American History Tellers - American Revolution | The Times That Try Men's Souls | 3

Episode Date: June 17, 2026

In July 1776, the British Royal Navy began landing a massive armada in New York Harbor, setting up the biggest battle of the Revolutionary War. In response, General George Washington faced the daunting challenge of preparing his motley army to defend New York and keep the colonists’ hopes alive.In the months that followed, faith in the cause of independence began to waver, and the Continental Army teetered on the brink of collapse. But on Christmas night, the Patriots made a bold strike against the British Army that began with a daring crossing of the icy Delaware River.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Hello American history teller listeners. I have an exciting announcement. I'm going on tour and coming to a theater near you. This live show is a thrilling evening of history, storytelling and music with a full band accompanying me as we look back to explore the days that made America. And they aren't the days that you might think. Sure, everyone knows July 4, 1776. We'll be hearing a lot about that date this year. But there are many other days that are maybe even more influential. So come out to see me live. More shows to be announced soon. So for information on tickets and upcoming dates, go to American History Live.com. That's American History Live.com. Come see my Days That Made America Tour, live on stage. Go to American History Live.com.

Imagine it's July 1776, and you're at home in lower Manhattan, peering out a window as rebel soldiers with the Continental Army march down your street. You jump at the sound of a heavy knock on the front door and push past a servant to open it yourself. A Continental Army officer stands on your doorstep, sweat beating on his forehead beneath his tricorn hat. You straighten your back and meet his gaze. Yes, may I help you? Good afternoon, ma'am.

I've come to inform you that your home is being sequestered for the quartering of Continental Army officers. You and your family will remove yourselves at once. A stab of fear runs through you, and your hand twitches on the door handle. Well, my husband is out at the moment. Why don't you, gentlemen, come back later. He'll be back this evening. Actually, ma'am, I'm afraid your husband won't be coming home at all. He's been arrested for aiding and abetting the enemy.

What do you mean? Where have you taken him? Ma'am, my orders are to secure this residence. Well, what right do you have to kick me out of my own house? My orders are explicit. Your eldest daughter appears by your side, and the officer flicks his gaze in her direction. Take whatever belongings you can carry, and the rest will be confiscated. Where are we supposed to go? Makes no difference to me.

You might as well join the rest of the Tories. scum running off to Staten Island. Fact is, I don't care where you go, but you need to get out of this house. And what if I refuse? That would be unwise. Your daughter grips your arm tightly. You lean down and place your hand on her shoulder. All right, go upstairs and start gathering your things.

Go now. As your daughter runs off, you turn back to the officer. You men are criminals. The true patriots are those who swear their allegiance to the king and respect the rule of law. Ma'am, stand aside. The officer ushers his men through the door and you stumble back. With your heart hammering in your chest, you hike up your skirt and run upstairs to retrieve your children, sick with the feeling that your home is no longer yours. When a charming neurosurgeon rode into western towns selling a persona of confidence and care, patients trusted him.

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Be fascinating. From Audible originals, I'm Lindsay Graham, and this is American History Tellers. Our History. Your Story. In July 1776, New York City became the story. strategic battleground of the American Revolution. As continental army soldiers poured into the city, hundreds of loyalists were driven from their homes, branded as traitors to the newly independent United States. Just days after Congress declared independence, the new American nation faced an ominous threat to its young existence. Great Britain had dispatched the largest armada to ever

crossed the Atlantic Ocean, bent on crushing the rebellion with a decisive strike against New York. And as British ships filled New York Harbor, General George Washington faced the impossible challenge of preparing his Motley Army for the biggest battle of the Revolutionary War. And in the months that followed, faith in the cause began to waver, and many wondered if Washington had what it took to lead the Patriots to victory, but he refused to give up until he had pushed his soldiers to their very limits. This is Episode 3, The Times That Try Men's Souls. On June 29, 1776, American lookout stationed on Staten Island spotted white sails on the horizon.

