Revolutionary War Reenactors provided a history lesson for thousands of people who gathered at Washington Crossing State Park on Christmas Day. This event brought to life an important maneuver that took place on Dec. 25th, 1776, a time when the Continental Army was desperately in need of a victory. On that cold December Christmas so long ago, General Washington led soldiers across the dangerous, ice filled Delaware River for a surprise attack on Hessian forces in Trenton. The bold action caught the enemy off guard, helping turn the tide of the war.
There were plenty of people on the river banks this year looking for a little bit of history with their holiday celebration at this perfectly managed event. About the only problem was the rushing river. Because of the swift water, the boatmen were unable to fully reenact the crossing and rowed upstream, staying near the shoreline. There was a worry about the flow pushing the replica boats down under nearby bridge piers. Still it was a great way to spend the holiday afternoon and learn a little history and its obvious a regular holiday tradition for many standing on the shore on this cold December day. Here are some photos from the 2012 event.