Washington Crossing the Delaware

As stated previously, I'm reading a massive biography of George Washington, and since I'm pretty close to ground zero for many of his campaigns during the Revolution, I thought I'd do something of a tour. Some of the sites I have already visited, but armed with some new knowledge, I thought I'd pay them another visit.

Last week I ventured east to Monmouth Battlefield, where Washington chased the British across New Jersey and caught up with them at a place called Monmouth Courthouse. This battle took place in June, 1777, and though it was technically a draw, it was a win for Washington in that it forced the British to retreat. It also hardened him against one of his generals, Charles Lee, who did not attack as ordered, prompting Washington to flip his lid. Lee, who was something of a burr in Washington's saddle, eventually was court martialed for his blunder.

When I arrived at the battlefield, which is now in the town of Manalapan, I found, to my dismay, that the visitor's center will be closed for about a year due to renovation. I took a short stroll, but there didn't seem to be anything of a marked trail, and without some assistance, there really wasn't much to do.

Yesterday I headed west to Washington Crossing State Park. Actually, there are two parks: one on the New Jersey side, and one on the Pennsylvania. On December 25, 1776, Washington's army made a nighttime crossing of icy waters of the Delaware river. They then made an arduous march of nine miles through a winter storm to attack Hessian troops at Trenton. Almost every American schoolchild has some grasp of the basics of this event, especially because of the existence of Emanuel Luetze's iconic painting, seen above, that captured the moment some seventy-five years after it took place.

As usual, the truth of the situation is more interesting. The logistics of the crossing were complex, given it was done at night. Two other crossings, meant to support Washington from the south, were scratched. He still managed to surprise the Hessians and rout them, although they were not drunk, as legend has it. In fact, they had some notion that an attack might come.

Per my luck with these things, the New Jersey park's visitor center was closed for no apparent reason. Fortunately I have been there before, so no great loss. I took a walk down to the shore of the river itself, as it wasn't too cold. Today a bridge handles car traffic where Washington's men rowed across, though as bridges go it's not too advanced; it's so narrow I crossed it once and clipped the side of it with my sideview mirror, sending the glass to the inky depths of the river.

The crossing site, as viewed from New Jersey.

The Pennsylvania side isn't as large a park, and, you guessed it, the visitor's center was closed for restoration.

Following the battle of Trenton, Washington marched north to take on the British at Princeton. That park is just a few miles from where I live, and I drive through it often. I'll put up a post about it in the coming days, hopefully, if weather permits, on the actual anniversary of the battle.