Woke up early this morning, wrote this and edited it throughout the day between working and a couple of drives I had to take.
On Christmas night they crossed the river
To march on New
Jersey with a shiver
General Washington with stakes so high
Knowing that without a victory, the end was nigh
The Delaware
was icy, the weather was too
He planned to cross when night was new
George bravely standing, leading the men,
Through the crossing in Colonel Glover’s command
Gates Sullivan Mercer also braving the storm
Along with the flag held by future President Monroe
Crossing over the river the entire army
Marching 8 miles through conditions icy
In the dead of night through exhaustion
No one knew who was next day’s misfortune
Colonel Rall and his well trained men,
Germans paid by the crown again and again
Proud professional soldiers, they thought themselves
Occupiers to us, in Trenton
they dwelled
Early in the morning, the Hessians were stirring
Hung over from celebration or just another morning?
With powder wet, in charged America with steel bayonet
Plus a couple of cannons in tow, to drag through the snow
The army, to gaze onto which was a splendor
Did surprise and overwhelm the mercenaries who were forced
to surrender
An army of less than 2 years existence
To win this battle without losing a man,
was certainly divine providence
and maybe also a great plan.
- A Marc Tancer original
