….Facts About One of America's Most Iconic Paintings
"PERHAPS THE MOST celebrated moment of George Washington's military career was his surprise attack on Trenton, New Jersey the day after Christmas in 1776. Yet for many, the centrepiece of this memorable victory isn't the battle itself, but rather his crossing of the ice-choked Delaware River the night before.
The 10-hour nighttime operation saw 2,400 Continental troops traverse an 800-foot wide stretch of water between Upper Makefield, Pennsylvania and Titusville, New Jersey using a flotilla of rowboats and barges, all of which that were begged, borrowed or stolen from local residents. The entire undertaking was complicated by a winter storm.
Once safely on the opposite bank, Washington's soaked and shivering army marched four hours in the pre-dawn gloom to surprise and overwhelm 1,500 Hessian mercenaries wintering in Trenton. The ensuing skirmish lasted only minutes. When it was over, Washington's rag tag army had taken the town and netted nearly 1,000 prisoners. Although only a minor victory militarily, the triumph served to reinvigorate the flagging rebellion, which up until that point seemed all but doomed…."
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's motivation to paint Napoleonic ships returns!