Forty-five British warships were sailing toward New York Harbor, heralding the start of a massive invasion. Three days later, just as the Continental Congress approved the Declaration of Independence, British Commander-in-Chief General William Howe began landing soldiers on New York Staten Island, only a few miles across the harbor from Manhattan. From this Staten Island base, he awaited the arrival of more than 400 ships carrying 32,000 soldiers, 10,000 sailors, and 1,200 cannons. It was the largest attacking force to ever sail from European waters. And the sight of this British fleet sparked panic in New York City. Colonel Henry Knox described the scene in a letter to his brother, writing,

My God, you can scarcely conceive of the distress and anxiety, the city in an uproar, the alarm guns firing, the troops repairing to their posts. After evacuating Boston, four months earlier, the British had decided to shift their focus to New York because of its vital port and central location. Both sides understood New York's strategic importance. As John Adams explained, New York was the nexus of the northern and southern colonies, and a kind of key to the whole continent. Whoever controlled New York controlled the Hudson River, the gateway to Canada and the interior of the continent. The British hoped that if they could seize New York, they could cut off New England from the rest of the colonies, isolating what they considered

to be the hotbed of the rebellion. They also believed they could accomplish it without much effort. One British officer predicted, we shall soon be done with these scoundrels, for one only dirties one's fingers by meddling with them. Another official affirmed that American soldiers were raw, undisciplined, cowardly men who would collapse under a simple show of force. The British were also counting on support from New York's large loyalist population. The city was home, to a cosmopolitan merchant community and a powerful Anglican church, both closely tied to Britain. But by the summer of 1776, the revolution had torn the city apart. For several weeks, Patriot mobs had flooded the streets. Suspected loyalists were beaten, burned, and tard, and feathered,

and dozens were hauled off to a makeshift prison in an old Connecticut copper mine, 70 feet below the earth. But despite this chaos and the fact that thousands of loyalists had already fled Manhattan, Staten Island remained a loyalist stronghold, and crowds of supporters cheered the British forces as they stepped ashore. Meanwhile, George Washington faced the problem of defending New York from the British invaders. Since April, his army of 19,000 men had worked day and night building defenses in Manhattan and in neighboring Brooklyn Heights. But Washington had no warships to confront the Royal Navy and only a small number of cannons. He knew his army was outmatched, admitting to his brother, we expect a very bloody summer at New York, and I'm sorry to say that we are not,

either in men or arms, prepared for it. Making matters worse, Washington had no idea when or where the British would strike. Both the British and American armies relied on spies and informants to gather intelligence on the enemy, but that summer Washington struggled to gather reliable reports on General Howe and his brother, Admiral Richard Howe, commander of the British fleet. And without good intelligence, he could only rely on rumor and his own intuition. But his questions were finally answered on August 22, 1776, when the British made their move. Under the cover of naval guns, they landed the first of 20,000 British soldiers and Hessian mercenaries at Gravesend Bay on Long Island, only five miles south of the American fortifications at Brooklyn Heights.

These Hessian troops, with their towering brass-plated headgear and fearsome reputations, served as a powerful propaganda tool. Some Americans even believe them capable of cannibalism. But Washington urged his troops to fight with courage, declaring the hours fast approaching on which the safety of our bleeding country depends. And suspecting that the landing on Long Island was only a diversion, Washington divided his army. Leaving half of his troops in Manhattan, he posted just 10,000 men on Long Island, on defenses stretching across Gowanus Heights to the south and Brooklyn Heights to the north. But after Washington's trusted General Nathaniel Green fell ill, command passed to another officer who made the

critical mistake of leaving Jamaica Pass on the left edge of Gowanus Heights unguarded. Local loyalists noticed the gap in the American defenses and passed the information to General Howe. So on the night of August 26th, with the help of three loyalists guides, 10,000 British and Heshen troops quietly slipped through Jamaica Pass and positioned themselves at the American rear. The Battle of Long Island began early the following morning, with 4,000 British and Hessian troops attacking the Continental Army head on. The Americans managed to hold their own, but this frontal attack was only a distraction. Soon the other column of 10,000 British soldiers struck from behind.

