Well we all know Miss Thompson was wrong in her answer but did you also know there are many faults with the famous painting by Emanuel Leutze? He composed his painting some sixty plus years after the event. On December 25, 1776, Washington along with over 2,400 troops and artillery pieces made the crossing in the dead of night (would have made for a boring painting) from Pennsylvania to Trenton New Jersey where they defeated British troops, mostly Hessians. By killing the commanding officer, Col. Johann Rall and the taking of over 900 prisoners and their weapons, Washington brought a great victory to the cause and a boost to moral.There are actually many flaws in the painting that not only strain the existence of historical painting vs. history but also in composition. First the river; the Delaware in the dead of winter is covered with sheet ice. The Rhine River, as shown in the painting (did I mention Leutze was German?) is known for its large chunks of ice. As for the boat, it is impossible for a boat as shown in could possibly support the weight of the occupant. In addition, history tells us that this type of boat was never used in the region and in fact the side of the vessels were much taller. No horses were ever transported across the river on this campaign either. The battle was carried out on foot. The man standing next to Washington holding the flag is Lieutenant James Monroe, future president. The flag he is holding it totally inaccurate; the design of the flag in the painting was not specified till the Second Continental Congress and was specified on June 14, 1777 and first flew on September 3, 1777. Another interesting but often over looked issue is the other occupants of the craft. Take a close look at each and you tell me if they would have been there.
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