Larry Mendte Curtis Sliwa America 250th June 10

Curtis & Larry talks about how the George Washington escaped British General Charles Cornwallis.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
Curtis and Larry celebrate two fifty Stories That made America.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
On sevent ten woors. After leading British troops to victory
in the Battle of Long Island in August of seventeen
seventy six and the capture of North Jersey's Fort Lee
in November, British General Charles Cornwallis was preparing to return
to London. The Continental uprising in America had all been squashed,

(00:29):
and he looked forward to regaling King George with all
of his victories. Then he got word that the Continental Army,
under the command of George Washington, pulled off a stunning
surprise attack on the day after Christmas in Trenton, New Jersey.
Thirty Hessian soldiers killed, nine hundred captured, and all of

(00:52):
the British horses, weapons, artillery and rations confiscated in a
surprise attack. Cornwallis was furious. He immediately canceled his trip.
He couldn't possibly present himself to the King with word
of the first major defeat. He needed to fix this

(01:13):
and fast. He would take care of this upstart Washington
by himself. Cornwallis mobilized eight thousand British and Hessian troops
to find Washington and force him to surrender, and then
he would return to London. George Washington and four thousand

(01:35):
men were still in Trenton after their stunning victory. This
was Washington's first victory, but morale was low. Contracts for
a thousand men were due to expire on New Year's Eve,
while freezing temperatures and whipping winds was making life unbearable.
To make things worse, Washington knew there would be hell

(01:57):
to pay for his surprise attack, and hell, indeed was
approaching from the north, led by General Cornwallis. Washington sent
bands of troops to the north to try to delay Cornwallis,
but certain defeat was slowed but not deterred. Washington and
his men retreated to the south to the asen Pink

(02:19):
Creek in Trenton. Now, normally the general would find safety
first ahead of the men, but Washington, seeing morale was low,
stood his horse at the southern end of the creek's
bridge and waited as every single man crossed. Instead of
being the first, the general was the last to find cover.

(02:43):
But improved morale was not going to save the American
Revolution on this day. They were trapped and Washington knew it.
There were several skirmishes at the bridge, but defeat was inevitable.
It was the day after New Year's January second, nineteen
seventy seven, and with victory just a bridge away and

(03:05):
night falling, Cornwallis said the words that would haunt him
through history. He was taken to calling Washington the old Fox,
and he said to his offers quote officers quote, the
old Fox is safe now, will bag him in the morning.
And with that he and his British and Hessian troops

(03:27):
retired for the night. When they awoke the next morning,
Washington and all his troops were gone. Just a week
after crossing the Delaware and the thick of night for
an attack, Washington and his troops escaped in the thick
of night. The Great Escape added to General Washington's legend,

(03:49):
and for General Cornwallis, it is considered one of the
worst battle field blunders in history. Where Washington would go
next in New Jersey and the battle that ensued would
complete the legend of the ten Days that would Save America.
We'll talk about that on Friday. Oh, by the way.

(04:11):
As for Cornwallis, he finally did get to go home
to London, a decade later after surrendering to Washington in
Yorktown to end the American Revolution, a revolution that was
saved with the Great Escape at Aisen Pink Creek.

Speaker 1 (04:31):
Excellent, excellent, Larry. And we're gonna give you a double
header on Friday because it is the precursor to Flag Day,
our flag, not everybody else's flag on Sunday. Most people
don't know that June fourteenth and at Betsy was and
the House of Bets he was, and the tale we
were told about how she knitted that first American flag.

(04:53):
So we're gonna give you a double header on Friday.
And by the way, Natalie, how can people actually go
online and tell us what, if anything, they're doing in
their community they're borrowed, their village, their county to celebrate
our two hundred and fiftieth anniversary.

Speaker 2 (05:08):
First thing they have to do is follow us at
seven ten WR on Facebook or Instagram, follow both if
you have accounts there, and you'll see the post pinned
to the top of the page.

Speaker 1 (05:17):
Great, come on, ladies and gentlemen, don't let us down.
So many have let down our country. But not even
mentioning the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of July fourth,