Larry Mendte Curtis Sliwa America 250th June 12

Larry shares the story of General George Washington and his leadership during the 10 crucial days of the early revolution and how important his successes were for the eventual colonial victory.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Curtis and Larry celebrate two fifty stories that made America.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
On sevent ten woors.

Speaker 1 (00:10):
The legend of General George Washington was spreading in the
American colonies like wildfire after crossing the Delaware River from
Pennsylvania into New Jersey on Christmas seventeen seventy six for
a brilliant surprise attack on fourteen Hessian soldiers hired by
the British, which, by the way, was the Continental Army's

(00:32):
first victory and then Washington's brilliant disappearing act when he
and four thousand men escaped certain defeat in the middle
of the night at Asenpink Creek six days later, embarrassing
British General George Cornwallis, who had them trapped. The morale

(00:52):
of the Continental Army that had been waning after major
defeats in Boston and New York, was now starting to go.
In Washington's retreat from Asenpink, he was going towards what
is now Princeton when he was informed of British troops
at William Clark's Farm, a site that is now known

(01:12):
as the Princeton Battlefield State Park. Washington sent Brigadier General
Mercer with some men to check it out. The small
force ran into fierce fire and General Mercer's horse was
struck with a bullet. Mercer fell to the ground and
British troops charged him. They thought Mercer was General Washington,

(01:34):
and they beat him and bayoneted him to almost sure death.
But they demanded that Mercer beg for quarter, which means
they wanted him to surrender. Mercer refused, and he was killed.
When Washington heard of Mercer's death from some of the
retreating troops, he told the men he himself would lead

(01:58):
them into battle. George Washington stood six foot two inches
tall when the average height was five foot six. He
towered above most men, and after his victory in Trenton,
he had already achieved legendary status. When he mounted his
chestnut horse Nelson, with the sun at his back, he

(02:19):
looked like a god among men. He looked out among
his four thousand troops, who stood silent, and he said, men,
it's a good day for a fox hunt. They cheered
and followed Washington into battle. Washington's first direct attack on
British forces, and unlike most attacks those days, he was

(02:41):
out in front. At Clark's farm. The British troops were overwhelmed.
Washington was able to break through their line and the
British retreated to New Jersey College, which is now known
as Princeton University. The remaining British troops took refuge inside
Nassa Hall the college, and it was a young artillery

(03:03):
captain named Alexander Hamilton who ordered cannons to fire upon
the building. Stunningly, for the first time in this young
American Revolutionary War, British troops were forced to surrender. In
just ten days, Washington overwhelmed Hessian soldiers in Trenton. In

(03:26):
a surprise attack. He out maneuvered General Cornwallis at asen
Pink Creek and pulled off the greatest disappearing act in
military history. And then he led the first American battlefield
victory against British troops. It culminated in what some call
the Ten Crucial Days of the Revolution. Others say it

(03:49):
was the ten Days that saved America. Had Washington failed
in any one of those three battles, the revolution would
have suffered an early day, but it found new life
in New Jersey. The British had taken Boston, they had
taken New York, but Washington took New Jersey, and it

(04:10):
was in New Jersey that the tide of the war turned.

Speaker 2 (04:16):
Excellent. Excellent, Larry, You've been magnificent in critiquing how really
there were more battles in New Jersey than anywhere else.
They led ultimately to us freeing ourselves from the tyranny
of the crowd and forcing the Bridge trained professional army,
the best in the world, and their mercenaries in Hessians,

(04:37):
to surrender to the rebel army, which was considered disgraceful.
And yet they followed the procedures of how they had
been trained. When surrounded and it looked like all your
men might become cannon fodder, you surrender. But imagine surrendering
to the rebels.

Speaker 1 (04:53):
For the first time. They had won every battle up
until that point. And then Washington won two against the
Hessians and then directly with British forces. No, it was
an amazing time. And you're right, more battles were fought
in New Jersey than in any other colony. Oh, in
now states there were six hundred battles and skirmishes in
New Jersey. No other state is even close. And what

(05:15):
gets me is that we always talk about Boston. We
always talk about Philadelphia, even New York, but New Jersey
doesn't get its.

Speaker 2 (05:23):
Due, none, none, and it's shameful both in the South,
which is in the shadow of the Philadelphia media market,
in the north the New York City media market. But
in all those battles, I've noticed in doing the research
for this, the Patriots, the Continental Army at different times
flew different flags and then they eventually settled on the

(05:44):
one flag of Betsy Ross who made that in Philadelphia.
Her house is still there that so many tourists go to,
not far from the Liberty Bell. You know, Sunday is
Flag Day. You would never know that walking around New
York City. Flags of every freaking country that you can't
even find on a map, but their flags are flying
because of World Cup. But thank god, on this Flag

(06:07):
Day Sunday, which will also be the eightieth birthday of
President Donald Trump, we wish him all the best and
will be the scene of the UFC fight. The White
House South lawn will be festooned with American flags, and
you better believe the President will acknowledge what so many
other Americans don't even know. Our Flag Day is June fourteenth,

(06:28):
was established by Woodrow Wilson back in nineteen eighteen. My god,
fly the American Flag Police.

Speaker 1 (06:34):
And it happened because of a push by American citizens.
They kept pushing for it and pushing for it and
pushing for it, and finally it happened. Hey, when we
come back, are we really near a peace deal now?
President Trump says he wants to sign this memorandum of
a deal in Europe during next week's visit. We'll find out.

(06:54):
Plus head to seven TENWR dot com for the Special
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