A sea of redcoats collapsed the Patriot lines and sent the inexperienced Americans fleeing for their lives. As the Patriots retreated to their defenses on Brooklyn Heights, roughly 400 Maryland soldiers launched repeated bayonet charges to cover their escape. Most were killed or captured, but their sacrifice helped their comrades reach safety. One German chaplain who witnessed the battle wrote, The slaughter was horrible. I went over the battlefield among the dead, who mostly had been hacked and shot all to pieces.

Washington, too, watched the fighting from a spyglass on Brooklyn Heights. Ringing his hands, he cried out, What brave fellows must I lose this day? And by noon, the bloodbath was over. The largest battle of the Revolutionary War had left 2,000 Americans killed, wounded or captured, compared to only 400 casualties on the British side. One British officer called the battle a cheap and complete victory.

All that remained was to finish the job by destroying what was left of Washington's defeated army. Imagine it's the night of August 27, 1776 on Long Island. You're a British Army officer, and you're walking through a hallway in the home serving as General William Howe's headquarters. You knock softly on the open door of House study, where he sits alone in a high-backed chair, a glass of wine in his hand. Good evening, General. May I speak freely? Howell looks up with an expression of mild surprise. What is it? You take a seat in the chair opposite him by the fire.

Well, to start, I must congratulate you on today's victory. Hal raises his glass in gratitude. Thankfully, it was not too dearly bought. That's just it, sir. We're so close to accomplishing our goals we have the Americans surrounded with the East River to their backs. They're crowded inside their defenses with nowhere to go. I believe it's time we press our advantage. Let's storm the American lines on Brooklyn Heights and be done.

with it. No. No, I won't sacrifice any more of my men than absolutely necessary. I won't subject this army to another bunker hill. What do you mean, sir? Do you suggest we sit back, give them time to rebuild their strength? I simply don't see any reason to hurry, given how well today went. You shake your head, how almost never sees reason to hurry. I'm afraid I don't understand. Patience. I have Washington right where I want him. All we must do now is wait for my brother to move his warships behind their position to prevent their escape across the river. We'll wear them down with a siege, not slaughter. But, sir, we are losing the chance to demolish the rebels in one final stroke.

No, if I cause unnecessary bloodshed in the American ranks, the rebellious colonies will never accept the authority of the crown. Don't you see? We will lose them forever. But, sir, if we don't finish the job, our men who died today will have died in vain. Howe drains his wine glass, and you feel the heat of his steely gaze. I will not initiate a massacre if I don't have to. Besides, any day now, the Americans will see their error and begin to negotiate.

They'll realize they can't go on like this. You rise from your chair, working hard to contain your frustration. Very well, sir. I will take my leave. You step back into the hall, furious with Howe for refusing to end this war now. Your mind drifts to the American camps and the thought that every moment that Howe hesitates, victory slips further from your grasp. After the Battle of Long Island, the Patriots were trapped on Brooklyn Heights with their backs to the East River, which separated Brooklyn from Manhattan. But General William Howe, remembering

the cost of the victory at Bunker Hill, failed to press the attack. One Continental Army officer declared, General Howe is either our friend or no general. He had our whole army in his power. Instead, Howe stood down, just as a storm blew in on August 28th and kept the British fleet from entering the East River. The drenching rain gave Washington time to orchestrate a daring evacuation. The following night, under the cover of thick fog, boats crewed by a regiment of fishermen, smugglers, and seamen from Marblehead, Massachusetts, began ferrying 9,000 soldiers across the East River to Manhattan. Washington himself was the last to leave. And when dawn broke, the British discovered that the Americans had vanished. Despite their crushing defeat,

Washington had pulled off a miraculous retreat, and his army lived to fight another day. The next two weeks brought a lull into fighting, during which General Howe hoped the Americans would come to their senses and negotiate a peace. To that end, on September 11th, his brother, Admiral Richard Howe invited Benjamin Franklin, John Adams, and South Carolina's Edward Rutledge to meet with him at the home of a Staten Island loyalist. Over a meal of mutton, ham, and wine, the Admiral offered a truce, insisting, if America should fail, I should feel and lamented like the loss of her brother. With a wry grin, Franklin replied,

