Washington's Crossing (Pivotal Moments in American History)
by David Hackett Fischer

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Book Reviews of Washington's Crossing (Pivotal Moments in American History)

Book Review: The American way of war -- a reminder for our times
Summary: 5 Stars

They "dashed out their brains with their muskets and ran them through with their bayonets, made them like sieves." As American soldiers lay dying, their bodies were plundered with great violence. American prisoners, when taken, were housed in appalling conditions of cruelty, suffering and starvation. Most died. As one victorious officer pointed out, "Wherever our armies have marched, wherever they have been encamped during the last campaign, every species of barbarity has been executed. We planted an irrevocable hatred wherever we went, which neither time nor measures will be able to eradicate."

The victorious troops were British and Hessian, fighting American rebels. By December 1776, General Washington had lost 90 percent of the men who were in his army during the previous summer. British commanders were moving hard, fast and decisively, defeating the Americans in battle after after. Had colonists dug in to fight, the rebellion would have ended in one quick charge by "the thin red line."

Instead, Washington kept running. At least one spy in his headquarters kept the English fully up-to-date. By any reasonable standard, the rebellion was over. The Hessians, by any standard the best troops in the world, settled in comfortably at Trenton for the winter. They had fought hard, won much, deserved a rest and expected to be going home soon. The Revolution was all but lost.

Instead, during a howling nor'easter storm, Washington led the tattered remnants of his shattered army across the Delaware River. This time, when the smoke cleared at Trenton on Christmas Day, nearly a thousand Hessians were either dead or prisoners. Instead of revenge, Washington issued orders that the Hessians "were innocent people in this war, and were not volunteers, but forced into this war." He ordered them to be treated as friends.

In 12 weeks after Trenton, Washington won battle after skirmish after skirmish. He wrecked the British plans for a quick end to the war, and revived the forlorn hopes of the rebels. Washington went on to lose battle after battle, but Americans never again lost hope. Eventually, English politicians got tired of the American quagmire and quit.

Washington's policy reflected the attitude of the Continental Congress. As John Adams explained, "I know of no policy, God is my witness, but this -- Piety, Humanity and Honesty are the Best Policy. Blasphemy, Cruelty and Villainy have prevailed and may again. But they won't prevail against America, in this contest, because I find the more of them are employed, the less they succeed."

How effective was it? Well, almost 14,000 Hessians survived the war in America. Of these, almost 3,200 chose to stay in America. Others went home to Hesse to persuade their entire families to emigrate to America.

The book expresses more than the marching and counter-marching we expect of military campaign books. Fischer describes the attitudes which made the Revolution a success and attracted the admiration, support and envy of the world, including many in England and Germany. It is no accident America became a shining example to people everywhere looking for freedom. It began, not with "shock and awe," but with kindness and humility.

It's an outstanding book. Americans invented an entirely new way of war, based on "the policy of humanity" which gave an entirely new meaning to the Revolution. The Battle of Trenton was a pivotal event, but the real diference was in humanitarin policies instead of punitive military revenge.

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