Bandon recorder., December 19, 1907, Image 23

I
'’F. •
-’il *
CHRISTMAS
W ashington C rossing
the
Christmas Night 1776
America’s Most
Memorauble
Christmas.
By ROBERTOS LOVE.
(Copyright, 1807, by Robertus Love.]
HE most memorable Christmas
In American history was that of
1776, the day on which Wash­
ington crossed the Delaware.
As a matter of fact, Washington and
his army crossed the Delaware four
times during that same month, but It
was the crossing on Christmas night
that made vivid history. The picture
of “Washington Crossing the Dela­
ware,” framed as a colored chromo or
a black and white print, has been fa­
miliar to two generations of Ameri­
cans. But how many of us know Just
why, how and where Washington
crossed the Delaware, what bearing
that movement had upon the destiny
of America, who painted the famous
picture from which the familiar
chromo« are made and where the origi­
nal oil painting may be seen today?
Driven from Long I sin nd and New
York across “the Jerseys.” Washing­
ton’s defeated and discouraged army
was pursued closely by the British un­
der Cornwallis. Washington reached
Treutou Dec. 2 and began preparations
(or crossing over into Pennsylvania.
Collecting all the boats he could find,
he sent his army across the river on
the night of the 7th, following with
the rear guard the next morning, just
as Cornwallis, as the historian Ixissing
puts it, “came down, with great pomp
and parade, to the opposite shore.”
Cornwallis expected to find Iwata and
cross the river, capture Philadelphia,
the capital of the struggling colonies,
and end the rebellion In short order.
But the wily Washington had destroy­
ed all the boats which he could aot
hide on the Pennsylvahla shore for bls
own future use. The British general
therefore decided to wait until the riv­
er froze, so that he could cross on the
ice. Mild weather prevailed for a fort­
night. In the uMaatlma Washington
had placed strong guards at several
fords and ferries up and down the
river, the enemy also posting detach­
ments at Important points on the New
Jersey side. Washington, with a por­
tion of his army, was encamped at
Newtown, a little northeast of Bristol,
Pa. The British garrison at Trenton
consisted of about 1,500 Hessians and
some British light horse under com­
mand of Colonel Ball, a gallant Hes­
sian officer.
The capture of Philadelphia seemed
so imminent that by advice of General
Putnam, in command there, the Con­
tinental congress retired to Baltimore.
The situation was highly critical. The
time of service for which most of
Washington’s men had enlisted would
expire within ten days, and unless
money could be had for their payment
few of them would remain tn the field.
Many citizens wh^ had espoused the
patriot cause became discouraged and
went over to the enemy. Cornwallis
was so pop sure that the “rebels” were
•n their last legs and lie war prac­
tically over that he went to New York
with the Intention to sal) for England
on leave of absence.
Washington felt that some decisive
blow must be struck The British must
be shown that the Americans still had
fight in them. Timid citizens In their
homes must be encouraged by a dem­
onstration of patriotic valor aud milt-
tad prowess. Accordingly Washing­
ton planned attacks at several points
along the river, but he could not in­
duce some of his subordinate com­
manders to co-operate with him. They
t^ould not cross the river, they said.
T
o
O
7
But Washington could and did.
proposed to go over and give the Hes­
sians at Trenton a Christinas after­
math in the way of a daylight surprise
the morning after Christmas, knowing
that the Jolly Germans would be more
or less demoralized by their bibulous
manner of celebrating the anniversary.
Washington’s troops at Newtown
were chiefly New Englanders. He bad
about 2,400 men and twenty pieces of
artillery. The weather had turned
mneb colder toward Christmas, and on
the afternoon of that day a chill storm
of snow and sleet began, lasting
through the night. Washington’s troops
marched to McConkey’s ferry In the
snowstorm. McConkey’s was a river­
side Inn on the New Jersey bank of
the Delaware about nine miles above
Trenton. The boats previously hidden
by the Americans were collected at this
point, opposite McConkey’s house, and
at dusk the soldiers began crossing.
Everybody knows, of course, that "ths
river was full of floating lee,” but
Colonel Olover and his fishermen sol­
diers from Marblehead did not mind
that. They knew how to guide boats
amid cakos of Ice. These Massachu-
setts flshermen were placed in charge
of the boats.
The plan of Washington was to reach
Trenton by 6 o'clock in the morning
and catch the Hessians sleeping off
their Christmas potations, He counted
upon getting the whole army across by
midnight Owing to the delay caused
by the ice and the storm it was 3
o’clock In the morning when the last
boat load of patrolts reached the Jer­
sey shore. By 4 o’clock the force was
formed ready for the march upon
Trenton. Colonel Henry Knox had
brought over his cannon on the frail
flatboan, with horses to pull the pieces
along the road.
