Okla-homey
1/3/2007, 07:40 AM
Jan 3, 1777. No, not an Ivy League bar fight, but a significant event in the struggle for American independence.
http://aycu26.webshots.com/image/9985/2001696212072286814_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001696212072286814)
230 years ago today, in a stroke of strategic genius, General George Washington managed to evade conflict with General Charles Cornwallis, who had been dispatched to Trenton to “bag the fox” (Washington), and won several encounters with the British rear guard, as it departs Princeton for Trenton, New Jersey.
http://aycu02.webshots.com/image/9601/2001605998636754986_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001605998636754986)
Washington winning another scrap, just days after his surprise win at Trenton on Dec. 26, 1776.
Deeply concerned by Washington’s victory over the British at the Battle of Trenton on December 26, 1776, Cornwallis arrived with his troops in Trenton on the evening of January 2 prepared to overwhelm Washington’s 5,000 exhausted, if exuberant, Continentals and militia with his 8,000 Redcoats.
Washington knew "discretion was the better part of valor" and deliberately avoided contact with Cornwallis' larger and more capable proessional force. Cornwallis knew Washington would try to escape overnight, but he was left to guess at what course Washington would take.
Cornwallis sent troops to guard the Delaware River, expecting Washington to reverse the route he took for the midnight crossing on Christmas night. You'll recall Washington, badly in need of a victory, rowed across the icey Delaware on Christmas night to attack a large Hessian force as it slept off a long night of Yule partying. When Washington's men attacked at Trenton in the early morning of December 26, 1776, the hungover and woozy Hessians got their butts handed to them by the Continentals.
http://aycu38.webshots.com/image/9077/2005224132227769436_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005224132227769436)
You've already seen the other painting. Here's a different one depicting Washington and his cold and miserable army crossing the Delaware on Christmas Night 1776 to attack drunk Germans at Trenton early the next morning.
Instead of departing the way he had come, Washington left his campfires burning, muffled the wheels of his army’s wagons and snuck out of Trenton NJ and around the southern flank of the British British army column as it marched southwest from Princeton.
http://aycu02.webshots.com/image/8161/2001610307209983540_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001610307209983540)
Map depicting Washington's stealthy departure from his victory at Trenton on the Delaware River and his movement northeast to strike the rear of the British column which was entrained to assault the Continental force Cornwallis believed was "trapped" at Trenton.
As the Continentals headed north at dawn, they met the straggling British rear guard near their base at Princeton, at the tail of the British force streaming out to "bag" Washington on the banks of the Delaware River. Washington's force outnumbered the Redcoat rear-guard 5 to 1 and the result was predictable.
http://aycu18.webshots.com/image/6897/2003968758390844105_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2003968758390844105)
Forty Patriots and 275 British soldiers died during the ensuing Battle of Princeton. After the defeat, the Brit's chose to leave most of New Jersey to Washington. Instead of marshalling their significant manpower to retake New Jersey, they concentrated their forces between New Brunswick and the Atlantic coast.
http://aycu02.webshots.com/image/8241/2001679541820564904_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001679541820564904)
The clash at Princeton. Washington wisely chose to attack the rear of the main British force out to catch him.
New Jersey had endured British invasion, rapine and plunder at the hands of Britain’s Hessian mercenaries. Just in case readers are wondering WTF a "Hessian" was, they were German professional soldiers contracted to fight for Britian who hailed generally from areas in and around "Hesse," a German principality.
http://aycu05.webshots.com/image/9484/2001644315305279424_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001644315305279424)
A cannon "dent" on the brick wall of Nassau Hall at Princeton. A graphic reminder of the fight there on this day in 1777.
Now, as the Patriot militia resumed control, New Jersey Loyalists faced exile or humiliating repatriation. The Howes’ decision to abandon New Jersey Loyalists stifled Loyalist sympathies and their influence in the region and thus, the independence movement prevailed in local affairs.
