Enlistments were set to expire soon for a sizeable majority of Washington’s remaining soldiers, and the attack at Trenton was the type of gamble that favored the bold in times of war. This gamble, highlighted by the use of the the watchwords “Victory or Death” as the call sign, showed Washington’s inner resolve to use weather, surprise, and a sense of desperation to his advantage. His improvisation and daring - a leader should have audacity at times - was evident with his maneuvers to cross the Delaware River on Christmas night, 1776, to attack the Hessian garrison at Trenton a bold attack that helped revive the American cause. He exemplified this by extricating his men from the precarious situation in New York and commencing the ensuing retreat across New Jersey. This led to losses in manpower and prestige that dragged the cause of American independence into desperation.įrom the “times that tries men’s souls,” as the pamphleteer writer Thomas Paine eloquently penned in 1776, Washington showcased a strength of his leadership: the ability to adapt, improvise, and rally. His forces were outmatched, and he was outgeneraled by his counterpart, British General William Howe. Initially, he tried to achieve this level of victory, as his first campaign around Long Island, New York attests. However, Washington eventually turned this weakness into a strength, understanding that he did not have to achieve a great military victory that could decisively end the war he just could not lose an engagement of that magnitude. Washington was not a tactical genius when it came to warfare and comparing him to those schooled and trained in the art of military command is unfair to the Virginian. When studying Washington as a military leader, a famous adage, “one can lose the battle but win the war” comes to mind. Like any military commander, Washington had his weaknesses as well. His ability to see the big picture and evolve his strategy on how to successfully navigate and ultimately win the American Revolution proved to be one of his strongest leadership traits during the eight-years in command. Arriving in Cambridge, Massachusetts to take formal field command on July 2, 1775, Washington held command until independence was won, resigning his commission to the Continental Congress in Annapolis, Maryland, two days before Christmas in 1783. The Virginian, 43-years old at the time, embarked on a trip north to the assembled forces besieging the British around Boston, Massachusetts. On June 19, 1775, George Washington received his commission as commander in chief of the Continental army from the delegates assembled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Saved Land Browse Interactive Map View active campaigns.Stop the Largest Rezoning in Orange County History.Protect the Heart of Chancellorsville Battlefield.Stop the Prince William Digital Gateway & Protect Manassas Battlefield.Send Students to Learn History Where It Occurred.Phase Four of Gaines’ Mill-Cold Harbor Saved Forever Campaign.Preserve 15 Acres at Gettysburg – Willoughby's Run.Help Save 261 Acres of Revolutionary War History.Save 184 Tennessee Western Theater Acres at Shiloh and Stones River.Help Save 29 Critical Acres of Hallowed Ground in Virginia.Virtual Tours View All See Antietam now!.National Teacher Institute July 11 - 14, 2024 Learn More.USS Constitution In 4 Minutes Watch Video.African Americans During the Revolutionary War.The First American President: Setting the Precedent.Urn:oclc:record:1041774710 Foldoutcount 0 Identifier chiefcontinental01washrich Identifier-ark ark:/13960/t89g5h105 Identifier-bib GLAD-67257425 Lcamid 318500 Lccn 10035016 Ocr_converted abbyy-to-hocr 1.1.11 Ocr_module_version 0.0.14 Openlibrary_edition Copyright-evidence-date 18:55:03 Copyright-evidence-operator marcus lucero Copyright-region US External-identifier Addeddate 10:57:20 Associated-names Fitzpatrick, John Clement, 1876-1940 Call number ucb:GLAD-67257425 Camera 1Ds Collection-library ucb Copyright-evidence Evidence reported by marcus lucero for item chiefcontinental01washrich on no visible notice of copyright and date found stated date is 1915 not published by the US government Have not checked for notice of renewal in the Copyright renewal records.
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