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A review by sueodd
Washington's Crossing by David Hackett Fischer
5.0
I was at Washington's Crossing State Park in NJ for a staff meeting, and we were treated to a musket firing demo by one of the historians on staff, dressed up in period appropriate clothing. He debunked some of the common misconceptions surrounding the crossing and the battle at Trenton, and suggested this book. I don't generally read history books, but that piqued my interest. I work in Trenton and have seen the annual reenactment of the crossing on Christmas Day a number of times. I've been to Monmouth Battlefield (where we were treated to an interesting lecture on how they used metal detectors to locate ordnance and from that determine the exact position of the various troops during that battle), and I've driven past the Princeton Battlefield often. I know that the region where I live and work is full of important Revolutionary War sites, but I only have a superficial knowledge of the events of the war.
This book did not disappoint. It explained the key details in a way that was easy to understand, and included a lot of quotes from letters, journals and news stories from the period. I enjoyed the older style of English and the varying levels of mastery over the language depending on the education level of the writer.
This book is not just about the crossing of the Delaware. It starts with a thorough description of the armies in play: the American rebels (including the army and the various independent militias), the British Regulars, and the hired Hessians. The commanders of each and other notable persons were described, including their leadership style and approach to the war.
It then goes into the events leading up to crossing, from the disastrous defeat at New York (in which Washington and the American forces seemed to be completely disorganized and unable to defend against the more professional and larger British and Hessian forces) to the retreat across New Jersey. This was a dark time for the rebellion and the cause looked almost lost. The American forces were in tatters and the British and Hessians were in positions of relative strength.
But things were building to turn the tide. The occupation of New Jersey (and New York) wasn't winning over the local population despite orders from on high because the armies had to "forage", which often meant pillaging and raping. Thomas Paine published The American Crisis, which reignited support for independence. Washington's army, mainly camped in Pennsylvania, received some much needed supplies.
There was concern that the British would make it to Philadelphia. The crossing itself was concocted as a way to stop this advance. Washington's plan involved 3 separate crossings late on Christmas Day under the cover of night: the one we know was successful, but also one at Trenton itself (to seize a bridge at the Assunpink and prevent the Hessians in Trenton from retreating to the south; and one farther south to engage enemy troops garrisoned in Burlington and Mt. Holly, preventing them from coming to the aid of Trenton. Those other crossings failed due to river conditions.
The book describes the difficulty of a night crossing in the middle of winter. To make things worse, a Nor'Easter developed just as this was taking place. While that made the crossing more dangerous, it served as cover and allowed Washington's army to get across the river and almost all the way to Trenton unnoticed. The storm was probably one of the biggest contributors to the success of the Americans.
The first and second battles of Trenton were described in detail (and I now want to explore some of the sites in Trenton that were critical in these battles). The book debunks the idea that the Hessians were partying on Christmas, leading to their defeat. The Hessians had been harried by the militia under the command of James Ewing, were ordered to sleep in their clothing and be on alert at all times, and were even warned that an attack was imminent. They were not drunk, but they were exhausted. They responded quickly to the advance of the American army but were overwhelmed and outwitted by superior tactics.
I knew very little about the Trenton battles and the Princeton battle, so it was interesting to learn that at the second battle of Trenton, American forces held Trenton against a larger army (the British response to the fall of Trenton was to send the bulk of their force at Princeton to retake Trenton) by carefully choosing their location - they held the high ground on the southern side of the Assunpink and made sure the few crossing points were well defended. They also had superior artillery. This was only for a day. Had they fought a second day, they may have lost. But Washington, after a council with the various other leaders, decided to withdraw under the cover of night, circumvent the British forces at Trenton, and strike directly at the relatively unguarded Princeton. They hoped to capture much of the British army's supplies, but they were spotted by a group of British soldiers who were on their way to reinforce the troops at Trenton. Orders were sent back to Princeton quickly to evacuate the stores to a safer location. Still, the battle at Princeton was another win. The British lost much of the ground they had gained early in the war. Public support for the rebellion was reignited, and the British were put on the defensive. After Princeton, the various militias were inspired to spend the rest of the winter months harrying the British and Hessian troops throughout New Jersey in a series of small opportunistic skirmishes. The enemy suffered many losses during these months.