We will do our utmost endeavors to save your lordship that mortification. The talks broke down when the Americans insisted on a full recognition of United States sovereignty. House Secretary summarized the day by writing, They met, they talked, they parted, and now nothing remains but to fight it out. Then, four days after this fruitless meeting, the British renewed their offensive, landing thousands of troops at Kipps Bay on Manhattan Island. As the British seized control, panic spread through the Continental Army. Entire regiments threw down their muskets in the face of the British invaders. Washington tried and failed to get his troops to make a stand, even swatting at passing

soldiers with his sword a futile attempt to stop them from fleeing. He cried out, good God, have I got such troops as these? But facing this chaotic retreat, Washington withdrew his army north to Harlem Heights, where his soldiers rallied and drove back a British detachment, a minor clash, but a badly needed morale boost. Meanwhile, as the British took over New York City, patriots fled and loyalists poured back in from the surrounding countryside. Soon, hundreds of loyalists signed oaths affirming their allegiance to the king, and for the rest of the war, New York became Britain's primary stronghold in America. But just days after the British occupation, a massive nighttime fire destroyed a quarter of the city.

No one knew the cause, but British officials suspected rebel arsonists. Soldiers captured and executed suspects on the spot as thousands of residents fled the burning city, and those who remained faced a devastating housing and food crisis. But for now, the main theater of the war shifted away from New York as the British chased Washington's battered army across the Hudson to New Jersey. And after Washington's poor showing in Manhattan, A new rival emerged a challenge to the general's leadership,

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Start your Audible subscription in the Audible app or on Apple Podcasts. In the summer of 1776, while most of the Continental Army was facing the British in New York City, Benedict Arnold was upstate tasked with building the first United States naval fleet. Following their disastrous loss in Quebec the previous winter, Arnold's men retreated to Fort Ticonderoga on the southern end of Lake Champlain. This lake, stretching 120 miles down from the Canadian border toward the Hudson River, was a strategic route between British-held Canada and America.

Knowing that a British advance down the lake was all but inevitable, Arnold would have to transform the tiny American fleet, then just four ships, into a force capable of challenging the British Royal Navy. Arnold, now a brigadier general, was still limping from a leg wound suffered in Quebec. Smallpox and other diseases had ravaged Ticonderoga, so that only half of the 11,000 Americans manning the fort were fit for duty. And Arnold faced severe shortages of iron, guns, skilled shipbuilders, experienced sailors. He complained, we have a wretched motley crew in the fleet. The Marines are the

refuse of every regiment, and the seamen, few of them ever wet with salt water. But somehow Arnold overcame these obstacles and managed to have 16 ships ready by October when a much larger British fleet sailed down Lake Champlain from the Canadian border. And on October 11th, the British found Arnold's fleet lurking in the waters behind Valcour Island, and a fierce cannon battle began. By nightfall, Several American ships were crippled or sinking, but the rest managed to slip away under the cover of darkness. But as they retreated over the next two days, a British pursuit forced Arnold's sailors to burn nearly all their remaining ships rather than let them fall into British hands. The Americans managed to escape overland, but were forced to leave Lake Champlain under British control.

But despite this loss, the American resistance disrupted the British advance from Canada. British leaders decided to delay plans to seize control of the Hudson River Valley until the following spring, buying the Continental Army much-needed time to gather strength. Meanwhile, 200 miles to the south, George Washington was facing questions about his leadership after his army's catastrophic defeat on Long Island. Misjudging his enemy's intentions, Washington had divided his already outnumbered forces between Manhattan and Brooklyn, a move contrary to conventional military wisdom, and he had failed to secure Jamaica Pass, allowing the British to march to his rear.

John Adams, leader of the Congressional Committee in charge of war operations, put it succinctly, in general, our generals were out-generaled. And then at the end of October 1776, Washington suffered another defeat at White Plains, New York, when the British forced the Americans to retreat across the Hudson River to New Jersey. But Washington refused to abandon Fort Washington, the last American stronghold on Manhattan Island. He ordered General Nathaniel Green to hold the fort for as long as he could, but on November 16th, 8,000 British and Hessian troops overwhelmed Green's 3,000 defenders. It was the final loss of Washington's disastrous New York campaign.

