I
spent the weekend in Princeton, New Jersey. I was impressed that 800-plus
students received their master’s degrees from Princeton Seminary. But the
weekend didn’t end there for me.
We
visited the site where George Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware
River that long ago Christmas night. Let me refresh our memories about this
significant incident.
It
was winter. The troops were cold, tired, and had no hope of defeating the Red
Coats. How can you defeat your enemies when you have boots with holes in the
soles or no shoes at all, or rags tied around your feet when you are trudging
through snow, sleet, rain and wind? You have no coat. No gloves to warm protect
your hands. You are tired, hungry and feel the enemy breathing down your necks.
Washington’s
troops camped on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware. The British and
Hessians defeated the colonists on Long Island and then Manhattan in August,
the colonists fleeing further west until they were across the Delaware into
Pennsylvania.
The
British, having gained New Jersey and Rhode Island, were sure they would successfully
end the Revolution in Britain’s favor.
As
1776 neared its close, the troops would be released from their commitment and
return to their homes. Many of them probably were counting the days, anxious to
get back to their families, their farms, their warm, comfortable beds.
Washington
decided they were attack the British at Trenton. On Christmas night he and his
troops crossed the narrow river, choppy with ice and wind, pelted with sleet,
rain and snow. It took eight hours to transport the men, the artillery, horses
and other equipment they would need. Each man carried 40 rounds of ammunition
for his weapon.
They
surprised the enemy. Who would have expected an attack on Christmas? The Rebels
gained the victory. Less than a week later they crossed again, gaining
victories on Jan. 2 and 3 and beginning a new year with hope and strength,
determined that they could, in fact, send the Red Coats back to England with
their tails between their legs.
Washington
and his troops brought about the turning point of the Revolutionary War by
bringing hope to the Rebels, the kind of hope they needed to rise up and become
a force to be reckoned with. We all know the outcome of the Revolutionary War.
What
worth does this story have? Why is it still relevant today?
If you like this blog entry, please leave a comment to let me know. ;)
(c) 2012 Cathy Thomas Brownfield ~ All Rights Reserved.