This book also starts and even ends with a discussion of the various ideas of liberty held by the colonists, and how American ideals such as the policy of humanity in war were formed and how they continue to shape our approach even to this day. It ended on a positive note about American values and how revisionists have tried to make our past seem darker than it is. That may be true when you are talking about "We the people" as free white men, but when you look at the treatment of the natives, the slaves, women, etc., it's fair to point out the problems. That said, another interesting tidbit I learned is that African slaves did serve in the army (both sides), mostly under the promise of earning their freedom. I also learned that a reason the American troops were in tatters compared to the British and Hessians is that, at least in the beginning, women were discouraged from service. The British and Hessian camps had many women and children who cooked and kept the camps and clothing mended.
This book did not disappoint. It explained the key details in a way that was easy to understand, and included a lot of quotes from letters, journals and news stories from the period. I enjoyed the older style of English and the varying levels of mastery over the language depending on the education level of the writer.
This book is not just about the crossing of the Delaware. It starts with a thorough description of the armies in play: the American rebels (including the army and the various independent militias), the British Regulars, and the hired Hessians. The commanders of each and other notable persons were described, including their leadership style and approach to the war.
It then goes into the events leading up to crossing, from the disastrous defeat at New York (in which Washington and the American forces seemed to be completely disorganized and unable to defend against the more professional and larger British and Hessian forces) to the retreat across New Jersey. This was a dark time for the rebellion and the cause looked almost lost. The American forces were in tatters and the British and Hessians were in positions of relative strength.
But things were building to turn the tide. The occupation of New Jersey (and New York) wasn't winning over the local population despite orders from on high because the armies had to "forage", which often meant pillaging and raping. Thomas Paine published The American Crisis, which reignited support for independence. Washington's army, mainly camped in Pennsylvania, received some much needed supplies.
There was concern that the British would make it to Philadelphia. The crossing itself was concocted as a way to stop this advance. Washington's plan involved 3 separate crossings late on Christmas Day under the cover of night: the one we know was successful, but also one at Trenton itself (to seize a bridge at the Assunpink and prevent the Hessians in Trenton from retreating to the south; and one farther south to engage enemy troops garrisoned in Burlington and Mt. Holly, preventing them from coming to the aid of Trenton. Those other crossings failed due to river conditions.
The book describes the difficulty of a night crossing in the middle of winter. To make things worse, a Nor'Easter developed just as this was taking place. While that made the crossing more dangerous, it served as cover and allowed Washington's army to get across the river and almost all the way to Trenton unnoticed. The storm was probably one of the biggest contributors to the success of the Americans.
The first and second battles of Trenton were described in detail (and I now want to explore some of the sites in Trenton that were critical in these battles). The book debunks the idea that the Hessians were partying on Christmas, leading to their defeat. The Hessians had been harried by the militia under the command of James Ewing, were ordered to sleep in their clothing and be on alert at all times, and were even warned that an attack was imminent. They were not drunk, but they were exhausted. They responded quickly to the advance of the American army but were overwhelmed and outwitted by superior tactics.
I knew very little about the Trenton battles and the Princeton battle, so it was interesting to learn that at the second battle of Trenton, American forces held Trenton against a larger army (the British response to the fall of Trenton was to send the bulk of their force at Princeton to retake Trenton) by carefully choosing their location - they held the high ground on the southern side of the Assunpink and made sure the few crossing points were well defended. They also had superior artillery. This was only for a day. Had they fought a second day, they may have lost. But Washington, after a council with the various other leaders, decided to withdraw under the cover of night, circumvent the British forces at Trenton, and strike directly at the relatively unguarded Princeton. They hoped to capture much of the British army's supplies, but they were spotted by a group of British soldiers who were on their way to reinforce the troops at Trenton. Orders were sent back to Princeton quickly to evacuate the stores to a safer location. Still, the battle at Princeton was another win. The British lost much of the ground they had gained early in the war. Public support for the rebellion was reignited, and the British were put on the defensive. After Princeton, the various militias were inspired to spend the rest of the winter months harrying the British and Hessian troops throughout New Jersey in a series of small opportunistic skirmishes. The enemy suffered many losses during these months.
This book also starts and even ends with a discussion of the various ideas of liberty held by the colonists, and how American ideals such as the policy of humanity in war were formed and how they continue to shape our approach even to this day. It ended on a positive note about American values and how revisionists have tried to make our past seem darker than it is. That may be true when you are talking about "We the people" as free white men, but when you look at the treatment of the natives, the slaves, women, etc., it's fair to point out the problems. That said, another interesting tidbit I learned is that African slaves did serve in the army (both sides), mostly under the promise of earning their freedom. I also learned that a reason the American troops were in tatters compared to the British and Hessians is that, at least in the beginning, women were discouraged from service. The British and Hessian camps had many women and children who cooked and kept the camps and clothing mended.