Washington Crossing the Delaware and Battle of Monmouth

Saturday, June 7, 2008

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

           When we arrived earlier this morning the area was overcast and a bit hazy.  It was sooo cool.  We went to the tavern next to the Valley Forge Crossing and saw a copy of a letter that George Washington had written at 6:00 p.m., at the McKonkey’s tavern saying that he was determined to cross the Delaware despite reports that Lt.Col. John Cadwalader who was to cross near Bristol Ferry and General Ewing was to cross at the Trenton ferry, were not having the success hoped for.  The group at the bottom was having no luck in crossing and the group at the top could not get the cannons across. It took Washington and his army 11 hours to cross the Delaware.  To me it looked like a fairly narrow crossing, but I guess the current is extremely difficult.  It was especially difficult during a Noreaster winter storm.  Washington crossed with commanders John Sullivan, Nathanael Green, John Glover and Henry Knox along with 2400 troops, 18 cannons, and between 50-75 horses.  Despite the famous painting of Washington standing in the boat, our guide seemed to think that Washington may have crossed on the ferry with his horse Nelson, since he was a horse lover and would want to be with his horse.  We did see replica’s of the Durham boats and I don’t see how anyone could have sat in those boats.  It seems you would have had to stand to row because they were so deep.  The army crossed with horses and cannons on the ferry and rowed the majority of the men across in the Durham boats. The paddles were very long and heavy. It took some very determined men to do their work in an ice and snow storm.  If Washington had not crossed the Delaware River and taken 900 Hessians prisoner and killed about 100 Hessians, he would have most likely been overtaken at some point in the winter and the war would have been over.  This battle was definitely a turning point in the war for the Americans. 

 

 

   

 

     Wow!  I just got back on the bus from walking the Monmouth Battle field.  Whew!  It is about the same temperature (90+ degrees with high humidity) this June as it was, on the hot June day when this battle took place. I can see why soldiers in full uniform literally fell off of their horses from heat stroke.   The humidity and heat is oppressive.  It was fun to walk across the bridge and see the orchards and fence rows up close.  I hope none of us got ticks or chiggers.  J

 

I thought it neat that when the men retreated that they didn’t just take off running.  Our guide Garry Stone said that they would have been picked off had they done that.  Instead they followed the training of Von Steuben and crossed the bridge quickly and in step.  It seems that most of the docents that we have had, felt that Von Steuben had a much bigger role in the success of this army, than the Valley Forge book we read by Bodle.  In fact, our guide at Valley Forge was adamant that Von Steuben’s training was the true force behind the Americans winning the Revolutionary War.

 

     It was a very hot day, but the countryside was absolutely gorgeous.  It will be nice to have these photos of the area and the bridge to my students when we are studying the Battle of Monmouth.  On one of the information boards stated that while Washington received mud spatter from enemy fire he stayed calm in his saddle.  Professor Harris commented that that is why so many say he was a great general.  Matt also said that Washington said he should have lost his life so many times but that Providence had watched over him.  The battle of Monmouth was a great victory for the Continental Army.

 

    A group of us went to an Irish Pub last night to eat.  The atmosphere and commraderie was nice after a long day.