostility: mobs and protests everywhere! One big protest you might have heard of was the Boston Massacre, where a group of British soldiers fired on unarmed protesters, killing five and injuring 3. This event infuriated even more colonists as trouble kept brewing. Another act was passed called the Tea Act, and once again people revolted, even going as far as dumping 90,000 pounds of tea into the harbor. This event was known as the Boston Tea Party, and occurred on December 16, 1773. In response to this act of revolt, Great Britain passed the Intolerable Acts (which consisted of 4 different acts: the Boston Port Act, Massachusetts Government Act, Administration of Justice Act, and Quartering Act) in 1774, which punished all the Rebels who participated in the Boston Tea Party. Instead of intimidating the unhappy colonists, it pushed them over the edge, and a meeting of all the leaders in the 13 colonies met to talk about the issues with the British. This was called the Continental Congress and was the beginning of modern American government. 

Picture a tennis match: one player is named Britain and one is named America. Britain hits the ball to America (the Stamp Act); America somehow manages to hit it back (Stamp Act Revolt). Britain returns with a sneaky shot to the left corner of the court (Townshend Acts), and the Americans barely manage to hit it back (Townshend Act Revolt) and the Brits slam back with the Boston Massacre! The British begin a new round and serve the (Tea Act) – America hits back (Boston Tea Party). Britain fires back (Intolerable Acts) and Americans win the match with a huge whammy (The Declaration of Independence). 

During all of these acts and revolts, there were two sides: the Patriots, who were seeking freedom from Britain’s tight grip, and the Loyalists, who believed that with the most powerful army backing them up, that they should stay with Britain. There was no in-between: only two sides from which you must choose. Now the war had begun and so far, the Patriots were known for breaking lines and running for their lives. The Patriots had a few weaknesses and strengths. One problem was that the Continental Army was small with only 16,000 troops. But they had a resilient spirit, and a willingness to win the war for establishing a better life was more powerful than the British soldiers’ fealty to the crown, 2,000 miles from home.

Without the inspired leadership of George Washington, without his genius battle strategies, and without his patriotic spirit, lightning-fast reflexes, and sharp instincts, America would not have won the war. The British had 50,000 troops and a massive, intimidating fleet of ships. Their troops had also been trained for months and had been waiting for a moment like this. The first battle, Lexington and Concord, was a blow for Britain; the Patriots lost 93 troops and the British lost 300 troops, which was a great morale boost. Then the Battle of Bunker Hill, which occurred on June 17th, 1775 was also successful – 1,000 British troops were hit, with more than 200 killed and more than 800 wounded. More than one hundred Americans perished, while more than 300 others were wounded. Then the real turning point was the Battle of Trenton and Princeton. And this started out with George Washington coming up with an amazing plan. 

Morale was low. Washington’s army was growing smaller, due to General William Howe’s driving out the Continental Army from New York on November 16th, 1776, taking over Fort Washington (in northern Manhattan) capturing 2,000 American soldiers. Under Washington’s orders they retreated across the Delaware River from the New Jersey side to the Pennsylvania side, on December 8th, and camped there with a shortage of food, ammunition and optimism. He knew that he had to do something now, for the troop’s enlistments were expiring, and they would head home and his army would be even smaller. With a risky move, he roused his soldiers and commanded them to cross the Delaware River on the evening of Christmas Day, 1776. Meanwhile, the Hessians were exhausted after being harassed by the local militias/minutemen, and were desperately trying to rest. The Hunterdon County militia (nearby county) played an excellent role in keeping the Hessians tired by constantly attacking them, to the point where the Hessians had to sleep with all their equipment on. 

It was the night of December 25th, and Washington was getting ready for the departure. He could feel the breeze on his cheek as he watched the sun slowly set. He watched the river as if it was going to jump out and attack him and promised himself that he would conquer this challenge. Now, this was not just a tiny river that you find in a forest; this river is 300 yards wide and there were huge ice chunks in the way, which the troops had to navigate around. Not only that but they had some extra weight that burdened them – there were eighteen cannons in total that included: 3 pounders, 4 pounders and 6 pounders. A six pounder is a large cannon that has a cannonball that weighs six pounds. The cannon itself weighed 1,750 pounds! They also were transporting horses to pull carriages and a lot of ammunition for the upcoming battle. While they were rowing along, Mother Nature threw an additional challenge at them; a huge storm had arrived. Washington’s plan was made with three separate crossings, a three-pronged attack. But only one (Washington’s) made it due to the fierce storm that fired ice and snow at them. General Ewing and Colonel Cadwalader did not make the crossing due to the ice blocking their paths. They turned around and went back to camp in Pennsylvania. When Washington’s portion finished the crossing, they were completely exhausted and he organized the soldiers into two groups. One was led by General Major Nathanael Green, which would attack from the North, and the second, led by General John Sullivan, would attack the south with the cannons. This was his original plan with his other troops but since they were unable to cross he split his group further into smaller groups to continue the plan. 

