52 he was At Trenton he striking the British at two places with superior forces at each point of contact. had the benefit of a surprise, but the second time the Assunpink, trusting to the strength of his ready to fight Cornwallis when the latter reached But when Cornwallis gave him the delay of a Position to make up for his inferiority of numbers. night, Washington, seeing the advantage offered the smaller of the two forces opposed to him, whole plan, and, turning in his tracks, fell upon wrecking and defeating it before the outgeneraled Washington had thus shown the highest form of Cornwallis could get up with the main army. ilitary skill, for there is nothing that requires so much judgment and knowledge, so much certainty between two hostile armies. his enemy's of movement and superior enemy whelm him. once changed his quick decision, as to meet a ing, and at each point to outnumber and over- a to influence the political: ituation and affect pub lic opinion. The American Revolution was going to pieces. Unless some decisive victory could be Won immediately, it would have come to an end This Washington n the winter of 1776-77. knew, and it was this which nerved his arm. The results justified his forethought. The victories of Trenton and Princeton restored the failing spirits of the people, and, what was hardly less important, produced a deep impression in Europe in favor of the colonies. The country, which had lost heart, and become supine and almost hostile, revived. The militia again took the field. Outlying parties of the British were attacked and cut off, and recruits once more began to come in to the Continental army. The Revolution was saved. That the English colonies in North America would have broken away from the mother country sooner or later cannot be doubted, but that particular Revolution of 1776 would have failed within a year, had it not been for Washington. It is not, however, merely the fact that he was a great soldier and statesman which we should remember. The most memorable thing to us, and to all men, is the heroic spirit of the man, which rose in those dreary December days to its greatest height, under conditions so adverse that they had crushed the hope of every one else. Let it be remembered, also, that it was not a spirit of desperation or of ig 54 norance, a reckless daring which did not count No one knew better than Washington the cost. no one, indeed, never sions, so well the exact state of affairs; for he, conspicuously among great men, always looked facts fearlessly in the face, and deceived himself. He was under no illuand it was this high quality of mind as much as any other which enabled him to win How he really felt we know from what he wrote victories. to Congress on may be thought the line December 20, when he said: "It of my duty to adopt these measures or of to a the the forfeit, tate to at stake, and These were was planning same thoughts, him when his ice of the the inestimable blessing of liberty life devoted, must be my excuse. thoughts in his mind when he this masterly campaign. These we may readily believe, were with making its way through on Christmas Eve. It boat was was a very solemn moment, and he was the only of his soldiers. He is s' anding up in the boat, It looking forward in the teeth of the storm. matters little whether the work of the painter is in exact accordance with the real scene or not. look forward and onward, which the artist strove The daring courage, the high resolve, the stern to show in the great leader, are all vitally true. For we may be sure that the man who led that well-planned but desperate assault, surrounded by darker conditions than the storms of nature which gathered about his boat, and carrying with him the fortunes of his country, was at that mo ment one of the most heroic figures in history. |