He had,
indeed, ordered Rahl to throw up redoubts for the defense of
Trenton, but this, as Washington well knew, had not been done for
Rahl despised his enemy and spoke of the American army as already
lost. Washington's bold plan was to recross the Delaware and
attack Trenton. There were to be three crossings. One was to be
against Von Donop at Bordentown below Trenton, the second at
Trenton itself. These two attacks were designed to prevent aid to
Trenton. The third force with which Washington himself went was
to cross the river some nine miles above the town.
Christmas Day, 1776, was dismally cold. There was a driving storm
of sleet and the broad swollen stream of the Delaware, dotted
with dark masses of floating ice, offered a chill prospect. To
take an army with its guns across that threatening flood was
indeed perilous. Gates and other generals declared that the
scheme was too difficult to be carried out. Only one of the three
forces crossed the river. Washington, with iron will, was not to
be turned from his purpose. He had skilled boatmen from New
England. The crossing took no less than ten hours and a great
part of it was done in wintry darkness. When the army landed on
the New Jersey shore it had a march of nine miles in sleet and
rain in order to reach Trenton by daybreak.
Pages:
92
93
94
95
96
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116