George Washington’s life of war, presidency and leadership all began on February 22, 1732, in Virginia. He was born into the middle class, and was the oldest of 6 younger brothers and sisters. George was homeschooled and was taught how to farm. In 1752, his brother, Lawrence, died of tuberculosis. Two months later Lawrence’s daughter died too. This unfortunate event made Georgie the only heir to 5,000 acres in Mount Vernon, at only age 20. Before George Washington died he had increased Mount Vernon to 8,000 acres. Washington volunteered for the French and Indian war at the age of 21. In February 1753, Washington was appointed to major in the British Army, which gave him the experience he would use in the near future. Unfortunately, he became sick (also of tuberculosis) and headed to Mount Vernon to take a long break. On January 6th, 1759, he was married to Martha Dandridge Custis, and had two young children that he loved – but sadly, both died, one before the American Revolution and one during. Now, coming up to the American Revolution, Mr. Washington, who had experienced the taxes firsthand, decided to side with the Patriots and to separate from Great Britain. Washington became a delegate in the First Continental Congress in 1774, and was appointed the Leader of the Continental Army. Washington proved to be extremely useful, and not just on the field of battle, as he helped boost morale during the hard times: especially in Valley Forge where some soldiers did not even have shoes during winter. He was the crucial and essential deciding factor in the Battles of Trenton and Princeton. 

After the war was over, Washington had plans to head home and relax and tend to his field. He did so for four years before being asked to serve his country again, but instead of being the leader of an army, he became the leader of the new country. The only president to get every single vote from all electors, and the only president who reluctantly took power, he took an oath and served our country, paving the path that our presidents are expected to follow. Finally after 8 years of being president, he went home and lived a peaceful life on Mount Vernon. 

George Washington paced the small tent floor, mumbling to himself, “Not enough ammo… enlistments expiring… maybe this plan, no, too risky.” He needed to come up with a plan soon, for his troops enlistments were expiring. Right now the Continental Army was stationed on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware, after retreating from General Howe’s army in New York. On the other side of the river lay Hessian forces, 1,400 in total, waiting for the Patriots to give up. Suddenly an idea popped into his head, but Washington quickly dismissed the idea because it was too risky. As he attempted to brainstorm other ideas, that one risky idea kept nagging at him, until finally he accepted the idea, and began working out the finer details. He then called his trustworthy generals to a meeting, who glanced at each other, nervous that Washington was going to call for surrender. In the most confident voice George could muster, he said, “I want to cross the Delaware River and attack the Hessian forces!” All the generals’ eyes widened and their mouths gaped open like fishes trying to breathe on land. They all admired Washington but as he attempted to convince them. They couldn’t help but feel like all hope was lost and their leader was crazy. “How are we going to get the artillery across?” said a short rotund man who helped prepare weapons. “We will row them across!” said Washington confidently as he started calculating how the boats could lift the heavy artillery. Washington then promptly left claiming he had to use the privy, leaving the generals to ruminate. When George returned, the generals agreed, much to Washington’s relief and quickly filled in the rest of the plans.

George Washington was now watching his troops prepare for the journey ahead. It was December 26^th and this was the day he had so anxiously anticipated. He looked at their faces, noting their expressions: confidence, fear, determination, hunger and revenge. Occasionally, he offered kind words, and hid his own fear and panic, behind a calm cool demeanor. Washington’s plan consisted of the three-pronged attack, with three divisions – little did he know that only his section would cross the Delaware. Unfortunately, General Ewing and Colonel Cadwalader were not present during the Battle of Trenton, being unable to cross the Delaware River. 

Once on the river, he sighed with relief but his troubles were far from over. As his troops pushed through the ice, Washington saw heavy clouds rolling in, but dismissed them as annoying flies. He soon regretted dismissing the storm, for it was now above him and about him: rain, hail, and wind attacked him and his troops from all sides but they pushed on. After crossing the river, 300 yards wide, they arrived on the other side, exhausted. Washington was annoyed, for the river crossing took five hours longer than he had hoped and some troops were still stranded in the middle of the river. He noticed his troop’s energy draining, and allowed them a quick break as he reconnoitered. He then led a steady march toward Trenton, while his loyal troops followed behind. As the Army was marching the nineteen-mile hike, the Hessians were resting and feasting in Trenton. Colonel Rahl, the head of the Hessian troops, was feasting on his favorite meal – chicken! He thought chicken was the best thing ever created and he could not stop eating it. He didn’t bother with talking or appetizers, he just went straight into the chicken. So when he was handed an urgent letter about the Continental Army approaching, he assumed it was completely fake, and continued feasting. Now, as Washington and his army got closer to Trenton, Washington calmed his nerves. He knew a battle was coming and hopefully he wouldn’t suffer too many casualties. He separated his group into three parts, one led by General Nathanael Green and the other by General John Sullivan. With a few deep breaths, and with his loudest, most confident voice, George Washington bellowed,” CHARGE!!!!” His men charged into battle, their fatigue melting away – they caught the sleepy Hessian patrols by surprise. Then they ran down the streets only to find the town unguarded. They attacked every soldier they encountered, but for some odd reason the Hessian resistance was listless. Some were drunk but most were just tired. Washington silently thanked the militia for harassing the Hessians, and continued the charge farther into the town. As the Continental Army continued to scour the streets, General Rahl was trying to rally his Hessian troops into a defensive position, but fortunately the Hessians were either discombobulated from the alcohol or just so tired they couldn’t stand up straight. During the Battle, Washington lost only two troops, and captured over 900 Hessians soldiers.