He confessed his feelings of despair in a letter to his brother, writing, This has given me great mortification. I'm wearied almost to death with the retrograde motion of things. Washington's poor performance had earned him many critics, and the loudest was also his new second-in-command, General Charles Lee, a rough-mannered veteran of the French and Indian War. He was known for his long, hooked nose and his hot temper, so much so that Mohawk Indians named him boiling water. He had gained praise for defending Charleston, South Carolina, after British forces tried to attack the city in June 1776, and he resented that Congress

had passed him over for leadership of the Continental Army in favor of the less experienced Washington. So that fall, when Lee learned about the loss of Fort Washington, he reportedly became so angry that he tore out some of his own hair. In a letter to a member of Congress and fellow critic of Washington, Lee angled for command of the army himself, writing, I must entreat that you will keep what I say to yourself, but I foresaw, predicted all that has happened, had I the powers, I could do you much good. But while patriot leaders fought amongst themselves, the British crossed the Hudson River into New Jersey and began marching six miles south

towards their next target, Fort Lee, named after Charles Lee himself. Nathaniel Green organized a hasty evacuation, surrendering the fort without a fight, so his troops could not be trapped by the Superior British Force. The next day, Washington wrote to General Lee, urging him to bring his troops to New Jersey

so they could join forces to stop the British advance. But Lee ignored the request. So the retreat continued, but soldiers were not the only one, caught in the chaos. As Washington's army fled across New Jersey, the women who kept it functioning were swept up in the danger as well. During the American Revolution, thousands of women, mostly soldiers' wives, kept the army functioning by handling essential tasks such as cooking, cleaning, mending clothes, and caring for the sick and wounded in the camps. Washington often

resented the burden of feeding camp followers, calling them a clog in the army's efficiency, especially when they were pregnant or traveling with children. But he also recognized their vital contributions to morale. And boosting morale was more critical than ever in the fall of 1776. Between August and November, consecutive defeats and widespread desertion had depleted the Continental Army, reducing Washington's command from 19,000 soldiers to roughly 3,500. So to fill the ranks, he issued calls for militia reinforcements from New Jersey and Pennsylvania, but his appeals were met with silence. Washington and his officers complained that the part-time volunteers were under reliable, with General Green declaring,

militiamen who come and go every month retain all the tender feelings of domestic life, and are thus not sufficiently fortified to stand the shocking scenes of war. Washington hoped to turn the tide with another major battle, but with his army rapidly dwindling, General Howe saw no reason to engage him. One British officer gloated,

their army is broken all to pieces, and the spirit of their leaders and their abettors is all broken. One may venture to pronounce that it is well nigh over with them, And at the end of November, the British capitalized on the near collapse of the continental army by taking steps to restore the Crown's rule in New Jersey. They offered residents a free and general pardon if they swore allegiance to the king within 60 days. More than 3,000 New Jersey residents took the oath and hundreds joined loyalist forces to fight alongside the British. And as the British tightened their grip on New Jersey, the Patriot government there fled the state. In their wake,

British troops harassed and terrorized civilians, plundering homes for food and supplies and sexually assaulting local women. Patriot militias fought back with violence of their own, prompting a Hessian officer to write, The rascal peasants meet our men and shoot them in the head, then quickly hide their rifles and pretend they know nothing. Meanwhile, Washington's troops continued to melt away, and Charles Lee continued ignoring repeated requests for aid. To save his diminishing army, an escape of pursuing British, On December 8th, Washington led the battered remnants of his army across the Delaware River into Pennsylvania. Aware that the British would follow, he ordered his soldiers to round up all boats on the New Jersey side, attempting to cut off their pursuit. And with the British drawing closer to Pennsylvania,

Congress decided to flee Philadelphia for Baltimore. It was not until the second week of December that General Charles Lee finally began leading his force across New Jersey to join up with Washington. Despite the frustrating delay, Washington was deep. deeply relieved by the news, writing, General Lee is on his march to join me. If he can affect this junction, our army will again make a respectable appearance and disappoint the enemy in their plan on Philadelphia.

