Books that Inspire Us

Washington's Crossing
by David Hackett Fischer

Notice in the picture, Colonel Rall lays back in his chair surprised by his visitors. Washington stands
tall and composed. Colonel Rall on the other hand looks like he might be saying:

"Why? What did I do?  Why are you ruining my Christmas, esquire?? Don't you know what day it is?"

As the good Irish Proverb says, "Washington came like the bad weather."


Why study history? What does it matter to me?  Because it shows how providential God has been in putting us where we are currently as a nation.
Had Washington not been General? Had General Charles Lee not been captured? (Lee would have stalled Washington from crossing the river, as he was the typical overcautious general.) Had the Hessian Forces and Brits not been overconfident? Had a woman not kept the Hessian General at home, instead of in his key position on the battle front? Then the American Story would have been quit different.
Let us not loose hope when the odds seem to be stacked up against us! For that is when the American Character shines best. For this nation was created by just a few farmers, fishermen, and good old boys from humble beginnings. At times it looked like the American Revolution would be a losing cause, but by faith and a reliance on the providential hand of God, we were able to wear down the bigger-richer Europeans? The Europeans looked down on the American Yeomen. Colonel Rall  said,: "Fiddlesticks! These clodhoppers will not attack us, and should they do so, we will simply fall on them and rout them.”
Rall said these words on December 23rd 1776, two days later Washington had surprised the superior forces and took back the most important Delaware River.