General Washington crossed the riv­
er a little before midnight. The In-
matea of McConkey's bouse were astir
practically all night, brewing big Jo­
rums of hot and steaming punch, which
the cold and weary Continental officers
drank with eager zest It Is related
that esrly in the morning hours Wash­
ington himself stepped Into the inn
and found some of his young officers
Inclined to loiter by the fire and in­
dulge In extra potations. There was
more serious work on hand. Washing­
ton. it is said, drank just one stout
"snifter" and ordered his officers to be
al)$ut their business. McConkey’s house
»till stands, find the place is known
now as Washington’s Crossing.
Washington divided his forces Into
two bodies, one to march down the
river road and attack the enemy from
the west, the other to enter the town
from the north. The commander in­
structed all his officers to set their
watches by bis, so that the attack
might be made simultaneously at every
point, It was 8 o’clock when the en-
emy’s outpoets were encountered and
driven in, firing from behind trees and
fences as they ran.
Colonel Rail hud been up all night,
with other officers, carousing and play­
ing cards at the house of a Tory.
Though the attack was made three
hours later than had Iieen intended,
it was still practically a surprise. Rail
buckled on his sword ar.d gallantly
tried to rally his demoralized forces,
but it was too late. Already the light
horse and 600 Hessians had taken flight
and escaped. Knox had planted his
cannon to sweep the principal streets,
and the attack from all points was
furious. Colonel Rail fell mortally
wounded, and a little later he sur­
rendered his sword to Washington.
The American commander took nearly
a thousand prisoners, with many stands
of arms, cannon and other equipment.
The victory was complete. Cornwallis
deferred his trip to England, remain­
ing here to surrender to Washlngtotfat
Yorktown five years later.
The next day Washington’s army re-
crossed the river, taking the Hessian
prisoners to Newtown. On the 29th.
his forces having been increased by the
arrival of other troops, he made the
passage of the Delaware for the fourth
time in a month, reoccupying Trenton
until forced to retire to Princeton by
the maneuvers of Cornwallis. In cross­
ing and recrossing the river and fight­
ing the battle of Trenton Washington
lost only seven men. Two were killed,
four were wounded and one frozen to
death.
The famous picture “Washington
Crossing the Delaware” was painted In
1861 by Emanuel Leutze, who was
born in Württemberg In 1816 and died
at Washington in 1868, having settled
permanently in America. Leutse paint­
ed several other American historical
scenes. The Washington picture, an
immense canvas to which no printed
reproduction can do Justice, now bangs
in the Metropolitan Museum of Art,
New York city, where it may be seen
free of charge by any American patriot
—or by any Hessian or British visitor,
for tt-t matter. The great painting
was presented to the museum ten
years ago by John 8. Kennedy. It is a
matter of congratulation that this ar­
tistic representation of an inspiring In­
cident connected with America’s most
historic Christmas now belongs prac­
tically to the people of America, one
and all.
c
An English Superstition,
The most popular superstition !■
many parts of England is that every
remnant of Christmas decoration must
be removed before Candlemas day.
Should a sprig of holly or other ever­
green be left In any house one of Its
occupants will die within the year.
C
-
TM. MglHÛFOLlTAN MUitUM CF AKT
D elaware
Hidden Gifts
of the....
Christmastide
Christinas
With Lo, the
Poor Indian
By ALOYSIUS COLL.
ANY of the Indians who still
keep up their tribal existence
are Christians. To them as
to the white people Christmas
is an important anniversary, but they
celebrate it In their own way. This
way would not be approved by certain
Christian denominations of white peo­
ple because It Includes as the chief
feature a dance.
The southwestern Indian tribes have
a sjieclal fondness for all sorts of cere­
monial dances. When white people
dance they do it for the aesthetic
pleasure of the performance, the poetry
of motion, so to speak. Not so with
the Indians. Every dance haB a deep
significance to them. When they as­
semble for their Christinas observance
they begin by praying for rain and
bountiful crops.
Then follows the dance. This is the
only dance in which the women are
permitted to take part. The men and
women form in opposite lines and
start up a song, their bodies swaying
in rhythm. Then they break up Into
groups aud dance toward each other
with a hippity-hop step, holding their
bodies rigid.
The next movement is to form a cir-
cle and dance around a Christmas tree
M
(Sioux Mother and Child)
just an good. Nearly always the In­
dian baby gets things of bright colors.
Indians, big anil little, are particularly
fond of garish hues. A red necktie, a
blue ribbon, a yellow scarf or a stick
of striped candy may be the selection
of Santa Chius, but a string <jjf shells
or beads, the tooth of an elk or the
claw of a bear is more likely to be the
papoose's present.
When papoose wakes up anil finds
Its gifts it is Just as happy as the rich­
est white child in the land.
Christmas on Christmas Island.
i
Ute Mother and ¿Mid]
Ready for Santa Gaus |
hung with articles which, according to
the missionaries, are the gifts of Santa
Claus to good Indians. The Indians
kneel and pray in front of an altar
during the performance.