Washington was counting on Lee to come through, but Lee was in no mood to rush and chose to spend the night of December 12th at an isolated tavern away from his troops, a decision he would soon regret. Imagine it's the morning of December 13th, 1776, in the upstairs room of a tavern near Vueltown, Jersey. You're an aide to General Charles Lee, and you're busy packing his trunk while he

lingers over breakfast in his old blue dressing gown and slippers. For the last half hour, he's been writing a letter to a fellow officer about George Washington. He holds it up to read aloud. How does this sound? A certain great man is damnably difficult. In short, unless something changes, we are lost. You look up from folding socks and nod. Quite right, sir. Everyone can see that Washington is to blame for our troubles. But at the sound of horses outside, you move to the window and catch sight of a company of British dragoons and green uniforms approaching. Oh, General, you better come and look.

The dragoons reach the front of the tavern, and their commanding officer waves his saber in the air. He jerked back from the window, dropping out of sight. Sir, the British cavalry are here. But Lee's attention is still fixed on his letter. He signs his name with a flourish. I'm sorry, what was that? Sir, the cavalry are here, and they have a source. surrounded. You peer back over the window sill, just as one of the dragoons raises his saber

and hacks through the arm of Lee's guard standing at the entrance to the tavern. The commanding officer scans the windows as several of his men raise their rifles. Sir, they must know you were here. They've got their rifles aimed right at us. Lee looks at you in panic. Well, what am I to do? You glance out the window and are horrified by what you see. My God, they're readying torches. Sir, they mean to set fire to the building. You turn to Lee and you've never seen him so scared. Surely they won't go through with it. Do you really want to take the chance?

I think you better give yourself up, sir. There's no way out. Damn it. Very well. I won't be shot at like a rat in a corner. You nod and return to the window. Your knee's shaking as you open it. Hold your fire.

The general's coming out. You turn to face Lee who stands in a corner, pale and rigid. Even as you offer him a grim nod of encouragement, you're terrified about what will become of you now that your fate rests in the hands of the British. On the morning of December 13, 1776, General Charles Lee was in a New Jersey tavern, finishing a letter criticizing Washington as damnably deficient when he heard musketball striking the building. A local loyalist had discovered Lee's location and tipped off the British cavalry. With no means of escape, Lee went outside and surrendered while still in his dressing gown and

slippers. The British were elated. They considered Lee to be America's best general and an unforgivable traitor to the crown. His capture sparked raucous celebrations in the British camps, and Washington called the loss of Lee a severe blow. Still privately, he expressed frustrations at Lee for being foolish enough to spend the night away from his army, alone and vulnerable. But what was worse, without Lee's reinforcements who remained on the march in New Jersey, Washington was left with only 3,000 men under his command. Congress was on the run, and confidence in the Patriot cause was dwindling. With the Continental Army on the verge of disintegration, Washington knew that his next move could decide whether the revolution lived or died.

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Start your Audible subscription in the Audible app or on Apple Podcasts. As the year 1776 drew to a close, the Continental Army teetered on the brink of collapse. George Washington's ragged troops camped along the western banks of the Delaware River in threadbare uniforms. In a letter to his cousin, Washington confessed, Your imagination can scarce extend to a situation more distressing than mine. Most pressing of all, Washington's army was set to dissolve in a matter of days. His best-trained soldiers belonged to continental regiments from New England,

who'd signed up for one-year enlistments the previous January. Once their terms expired on New Year's Eve, Washington expected that, would follow the pattern of other regiments and return home, leaving him with just 1,200 men. The previous month, Washington had sent out appeals for more men, but there had been little response. Then, slowly, scattered soldiers and militiamen began arriving from as far away as Fort Ticonderoga, as did 2,000 troops who had served under the captured Charles Lee. As these surprise reinforcements trickled into the camps, they raised the number of men fit for duty to 6,000. Another critical boost came from Thomas Payne, author of the best-selling pamphlet

