OR Post 5: 1776

After the loss of New York, Washington and his men begin a retreat. The Battle of White Plains caused more nuisance than casualties, only resulting in about 300 on each side. The retreat begins westward for the colonists. Now as December begins he British were in full control over New York and with their control they raided Fort Washington in Manhatten and Fort Lee in New Jersey. Those attacks on the forts not only resulted in over 3000 casualties for the Americans, but also a great store of arms. Washington soon crosses the Delaware toward Pennsylvania. But since rumors of an attack on Philidelphia led the Congress to flee to Baltimore. As the Congress left they appointed Robert Morris to head the affairs in Philidelphia, by now an all but- abandoned city. (270) As Christmas Eve came so did the plan to attack Delaware, a city under British control. With an army of 4600 men Washington was to cross the delaware river at midnight on Christmas Day. This offensive and crossing of the Delaware is now immortalized in a famous painting showing Washington standing in his boat crossing the icy waters of the Delaware. The battle for Trenton was mostly brutal melee combat with bayonets in houses. The Hessian resistance was no match for the American element of surprise and was easily defeated.
At the end of 1776 the war was far from over but it gave the colonists hope of a day when they are no longer terrorized by the crown. Near the end of the story the author states, "Above all, Washington never forgot what was at stake and he never gave up" (293). Without the leadership and relentless pursuit of the goal by Washington the revolution would have almost certainly failed. The struggle for the Americans was oinly beginning after 1776 and no battle would prove unimportant in the ultimate victory. The struggle was for David to take down Goliath and in the end David prevailed.