Notwithstanding this second Patriot victory, the Revolution raged on for years throughout the continent. The Brits would win more battles than they lost, but as we know, eventually, the British crown tired of the expensive struggle and let the errant colonies go to form a new nation.
http://aycu02.webshots.com/image/7241/2003959998333261762_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2003959998333261762)
http://aycu26.webshots.com/image/9985/2001696212072286814_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001696212072286814)
230 years ago today, in a stroke of strategic genius, General George Washington managed to evade conflict with General Charles Cornwallis, who had been dispatched to Trenton to “bag the fox” (Washington), and won several encounters with the British rear guard, as it departs Princeton for Trenton, New Jersey.
http://aycu02.webshots.com/image/9601/2001605998636754986_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001605998636754986)
Washington winning another scrap, just days after his surprise win at Trenton on Dec. 26, 1776.
Deeply concerned by Washington’s victory over the British at the Battle of Trenton on December 26, 1776, Cornwallis arrived with his troops in Trenton on the evening of January 2 prepared to overwhelm Washington’s 5,000 exhausted, if exuberant, Continentals and militia with his 8,000 Redcoats.
Washington knew "discretion was the better part of valor" and deliberately avoided contact with Cornwallis' larger and more capable proessional force. Cornwallis knew Washington would try to escape overnight, but he was left to guess at what course Washington would take.
Cornwallis sent troops to guard the Delaware River, expecting Washington to reverse the route he took for the midnight crossing on Christmas night. You'll recall Washington, badly in need of a victory, rowed across the icey Delaware on Christmas night to attack a large Hessian force as it slept off a long night of Yule partying. When Washington's men attacked at Trenton in the early morning of December 26, 1776, the hungover and woozy Hessians got their butts handed to them by the Continentals.
http://aycu38.webshots.com/image/9077/2005224132227769436_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2005224132227769436)
You've already seen the other painting. Here's a different one depicting Washington and his cold and miserable army crossing the Delaware on Christmas Night 1776 to attack drunk Germans at Trenton early the next morning.
Instead of departing the way he had come, Washington left his campfires burning, muffled the wheels of his army’s wagons and snuck out of Trenton NJ and around the southern flank of the British British army column as it marched southwest from Princeton.
http://aycu02.webshots.com/image/8161/2001610307209983540_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001610307209983540)
Map depicting Washington's stealthy departure from his victory at Trenton on the Delaware River and his movement northeast to strike the rear of the British column which was entrained to assault the Continental force Cornwallis believed was "trapped" at Trenton.
As the Continentals headed north at dawn, they met the straggling British rear guard near their base at Princeton, at the tail of the British force streaming out to "bag" Washington on the banks of the Delaware River. Washington's force outnumbered the Redcoat rear-guard 5 to 1 and the result was predictable.
http://aycu18.webshots.com/image/6897/2003968758390844105_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2003968758390844105)
Forty Patriots and 275 British soldiers died during the ensuing Battle of Princeton. After the defeat, the Brit's chose to leave most of New Jersey to Washington. Instead of marshalling their significant manpower to retake New Jersey, they concentrated their forces between New Brunswick and the Atlantic coast.
http://aycu02.webshots.com/image/8241/2001679541820564904_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001679541820564904)
The clash at Princeton. Washington wisely chose to attack the rear of the main British force out to catch him.
New Jersey had endured British invasion, rapine and plunder at the hands of Britain’s Hessian mercenaries. Just in case readers are wondering WTF a "Hessian" was, they were German professional soldiers contracted to fight for Britian who hailed generally from areas in and around "Hesse," a German principality.
http://aycu05.webshots.com/image/9484/2001644315305279424_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2001644315305279424)
A cannon "dent" on the brick wall of Nassau Hall at Princeton. A graphic reminder of the fight there on this day in 1777.
Now, as the Patriot militia resumed control, New Jersey Loyalists faced exile or humiliating repatriation. The Howes’ decision to abandon New Jersey Loyalists stifled Loyalist sympathies and their influence in the region and thus, the independence movement prevailed in local affairs.
Notwithstanding this second Patriot victory, the Revolution raged on for years throughout the continent. The Brits would win more battles than they lost, but as we know, eventually, the British crown tired of the expensive struggle and let the errant colonies go to form a new nation.
http://aycu02.webshots.com/image/7241/2003959998333261762_rs.jpg (http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/v/2003959998333261762)