Common Sense. Paine had joined the Continental Army as a volunteer civilian aid to General Nathaniel Green, and the pair bonded over their shared love of literature and political philosophy. So every night as the army retreated across New Jersey, Payne worked on a new essay titled The American Crisis. It began, These are the times the Tri-Men's Souls, the Summer Soldier and the Sunshine Patriot will in this crisis shrink from the service of their country. But he that stands it now deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny like hell is not easily conquered. Yet we have this consolation with us. The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. In the days leading up to Christmas, copies of the American crisis were printed and distributed throughout the ranks.

Officers read it aloud to harden their soldiers' resolve and remind them what they were fighting for. But despite Payne's powerful words, Washington knew that patriotic appeals alone would not be enough to encourage troops to re-enlist. He needed a victory on the field of battle, so he planned a bold gamble, a surprise attack on an enemy garrison in Trenton, New Jersey, manned by 1,500 Heshen soldiers. By this time in late December, with the weather getting colder and Congress in flight, British Commander General Howe had decided to follow the common 18th century practice of retiring until spring to avoid the hardships of winter campaigning. Confident he could finish off Washington's weakened army the following year, Howe retired most of his army in New York. But he had left Heshen

mercenaries to guard a string of garrisons across New Jersey to hold the ground they'd gained, including this one in Trenton. So to take it, Washington planned three simultaneous crossings of the I.C. Delaware River on Christmas night. Two smaller columns would cross down river, while Washington himself would lead the main attacking force of 2,400 men. After arriving in New Jersey, Washington would then march them nine miles to surprise the Hessians at Trenton at dawn. His goal with this bold attack was not to regain territory, but to restore faith in the cause of independence by proving that his army could still win a fight. So that Christmas night in 1776, Washington's soldiers prepared to cross the ice-clogged Delaware River,

even though the point of crossing was only 300 yards wide, the army faced a daunting challenge. Colonel Henry Knox, who had brought the Ticonderoga cannons to Boston the previous year, oversaw logistics, while the same Massachusetts sailors and fishermen who had rescued the army after the Battle of Long Island were tasked with navigating the treacherous icy waters. Snow, freezing rain, and fierce winds lashed the soldiers as they dodged chunks of floating ice. Washington planned to complete the crossing by midnight, but it wasn't. It wasn't until 3 a.m. that all 2,400 soldiers managed to reach the Eastern Bank, along with 100 horses and 18 cannons.

Although a handful of soldiers fell into the icy waters, not a single man had died, but the troops were freezing and exhausted, and Trenton was still nine miles away. Imagine it's 3 o'clock in the morning on the eastern banks of the Delaware River in New Jersey. You're the chief artillery officer in the Continental Army, and falling sleet clouds your vision as you trudged through the snow to speak. with General George Washington. He sits on a crate beside a small campfire, pulling his coat tight across his chest. He crouched beside him, hoping the fire will warm you. Well, we've made it, sir, not a single man lost. They're bringing the last candidate across the river now, but I'm afraid

we're running three hours behind schedule. Washington nods, his mouth set in a grim line. It's not surprising, given the conditions. I've never seen such a violent storm. Who could have predicted this? Yes, and I must admit, sir, I'm worried about our chances. By the time we get going, it's going to be nearly four in the morning, far too late to surprise the Hessians with a pre-dawn attack. Our plans hinge on the element of surprise. Would it not be safer to call it off and withdraw? Withdraw. How can we?

A retreat would be too dangerous. If the Hessians catch the troops mid-river, there'll be easy targets for the marksmen on the banks. Yes, but if we continue, these men, they face nine miles of marching on roads slick with ice and snow, the Hessians will surely see us coming. their centuries would have to be blind to miss more than 2,000 of us approaching Trenton in broad daylight. The last thing we want is a fight on the open road. That may be true, but I can't put the troops through another river crossing, not now. Not after the night they've just been through.

