Larry Mendte Curtis Sliwa America 250th June 8

Curtis & Larry discuss the real story of Washington's famous crossing of the Delaware River.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Curtis and Larry celebrate two fifty stories that made America
on seventen wors It was Christmas night, seventeen seventy six,
the first Christmas since the American Revolution was ignited less
than five months earlier. But that flame that was lit

(00:22):
with the signing of the Declaration of Independence was all
but extinguished in the five months that followed. The Continental
Army was in shambles after defeat after defeat after defeat,
enlistments were expiring, morale was low, and many believe the
revelation was already lost. They needed a Christmas miracle. An

(00:49):
attempt at that miracle started in the thick of the
darkness in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, as the reflection of hundreds
of torches flickered in the icy current of the Delaware River.
General George Washington himself had gathered twenty four hundred Continental
Army troops for a surprise attack during a winter storm.

(01:12):
If it failed, the war was sure to be lost.
The boats that crossed the Delaware were not row boats,
and Washington did not stand in the front of a boat,
as depicted in the famous painting by Emmanuel Lutza. In
that imaginary scenario, boats and men and probably Washington would

(01:33):
have been lost in the snow, the wind, in the
icy waters. No, they used flatboats, large ferries guided by
wires to carry the men, the horses, and the artillery
through the winter storm and the powerful current. On the
New Jersey side of the river, about ten miles due east,

(01:54):
fourteen hundred Hessian soldiers were celebrating Christmas at an encampment
in Trenton. The Hessians were professionals from Germany, hired by
King George to end this nuisance of a colonial uprising.
In a blinding snowstorm on Christmas, not one of them
expected an attack. As they celebrated Christmas, two columns of

(02:18):
colonial troops were heading their way, Washington's men from the
east and General John Sullivan's men from North Jersey, to
cut off any expected retreat by the Hessians. At eight
am on December twenty sixth, seventeen seventy six, the Hessians,

(02:38):
some of them hung over and all of them exhausted
from recent skirmishes, were awakened by gunfire. There wasn't even
really a battle. Thirty Hessians were killed, nine hundred were captured.
The Continental Army suffered no casualties. More importantly, the Continental

(03:02):
Army confiscated thousands of guns, munitions, and artillery to re
stock for the battles ahead. The Christmas miracle was complete.
The war turned. On that moment. King George believed that
the Revolution would be squashed quickly by an overwhelming force

(03:22):
of professional soldiers. This stunning defeat in Trenton embarrassed the
crown and showed the world that the Americans were a
force to be reckoned with, and George Washington took a
giant step towards immortality. But Washington and his men were
not finished in New Jersey. The Americans were on the offensive.

(03:44):
With men well armed and filled with new pride and
new confidence. They would embark on a ten day campaign
in New Jersey that changed the course of history so
much that they're called the ten Days that Saved America.
And we'll talk about the next battle on Wednesday.

Speaker 2 (04:02):
Excellent, Larry, excellent. We are the only station of any
type that is talking about our two hundred and fiftieth
anniversary of this great nation. As you know just from
the stories we cover this morning, World Cup, the Pope
supporting the American team right, not even our mayor obviously
Nick Mania and Taylor Swift getting married on July third.

(04:24):
That night in Madison Square, guard more attension on that
and in New York City in Times Square, the ball
will fall. But people are not going to be permitted
to be in Times Square to recognize this great birthday
of ours. So we need to know from all of
you out there, because New York City is the worst.
What is your neighborhood doing for the two hundred and

(04:46):
fiftieth birthday anniversary and celebration? Natalie, How can people participate
so that we can talk about what they're doing in
the six o'clock hours, So you get everybody in your town, village, borough,
your county, your city to listen, and we will recognize
your efforts.

Speaker 1 (05:02):
We have a post on Instagram and Facebook, so make
sure you're following us at seven to ten wor you'll
see it pinned right there and you can put all
the information of what your town's doing.

Speaker 2 (05:11):
Oh this is great and we're the only ones doing this.
We're going to do it each and every day. At
seven fifty four, tomorrow's my turn. We talk about the
New York effort