Jack E. Levin (1925–2018)
Teoksen Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address Illustrated tekijä
Tietoja tekijästä
Jack E. Levin has been an author, artist, and small businessman. He has written several books including Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address Illustrated, George Washington: The Crossing, and Malice Toward None: Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address. (Bowker Author Biography)
Tekijän teokset
Merkitty avainsanalla
Yleistieto
- Syntymäaika
- 1925-06-11
- Kuolinaika
- 2018-10-15
- Sukupuoli
- male
- Kansalaisuus
- USA
- Asuinpaikat
- Florida, USA
- Suhteet
- Levin, Mark R. (son)
Jäseniä
Kirja-arvosteluja
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Associated Authors
Tilastot
- Teokset
- 7
- Jäseniä
- 481
- Suosituimmuussija
- #51,317
- Arvio (tähdet)
- 4.2
- Kirja-arvosteluja
- 7
- ISBN:t
- 19
You have seen the painting of Washington crossing the Delaware, standing up in the prow of a boat with his men struggling to steer, row and paddle in various action poses. (The painting is often noted for showing an African-American soldier in the crowded boat.) That passage across the Delaware River in the winter of 1776 was just part of a daring plan that probably saved the American Revolution, and that is why Levin has asked us to remember it.
In my humble opinion, George Washington was hardly the greatest military commander in American history, but he did outdo himself in the Battle of Trenton, and it is consequently a worthy event to consider for both historical and military reasons.
Levin does have a point of view but it is well supported. He cites evidence that Washington was not entirely confident in his ability to command the ragtag American army and defeat the British. Some think that Washington was guilty of false modesty, but doubt was only realistic; the British were the world 19s leading military power, and the American military had no foundation 14the Revolution was its foundation. Although he had driven the British out of Boston, Washington subsequently had a series of setbacks before he achieved his major victory at Trenton.
Levin briefly describes how the British had chased Washington across Long Island and New York City and across New Jersey. Here 14as he would later on as well 14Washington demonstrated his true genius for retreating. This might sound like a putdown, but retreating in an orderly manner that results in saving one 19s army to fight another day is no mean skill, even if it is the best one in one 19s set. It requires, for one thing, the humility to face the fact that one 19s position is untenable and that one must retreat. A general who is too narcissistic to admit that he is losing a battle will likely throw good men and resources after bad until the enemy has whittled him down to nothing.
Only because it was winter and Christmas was fast approaching did the British let up and retire from chasing Washington any further. They had done well, having taken control of New York and established themselves in New Jersey. Now Washington realized that he must do something daring or else be utterly defeated in the New Year. What he did was an enormous risk. He brought his hungry, cold, half-supplied army to the banks of the Delaware, crossed its treacherous, frigid waters in whatever boats could be scared up, then marched his men several miles to Trenton, hoping against hope to get there before dawn. This whole operation came to be three hours behind schedule, making Washington anxious that he would arrive in Trenton so well after dawn that there would be no surprise on his side. Yet fortune favors the bold 14at least it did in this instance.
Trenton was defended by a German-speaking Hessian unit. They were crack professional soldiers, mercenaries hired by the British to augment the regular British units used during the American Revolution to try to put down the rebellion. It was Christmas Day, however, when Washington arrived in Trenton completely unannounced. The Hessians 14from their commanding officer to the lowliest private soldiers 14had been celebrating the night before. Most were drunk and asleep. It didn 19t matter that Washington arrived after the sun had come up. The Hessians might not have been ready for him even if he had come at noon.
In the ensuing battle, the Hessians did try to mount a defense, but in the end they suffered the most casualties, the survivors were captured and Washington 19s army took control of Trenton. News of the rebel victory spread around the world and had the effect of dispiriting some British people and their parliamentary representatives, persuading some continental Europeans that the American Revolution might be worth supporting, as well as similarly buoying the spirits of Americans who might have been doubtful that an American army could defeat one sent against them by the British.
There would, of course, be other such moments in the War of Independence, because the European powers were not convinced by one victory that they should go all in and invest large amounts of their treasure in America 19s David against Britain 19s Goliath. The later Battle of Saratoga in upstate New York would be another such moment. Unexpectedly, an upstart American army 14not under Washington this time 14defeated a weakened British army that had begun with the overly ambitious idea of cutting off the New England colonies from New York and the mid-Atlantic colonies. In the parlance of today, it was an epic fail for the British.
But Levin is not trying to tell us the whole story of the American Revolution, just one remarkable moment.… (lisätietoja)