Washington's Crossing

• Author: Major Jonathan E. Cheney
• Pages: 08

WASHINGTON'S CROSSING1

REVIEWED BY MAJOR JONATHAN E. CHENEY2

These are the times that try men's souls: The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country; but he that stands it NOW, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.

- Thomas Paine, December 19, 17763

Victory or Death.

- General George Washington December 24, 17764

In Washington's Crossing, history professor David Hackett Fischer5

details in a scholarly yet riveting fashion the military victories General George Washington and the American army forged from crisis in the New Jersey campaign of 1776-77. In doing so, Fischer shows how Washington adapted to his circumstance to go from a defeated general at New York to a general admired worldwide within a few months.6

Fischer provides the reader interested in military affairs a depth of detail that readily facilitates analysis of lessons learned. Moreover, the United States has successfully incorporated many of these lessons learned into a military doctrine instrumental to a legacy of victory in battle. In addition to unearthing rich military history, judge advocates, in particular, can mine Washington's Crossing for insights into the importance law plays in the military. This review provides an overview of Washington's

Crossing, examines some of its strengths and weaknesses, discusses its value to military leaders, and points out some nuggets of special interest to military lawyers.

Fischer introduces this military history not on the battlefield, but with the renowned 1850 painting by Emanuel Leutze, Washington Crossing the Delaware.7 As Fischer tells the story of the painting's production, he exposes threads he will weave throughout his narrative. As in the painting, the book's central figure is General Washington.8

However, even as Fischer carefully describes the diverse American Soldiers struggling to cross the ice-choked river in Leutze's painting, he fleshes out numerous people on both sides of the conflict throughout the book and shows their impact on the outcome.9 Fischer alerts the reader that he will examine this "watershed in American history"10 as a collision of ideas, describing it as a conflict between "the forces of order" and "an army of free men."11

Fischer begins the body of his text by introducing Washington; the American, British, and Hessian armies; and the brothers Admiral Lord Richard Howe and General William Howe, commanders of the British and Hessian coalition in America in 1776-77.12 Fischer then moves into the preparations and battles for New York City.13 The disastrous defeat at New York in the fall of 1776 leads to the American retreat across New Jersey and the British conquest and occupation of New Jersey.14 The heart of the book begins with what Fischer calls the rising of New Jersey, a guerrilla war initiated by bands of New Jersey citizens acting independently of Washington and his American army.15 Fischer then

details the crossing of the Delaware on Christmas night, 1776, the ensuing battle of Trenton, the lesser-known second battle of Trenton on 2 January 1777, the battle of Princeton on 3 January 1777, and the relatively unknown forage war in New Jersey fought from January to March, 1777.16 The author concludes by summarizing some of his key teaching points.17

But Fischer is not done. While the casual reader may be tempted to skip the twenty-four appendices covering topics ranging from troop strengths and casualty lists to ice conditions and ferries on the Delaware River, curiosity will demand that he examine at least some of this mostly trivial matter. The historiography, however, falls in a different category-it is a must read. A fascinating history in itself, the historiography chronicles a variety of interpretations of the New Jersey campaign that have been presented over the years from both home and abroad.18 A twenty-eight-page bibliography indicates that Fischer has left no stone untouched in his search through both primary and secondary sources.19 Over one thousand endnotes contain more than just citations to authority; they add many fascinating details of Fischer's research and discoveries.20 Finally, a comprehensive index properly declares that the book should be taken seriously as a reference work.21

Strengths of Washington's Crossing can be found by examining its great balance-between storytelling and scholarship, between American

and British coalition perspectives,22 and between detail and overview. First of all, Washington's Crossing is a good read; it is a scholarly tome that is pleasurable reading for the general public. Fischer refers to his narrative style as "braided narrative"-"the art of 'telling complicated stories without trying to simplify them, but giving them narrative coherence' and analytical ballast."23 He bases his authoritative writing style on prodigious research, enabling him to build upon the knowledge of past historians. For the casual reader, this sizeable book's early chapters on the various armies and the other background information may appear daunting, but provide information required to understand the storyline, such as the difference between a grenadier and a dragoon.24

More importantly, Fischer puts a face to the different ideologies preparing to collide in the conflict between old world and new. Throughout, Fischer vividly describes the players and painstakingly describes locations important to the story.25 The pace accelerates during the battle for New York, and once the reader gets to the crossing of the Delaware, the narrative becomes a fast-paced page-turner.

The book's features beyond the post-text materials previously described are well done. The text and the historiography have many black-and-white reproductions of portraits, paintings, and drawings to aid the reader. Additionally, the book lacks only a map for the battle of White Plains to provide maps sufficient to follow the battles described; the reader familiar with the depicted locations will find...