It was December of 1776.
The British forces in America had pummeled Washington’s Continental Army for six months. Washington’s troops were driven out of New York, New Jersey, and into Pennsylvania during the fall of 1776.
The Continental Army was exhausted, cold, hungry and poorly equipped at this point. Funding for the army was running short as well. The commissions for many of Washington’s soldiers were running out at the end of 1776. The fate of the Continental Army and the new Americans themselves were very much in doubt.
Washington was crafting plans to attack the British aligned Hessian soldiers encamped in Trenton, New Jersey. Desperate for a victory against the British and faced with his army falling apart in a little over a week, Washington planned for an attack around the Christmas holiday.
Thomas Paine, a soldier traveling with Washington’s Continental Army and author of Common Sense, had penned another pamphlet. This was called The American Crisis. It had come to the attention of General Washington, and he ordered the essay to be read to his troops. Paine’s words inspired Washington’s Army.
The American Crisis drove home the point that if the Continental Army was defeated, they may never escape the oppressive rule of the British. However, if they were to manage to defeat the British and gain their independence, the future could be bright.
Paine’s words made it clear that this was a critical point in the new nation’s history and possibly world history. If America were to have a future, the Continental Army must hand the British their first defeat and do it soon.
To improve the chances of success, Washington set Christmas night for the time to begin their assault on Trenton. Surely a major offensive would not begin on the Christmas holiday. Well, the Hessian soldiers were wrong.
Washington had planned to cross the icy Delaware River in three locations. A force of 1,800 were to attack British and Hessian soldiers in Burlington, New Jersey. This was meant to prevent these units from reinforcing troops at the main point of attack in Trenton. Another force of 800 would cross and take up defensive positions and prevent the Hessians from retreating.
The main force of 2,400 commanded by Washington would cross the Delaware River and directly engage the Hessians at Trenton. Washington led his exhausted soldiers across the ice-packed Delaware River. His was the only contingent to successfully cross.
The crossing was made even more difficult due to a driving rain, high winds, and freezing temperatures. The rain turned into snow and sleet. They pushed back the attack by a few hours. It was imperative the attack occur before most of the Hessian soldiers had awoken and mustered.
Facing a 10-mile march from his landing point to Trenton, Washington considered cancelling the attack. After much contemplation, Washington decided to press forward at all costs.
The Continental Army handed the British and Hessian forces their first major loss at the Battle of Trenton. This victory invigorated the Continental Army and the rest of the American people. Soldiers re-upped their commissions. Many citizens who were on the fence in supporting the Revolutionary War were emboldened and pledged their support. Ultimately, we prevailed and won our independence from the British.
In many ways, we are in similar circumstances today. The future of our republic faces uncertainty. Liberty has been under assault for some time and victories seem scarce. The ongoing battle to defend our country against the forces of tyranny is challenging. We have a formidable army ourselves–a grassroots army. We fight on bright and sunny days as well as cloudy and inclimate ones.
I firmly believe that God is not finished with us yet. We do have a bright future laying ahead of us. Enjoy time with your families and friends this Christmas. Please take time to remember the reason for the season. Pray for guidance and strength to fight this ongoing battle.
I am so thankful for and appreciative of each of you and your commitment to our republic. God bless you and have a very Merry Christmas.
In liberty,
Brett
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