When Santa Claus visits the Indian
papoose on the plains'* he does not find
stockings In which to deposit his pres­
From the Yuletide Cynio.
ents. As a rule, the little Indian in
Thank heaven, it isn't only the aris­
the tepee does not wear stockings, for
tocrat who can have a family tree at
Christmas.
the first year or two at any rate. Th«
Be Christmas white or Christmas green. baby is strnpjied to a board. Its body
It’s all the same to you
wrapped in warm skins and only its
If Christmas finds you all serene
head sticking out, ao that it can cry
And doesn't make you blue.
without being cramped for apace.
It doesn’t take a magician to trans­
Frequently the papoose takes its
form a small boy into a turkey gob­ naps in an upright position, its mother
bler.
leaning the baby board against the
When Santa Claus come« down ths tepee pole.
chimney be chases many a man up tbs
On Christmas eve Santa Claus steals
spout.
into the tepee and lays tieside the
It’s the vanity o/ the sex that sleeping papoose its Christmas pres­
prompts the female turkey to wonder
bow she is going to bo dressed for the ents. These are not so numerous or ao
costly as the white baby’s presents,
but to the little bronxe baby they are
I
They never have any "white’’ Christ­
mases ou Christinas island. The ther­
mometer never lulls below 70 and nev­
er rises above IM) in the shade.
Christmas island lies about 250 miles
southeast of the western extremity of
Java. It is in the Indian ocean and
belongs to Great Britain, having been
annexed In 1888. This interesting lit­
tle bit of land in midsea appears to
have been originally u coral reef, which
by volcanic forces has Iieen raised so
high that at its highest point It sticks
out of tlie water 1,000 feet. In shape
it is an Irregular quadrilateral, it has
an urea of about twenty square miles.
The British have formed a settlement
on the island for the development of
the phosphate lieds, which are said to
be rich. This material Is used for fer­
tilizer.
A globe trotter who spent last Christ­
mas very appropriately on Christmas
island says: "Christmas morning I
bathed in the sea. Christmas after­
noon. dressed In white flannel. I played
tennis
It Is always summer there.
A pure, cool breeze always blows from
the southeast. In January the fresh
fruits and flowers and vegetables are
ns plentiful as during July or August
In the United States. Christmas island
Is a little paradise nine tulles wide
o
and about ten miles long."
Christmas Tree For Cat.
I Christmas Is tla- great religious festl-
val when the kind heart Anils many
ways of ministering to the Joy and
pleasure of others. The good women
of Boston who originated and sustain
the Animal Rescue league have hit up­
on the unique Idea of a Christmas tree
for the cats that are waiting for homes
at that Institution A bush la provided
and trimmed with meat and other suit­
able eatables for such animals, ami
Just before they are turued into the
room the memliers of the Kindness
club are admitted to enjoy the antics
of the cats.
This club Is composed of boys whose
ages range from eight to thirteen
years and Is the outcome of the
league’s work in a jioor section of Bos­
ton. They are pledged to do some kind
act each day and to protect animals
from cruelty. After the cats hare de
molKlied the tree and gone to sleep
the boys are given refreshments and
sent borne truly filled with the spirit at
Christmas.—New York Mall and E*-
[Copyright, 1907, by Aloyslus Coll.]
'T'HINK you, my little baby boy,
That the gifts are all for you—
The picture books and the painted
blocks
And the soldier men in blue?
But what of the joy in mother's heart
When she nw you dance for glee,
When you woke to see the candles burn
On the boughs of the Christmas tree?
Y7OU clapped your hand« and you
laughed aloud
When you found the little plow
With the oxen team that jogged on
wheels
In the shade of the greenwood bough,
But what of the silent tenderness
That stirred in mother’s breast
When you drove the oxen to the barn
In the twilight hour to rest?
OUR eyes in wonder opened wide
When you saw that the little
train
Would rattle down the carpet track
And then run back again
But what of the golden train of thought
That follows your baby feet
To scatter the flowers of mother love
Where the way is bright and iwut?
Y
(TLAPPKD Yom HANDS
LACOHKD ALOUD.
AND
TOG
OU set the sails on your tiny ship,
And you sent it out to sea
On a silver lake with shores of moss
When the wind was fair and free,
But what of my silver lake ef dreams
Where never a ship may start,
But bears you at the prow to sound
The fathoms of my heart?
Y
Unyok* the oxen team,
And draw the Area ir your painted
train,
Como to my arms and dream,
o
Tor thine are the gifts of a tender day
And a night of childish joy;
Mine io the everlasting gift
Of a mother’s heart—my boy!
Her Best Friend’s Gift.
Wickers
Isn’t if unfortunate that
dark Miss Manley has juftt the faintest
suspicion of n mustache?
Her Best Friend It is. indeed,
sympathized with her last Christmas.
Wickers Sympathized?
Her Best Friend- Yea. Without the
poor dear know ing it I sent her a mus­
tache cup.
Yas, Indeed.
A man may have a heart big enough
to love two women at one time, but he
ought to have more head.—Smart Set