Show F 1 s A newspaper column V f. f I and the American Revolution It is is' well for us to remember that the Fourth of July did not mark the end of the American Revolution It was just the beginning officially Nor did it mean the end of American trials and tribulations In fact things got worse In the initial stages of the Revolution Revolution Revolution tion the Americans suffered a whole series of defeats losing battles on Long Island and Manhattan and at White Plains NewYork New York On November 16 Fort Washington w was s surrendered to the British Fort Lee fell on November 20 With bitter winter cold settling in Washington retreated and then retreated retreated retreated re re- re- re treated again down through New and into Pennsylvania General Sir William Howe didn't bother to continue his attacks He knew that the Continental Army was suffering suffering suffering suffer suffer- ing from the lack of every military necessity Washington's ragged troops were without adequate food shelter clothing shoes and even blankets All Howe had to do was to relax in the warmth and comfort of the captured cities and let the American troops starve and freeze to death In the Spring he could mop up p. p But one of these who had gone through the humiliating d defeat feat at Fort Lee and the terrible retreat which followed was a journalist by the name of Tom Paine And Paine dispatched a column to the Pennsylvania nia Journal which was printed in the December 19 1776 issue These are the times tha thary ry mens men's G souls Paine wrote 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 havethe havethe havethe the consolation with us that the harder the conflict the more glorious the triumph What we obtain too cheap we esteem too lightly it itis is dearness only that gives everything its value Heaven knows how to put a proper price upon its goods i and it would be strange indeed indeed indeed in in- deed if jf so celestial an article as FREEDOM should not be highly rated When copies of the newspaper reached General Washington he ordered that it be read to his dejected troops i and this was done on Christmas Christmas Christmas Christ Christ- mas day December 25 1776 That night every man that Washington could muster 2400 in number crossed the frozen Delaware River in boats manned by sturdy Marblehead fisher fisher- man So cold it was that some of themen the themen themen men died of exposure before they reached re ched the New Jersey shore ten miles above Trenton At AM the themen themen themen men began their advance over the frozen ground many with rags bound about their feet Three and one half hours later with the words of Tom Paine ringing in their ears they smashed their way in into o Trenton killing killing killing kill kill- ing the commanding General and capO cap cap- turing 1000 of Howes Howe's crack tr troops ps along with tons of military supplies The Battle of Trenton was not the first American victory nor was it thelast the thelast thelast last but had hadit it n not t been wont t that time ime there might er haves dove ve been 1 qu ck and brutal end end to The War War of of Independence and to the American dream |