Washington Crosses the Delaware
On Christmas Day, 1776, General George Washington famously crossed the Delaware River to launch a surprise attack on Hessian forces in Trenton, New Jersey. The initial attack called for three divisions, each to cross the Delaware at different locations.
Samuel Nicolas was ordered to take three companies of Marines and join General Washington on his advance towards Trenton, cementing the Second Continental Congress’ vision of a Corps that would serve both ashore and afloat. The company commanders in charge of the 600 Marines were Captain Andrew Porter, Captain Robert Mullen, and Captain Benjamin Deane. Captain Isaac Craig served as the Adjutant. During the crossing, Continental and State naval vessels guarded the waterways and protected the 2,400 troops. In addition to Marines on land, the muster rolls for the Pennsylvania Navy show that 250 Marines served on the ships.
We cover the American Revolution in detail, starting with Episode 09: The Marines Prepare for Action and concluding with Episode 29: A New Independent Nation.
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