The Crossing
| Artist | Emanuel Leutze |
|---|---|
| Year | 1851 |
| Type | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 378.5 cm × 647.7 cm (149 in × 255 in) |
| Location | Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City |
On the night of December 25–26, 1776, General George Washington and a small army of 2,400 men crossed the Delaware River at McKonkey's Ferry, Pennsylvania on their way to attack a Hessian garrison of 1,500 in Trenton, New Jersey. The crossing, made during a time when morale was at its lowest point during the American Revolution, renewed hope among the Continental Army, Congress and the general population. The soldiers and the Continental Army had contracts and they were all paid out, General Washington gave one of his most famous speeches, convincing the tired, hungry, miserable soldiers to stay at least until they had finished this battle, and they did. Later, at the Battle of Trenton, they were able to force the Hessian soldiers to surrender, without any American casualties.
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Read more about this topic: Washington Crossing Historic Park
Famous quotes containing the word crossing:
“This was charming, no doubt: but they shortly found out
That the Captain they trusted so well
Had only one notion for crossing the ocean,
And that was to tingle his bell.”
—Lewis Carroll [Charles Lutwidge Dodgson] (1832–1898)
“Bodhidharma sailing the Yangtze on a reed
Lenin in a sealed train through Germany
Hsuan Tsang, crossing the Pamirs
Joseph, Crazy Horse, living the last free
starving high-country winter of their tribes.
Surrender into freedom revolt into slavery—”
—Gary Snyder (b. 1930)