“Patriotism” has been hijacked lately by people who seem to understand little about the concept of what a Patriot really is. It has nothing to do with how many flags you fly or even if you have a flag. Patriots are those people who enable or support our democracy. Patriots are also those who respect and honor them for stepping up to protect our country and protect their fellow Americans.
One example of patriots are those soldiers who rescued the hopes of the Revolution itself with a critical victory at Trenton.
Washington’s Attack on Trenton
We’ve all seen the painting from 1851 depicting General George Washington standing up in the boat as his troops navigate the icy waters of the Delaware River. But, there’s a lot more to this complex and risky military action than just a painting.
In the winter of 1776 things were not going well, not well at all. The Continental Army had just lost several battles and surrendered two forts in New York, retreating to New Jersey and then Pennsylvania. They were loosing men from desertion and from enlistments expiring, with the next termination date being Dec 31.
“The game is pretty near up”
Washington was very concerned that the war was almost lost; in his words “I think the game is pretty near up”. By mid-December he had precious little time and knew he had to do something, something bold to regain the momentum and get the country and his army behind The Cause again.
Thomas Payne, the author “Common Sense” and a familiar voice to colonialists, wrote a pamphlet entitled “The American Crisis”. This rousing piece, which Washington ordered be read to his troops, opens with the words:
“THESE are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands by it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.”
Victory at Trenton
After marshaling at dusk on Christmas Day, it took until 8AM on the 26th to reach Trenton and commence their attack. Although this was hours later than Washington had planned they still caught the Hessian troops completely unaware. The battle itself took about an hour, after which time they had captured 900 prisoners, killing or wounding about 100 more. The Americans suffered only 5 casualties and no deaths. After seizing much needed supplies, weapons and ammunition, Washington’s troops then marched back to the crossing point and made the return crossing to Pennsylvania.
Victory at Princeton, NJ
On January 2, 1777, Washington recrossed the Delaware and again deceived the enemy, this time British General Charles Cornwallis, by marching his troops around the British encampment at night. They attacked Princeton the next day, achieving another rousing victory and prompting the British to withdraw from most of New Jersey for the winter.
These victories at Trenton and Princeton gave the American troops and the American public the lift they needed, prompting a flood of enlistments and re-enlistments and swelled the morale of the Continental Army. Later, when General Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown, he commented to Washington that while history may focus on the battle at Yorktown “Fame will gather your brightest laurels from the banks of the Delaware”.
Patriots? Absolutely! – and so were their wives and families who kept farms running back home and the locals who brought the army food, supplies, medical help, etc.
THESE are the people who gave us our country and who deserve our thanks, our respect and our honor. These are the Patriots for whom we can wave our flags on this Independence Day.
For more information about this crucial battle, click the button below:
Patriots Today
Another example of patriots are the firefighters who go to battle with wildfires across the US. Sadly, three died recently in that fight. A photo in a Denver newspaper recently showed how these heroes were honored by another group of patriots. Without hats or flags, THESE are the everyday patriots who stand up for fellow citizens and stand up for our country.
