The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1931-07-03
Real Story. Of
Trenton ), Ill..|ty !. Fight / ''i|

,
In the Star Magazine OF February %
was reproduction of the picture by
Emmanuel Leutze of washington
Crossing the Delaware" in which the
general Is portrayed standing at the
bow of the boat on dress parade"
The descriptive article in regard to
the picture said that itfhad been sug-
gested that Washington endangered his
boat by standing and that there was
no historical data as to the generals
exact position in, the boat. The fol-
lowing letter from C. P. Philbricl< of
Downey, Calf; throws am Interesting
light on this question.
May I offer the following that may
to some extent supply. the deficiency?
In 1860, just before starting from
Boston for Kansas, my mother took
me with her to pay parting visit
to her old friends near the place of
my birth, Manchester, N. H. / was
then q boy nine years old. Among
others that we visited was very old
man whose name / cannot now recall,
but who had crossed the Delaware"
with Washington. He said that at the
time of the battle of Trenton he was
fourteen years old, so it is easy to
compute his age as being ninety-eight
at the time of our interview.
He was a native OF Marblehead,
Mass; and he belonged eto4 the contin-
gent known as the 'Marblehead Fish
ermen," which body of men, history
tells us, was very efficient in the
handling of boats for. Washington, and
rendered such service at the famous
crossing of the Delaware.
Spies had brought reports to- Gen.
eral Washington that the Hessians at
Trenton were holding "high carnival"
with Christmas hilarity; that, owing
to fancied immunity from the posi-
bility of attack by Washington, then
on the opposite side of the ice-gorged
river, they had almost abandoned
military vigilance, and, in fact, were
mostly all "drunk"
Washington saw his opportunity to
strike blow and decided to make the
attempt, issuing orders that absolute
silence must be maintained until the
moment Of collision with the enemy,
and then to use the bayonet exclusive
ly, and to endeavOr to avoid the dis
charge of firearms. To the marble
head Fishermen" was assigned the
handling of the boats, and all were or
dered to obey the instructions of that
s'water wise" body of men.
Instructed to Lie Down.
Accordingly, all armed men were
Instructed to lie down in the bottoms
of the boats. Washington himself lay
down in one Of the largest boats, at it's
stern, covered up with a fisherman's
"slicker." All loud talking was forbid
den.
After landing, rush was made for
the Hessian sentry posts, many of the
sentinels being caught mapping. All
were, as the old man gieefully said,
"bagneted like rats" When the quar-
tiers were reached the same method
was applied to the Hessians as they
swarmed out and attempted forma-
ton. Colonel Rail-, the commander,
was mortally wounded by numerous
bayonet thrusts.
Washington, as we know, after most
Of the Hessians that were able to fight
had been successfully "bagneted," had
to make a hurried getaway, as the
main body of the British army was
only short distance. away. The cap
tured survivors were hurried to. the
boats and taken back across the river
as prisoners of war. Washington and
most of his men were back to their
old position before the British knew
definitely what had happened.
Hatred for Hessians.
The foregoing is practically the old
veterans story. only eliminating a pro-
fuse profanity with which it was dec
GRATED. Ills hatred of the Hessians
was intense, and his old eyes would
CLEAN when he told of ''ramming the
bagnets in the id Hessians." The