| Washington crossed the Delaware River Christmas night and attacked the British garrison at Trenton, New Jersey, early on the morning of December 26, 1776. | |
Emanuel Leutze (1851) |
Leutze’s painting is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, though there are many copies including one in the White House.
There are several inaccuracies in the depiction. Wrong flag; too much light (it was night); it would appear they are crossing in the wrong direction; horses were carried by ferries with the artillery, not in boats; probably everyone stood (the gunwales were higher than pictured). That’s future president James Monroe holding the flag. Click for larger version. |