The historically important event of General George Washington crossing the Delaware River took place on December 25. Washington along with 5,400 troops, crossed the frozen river on Christmas night in attempt to surprise a group of Hessian soldiers in Trenton, New Jersey. The 2,400 soldiers led by Washington successfully braved the harsh river and reached the New Jersey side of the Delaware just before dawn. At approximately 8 P.M. on the morning of December 26, Washington’s remaining force of about 3,000 troops reached the outskirts of Trenton and descended on the unsuspecting Hessians. However, because most of Washington’s army had failed to cross the Delaware, he was without adequate artillery or men and was forced to withdraw from the town.…show more content… Leutze depicts Washington looking forward while everyone else is focusing on crossing the river safely. The soldiers appear to all have a task they must do in order to reach their destination on time. Washington and the soldiers are also facing many harsh elements that are making their task more difficult. The soldiers must navigate their canoes through ice-filled water to complete their surprise attack on the Hessian mercenaries.
In the poem, Shulman writes about how the soldiers are following Washington on their mission of launching a surprise attack while suffering at the hands of the cold weather and still focusing on crossing the river. The poem speaks more about Washington’s leadership than the painting. In the poem, Shulman writes about how everyone must fight through the cold conditions if they are to succeed in their surprise attack on the Hessians.
In conclusion, both the poem and the painting depicting Washington’s adventure of crossing the Delaware River portray Washington and his soldiers struggling in their task of launching a surprise attack on Hessian mercenaries. Washington and his soldiers must navigate through a cold, icy river. To do this they must remain focused on their task and work as a unit. They need to remain serious and focused at all times in order to succeed in launching the attack on the Hessian
