Washington
Re-Crossing the Delaware
This painting, hanging in the east by northeast wing of the national gallery,
depicts the little known second crossing of the Delaware river by General
George Washington and his men, on their way to dinner the night of Boxing
Day, 1776. When
Washington's men, bivouacked at Valley Forge, found they had ran out of
supplies, the general had the idea to take them all out for dinner.
"We
had just finished kicking some limey ass the day before, and we were all
famished. GW suggested that we head to the local Cracker Barrel for some
family style home cooking," said Sergeant Milton Witherspoon. "But good
ol' George could get lost walking in a straight line. Don't get me wrong;
he was a hell of a military commander! I just wouldn't want to have to
follow him to a party, that's all…"
Washington's
well-documented ability to get lost (even in his own bedroom) had an unexpected
effect that night, as he and his men happened upon the British forces
camped on the other side of the river, for the second time in as many
days. "Let's just steal their shit!" cried a famished Washington,
as he and his troops attacked the resting British forces. They went on
the win that battle, and then to raid the larders of defeated English
soldiers. And so Washington and his men ate well that evening, in the
cold winter of 1776.
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