While we haven't really liked our campground there is no denying the beauty of the surrounding country. Buck's County is famous for it's scenery.
The area is home to historic stone homes.
It is dotted with farms, both old and new.
Many of the farm houses are built of rock.
There is rock and brick work everywhere.
Rock barns are frequent too.
There is a lot of colonial history here.
The destination I had in mind was the Washington Crossing Historic Park.
The statue of General George Washington marks the spot where in December 1776 General George Washington and his ragged army crossed the Delaware River to embark on yet another battle in the American Revolutionary War.
The army had been experiencing only defeat and despair. The War for Independence was going badly, with failure following failure.
The soldiers were dealing with a lack of both food and warm clothing and Washington was watching his army shrink due to desertions and expiring enlistments. Now, more than ever, a victory was desperately needed.
General Washington plotted a daring plan to cross the Delaware River under the cover of darkness, march to Trenton, New Jersey and attack the Hessian ( Hessians were the 18th century German auxiliaries contracted for military service by the British government. Another history lesson for me.) outposts in and around Trenton.
Washington assembled his troops near McConkey’s Ferry in preparation for the crossing. By 6 pm, 2,400 troops had begun crossing the ice-choked river. The operation was slow and difficult due to the condition of the river. There was an abrupt change in the weather forcing the men to fight their way through sleet and a blinding snowstorm. Against the odds, Washington and his men successfully completed the crossing and marched into Trenton on the morning of December 26, achieving a resounding victory over the Hessians. Only three Americans were killed and six wounded, while 22 Hessians were killed with 98 wounded. This victory had a marked effect on the troops' morale. Soldiers celebrated the victory, Washington's role as a leader was secured, and Congress gained renewed enthusiasm for the war.
This is McConkey's Ferry Inn. General George Washington and his aides ate dinner and made plans here prior to the crossing.
At that time this was the only building at the site. We were curious what the round structure was and found out it was their ice house.
Since then a village has grown up called Washington Crossing, PA. One thing about Washington Crossing that is special to the town is that every Christmas Day the town performs a re-enactment of Washington Crossing the Delaware River.
On this beautiful fall day it was hard to feel what it must have been like on that snowy, cold December day. Again how fortunate we are to learn more about the history of this great country.