After the victory at Trenton, Washington decided to cross the Delaware again! He was worried about the reinforcements the Hessians had called, so he crossed it, back to home camp in Pennsylvania, for the 3^rd time. When he was on the other side, he considered his position. His soldiers were leaving the army due to expiring enlistments but he managed to convince them to stay for an extra month. He had to act soon.

Up in Manhattan, Cornwallis wanted to go home. He sent a request to leave his post and began packing his bags. Unfortunately the British Army denied his request and sent him to Trenton, New Jersey to deal with the pesky George Washington. He immediately set out from New York with an army of 8,000 to crush Washington’s army of 5,000.  He recruited some of the best soldiers and set out on a brisk march towards Trenton. On January second when he arrived at Princeton, Washington was on his way to Assunpink after crossing the Delaware for the 4th time. He set up a line of defense on the south side of the creek and sent 1,000 men halfway in between Princeton and Trenton. This force was essential to the Second Battle of Trenton, for these American soldiers harassed the British, firing shots at them then running back, keeping them aware and tense. A large group of Rebels hid in the dense woodland, surprising the British when they jumped out and rained bullets on them, before running away. This was called the guerrilla technique that was created by militias to counter the British soldiers. The British soldiers were taught traditional warfare, where you stand in line and take turns firing at each other. The Rebels attempted this method but eventually, after a few losses, decided to break these ROE (rules of engagement) and develop a new method. Every single time they jumped out on these slow moving British columns the British would attempt to form a line to attack them but by then the Rebels would be long gone. The effect of the Patriots on the British approach to Trenton was that it slowed them to a grinding pace – one mile an hour. This gave the Continental Army time to prepare. Finally when Cornwallis arrived at Assunpink he spotted the army and attacked. Cornwallis, feeling very confident, attacked three times, and each time the Continental Army held them back.

 This battle was known as the Second Battle of Trenton and the Battle of Assunpink Creek. After the three attacks, Cornwallis, not willing to lose any more troops, decided to stop attacking until the morning. Washington knew not to attack such a large force and was planning an escape. Cornwallis expected a retreat across the Delaware River and sent some troops but instead, Washington and his army left in the middle of the night as quietly as they could and made their retreat toward Princeton. They left their fires burning to deceive the enemy, select soldiers instructed to make noise with picks and shovels, and muffling their wagon wheels, the rest of the troops made haste towards Princeton on a night march. 

Then next morning, General Cornwallis awoke only to find that an entire army had disappeared. The Continental Army was on their way to Princeton – finishing a 12-mile hike. At the exact moment, British Commander Charles Mawhood was on his way to join Cornwallis with a small army. Drawing close to Princeton, Washington, seeing a few British soldiers from afar, sent his brigadier general, Hugh Mercer, and a small brigade to investigate. Unfortunately Hugh Mercer, surprised by the army of 1,200, took multiple bayonets to the body (many of the British soldiers thought they had killed Washington) and his brigade was completely overrun. Nine days later, Hugh Mercer died. As poetically described by Rick Atkinson, the author of The British are Coming, “More troops, royal and rebel, charged into the fight. Scarlet stains spread in the snow, and billowing smoke from ‘the two lines mingled as it rose, and went up in one beautiful cloud.’” Washington, once again seeing the commotion, dispatched another brigade and sent them to figure out the problem. John Cadwalader rode into the field only to find complete chaos. His brigade attacked and despite their heroic efforts, the British were winning. Washington finally decided to find out the problem for himself and when he saw the field of battle just south of Princeton, he charged into the field and attacked the British troops with some fresh soldiers. When the soldiers saw that George Washington was on the field risking his life alongside each of them, it gave them a confidence boost. “I saw him brave all the dangers of the field, and his important life hanging as it were by a single hair with a thousand deaths flying around him,” a Philadelphia officer later wrote. The tide turned and Washington’s Army won the battle. This was a great victory because when the French heard about these two stunning victories, they decided it was time to intervene and send their Army to aid the Colonies.

By winning the war, America won our freedom. Thirteen colonies fought the largest army in the world and prevailed, becoming the powerful nation we know today.