I won't risk any more damage to their morale. No, we will not be turning back. We will have to fight in the daylight. You open your mouth to protest, then think better of it. Yes, sir. Already the forces. But remember, we must maintain absolutely. silence, and I won't permit any stragglers. No man falls behind. Yes, sir, and may God have mercy on our souls. You raise your hand in trembling salute, then turn to walk back to the cannons.

Although you admire Washington's resolve, privately you fear that no matter whether the army attacks or retreats, this plan is doomed to fail. At four o'clock in the morning on December 26th, 1776, George Washington began leading his men on the march to Trenton. They were four hours behind schedule. The storm was getting worse, and only Washington's own column had made it across, giving him only half the force he anticipated. Downstream, the freezing weather had prevented the other two columns from crossing at all. The nine-mile march claimed the lives of two men who succumbed to the cold and had to be left behind. But the rest arrived at the Hessian garrison in Trenton just at daybreak. Washington feared that they had lost the element of surprise, but the winter storm had caused the

Hessians to lower their guard. They neglected to send out patrols that morning, assuming the Americans would never attempt an attack in this severe weather. So upon arrival, Washington divided his forces, with one attacking from the north and the other from the south. The assault lasted only 45 minutes. When it was over, 22 Hessians lay dead or dying, 83 more were wounded, and 900 were captured. The Americans counted only five wounded. In the days that followed, newspapers celebrate the Patriots' stealthy night march and overwhelming victory. Washington's amateur army had finally won respect, but enlistments for his best soldiers were still due to expire in only five days. So on New Year's Eve, Washington gathered the soldiers in Trenton and pleaded with them to stay,

but not a single man volunteered. So he tried again. Wheeling his horse around and riding out to the front of the men, he declared, My brave fellows, you have done all I ask you to do and more than can reasonably be expected. But your country is at stake, your wives, your houses, and all that you hold dear, the present is emphatically the crisis which is to decide our destiny. And this time, one by one, the soldiers stepped forward until more than half of the New England troops agreed to stay on for another six weeks. With faith in their cause restored, three days later, the soldiers left their campfires in Trenton burning as a ruse and slipped away in the night to attack a smaller British detachment in Princeton, New Jersey. Washington himself rode into the fray on his white

horse, risking gunfire to break the British line. Galloping after the retreating enemy, he shouted, It's a fine fox chase, my boys. And when the battle was over, red blood stained the snow-covered field. But the Americans had suffered only 70 casualties compared to 450 on the British side. Afterwards, Washington's army settled into winter camp in the village of Morristown, New Jersey. Now that the Patriots had the upper hand in New Jersey, the British pulled back, abandoning local loyalists, and Patriot militias set out to punish those who had sworn loyalty to the king. The victories at Trenton and Princeton restored the Patriots morale, disrupted the British advance toward Philadelphia,

and proved that George Washington had what it took to lead the Continental Army. At last, there was a glimmer of hope that the Patriots might actually achieve the impossible and win America's independence. From Audible Originals, this is episode three of our six-part series on the American Revolution for American History Tellers. In the next episode, Benjamin Franklin travels to France in pursuit of a military alliance, a mission that hinged on America's success on the battlefield. And in the spring of 1777, the British plot a grand scheme to crush the rebellion,

culminating in the pivotal Battle of Saratoka. Follow American History Tellers on the Audible app, or wherever you get your podcasts. You can listen to all episodes of American History Tellers ad-free by joining Audible. And to find out more about me and my other projects, including my live stage show coming to a theater near you, go to not-that-lindsayam.com. That's Not That-That-Lindsaym.com. American History Tellers is hosted, edited, and produced by me, Lindsay Graham for Airship. This episode is written by Ellie Stanton, edited by Dorian Marina, senior producers Alida Rizanski and Andy Herman, managing producer, Desi Blaylock. Audio editing by

Mohamachazi. Music by Throne. Sound design by Molly Bach. Executive producer for Audible, Jenny Lauer Beckman. Head of creative development in Audible, Kate Navin. Head of Audible Originals, North America, Marshall Louis. Chief Content Officer Rachel Giazza. Copyright

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