Delaware Crossing
In October 1776, the Continental Army, led by George Washington was unsuccessful in defending Brooklyn and Manhattan from a British and Hessian troops who had entered from the Hudson River (see White Plains). The British and Hessians drove Washington north where the Continental Army fought them at White Plains. Washington was only able to hold off the British and Hessians until his troops could make their escape across the Hudson River into New Jersey. Although other British troops pursued them all the way into Pennsylvania, to the other side of the Delaware River, the Continental Army remained mostly intact.
The British assumed that given their success in driving Washington out of New York and New Jersey, and that Winter had set in, they would not engage them again until Spring time. On Christmas night of 1776, Washington and the Continental Army crossed the Delaware River back into New Jersey near Trenton.
The river was icy and the temperature were very cold. It was not an easy crossing, so it was all the more unexpected. They attacked a garison of Hessian troops at what became known as the Battle of Trenton. They were succesful in capturing the Hessians without much effort. The success of that battle was a turning point for the Continental Army.
Note
This souvenir sheet is a copy of a painting by Emanuel Leutze from 1851 called, Washington Crossing the Delaware. It’s a spectacular painting that’s on display in the Metropolitain Museum of Art in New York.
There are some awkward inaccuracies in the painting: Washington is standing in a flat bottom boat, which he would cause it to flip over, or at least cause himself fall into the water; another boat has a horse, despite being painted too small for one; there are hefty chunks of ice, rather than slush or a thin layer. Nevertheless, it’s a vibrant painting with plenty of action. Plus, the boat Washington is in has a mix of soldiers: an African American, a Scotish American, someone dressed in Native American clothing, a couple of farmers, etc.
Contains 5 spots: own 5 – 5 unused, 0 used.
Page is finished.
Album or Web Page Last changed May 6, 2025
Stamp Details
The table below lists information about the stamps shown on this page of Lighthouse’s stamp album. For more details about a particular stamp, click on its description. That will take you to the related web page of Colnect.
spot |
own |
catalog |
subject |
description |
comment |
Battles & Wars
✓ |
1688a |
24c (may 1976) |
|||
✓ |
1688b |
24c (may 1976) |
|||
✓ |
1688c |
24c (may 1976) |
|||
✓ |
1688d |
24c (may 1976) |
|||
✓ |
1688e |
24c (may 1976) |
Footnotes
Spot refers to the postion of the stamp on the album page (e.g., 3.2 indicates row 3, position 2).
Amt. is an abbreviation for the face amount of the stamp.
Own indicates the stamp status: ✓ for unused; ✗ for used or canceled; ⭑ signifies I ordered one; ; ✨ indicates it was bought recently; ✠ means an auction bid is pending; and ◎ is used, and it costs too much for unused.
To search by catalog number, go to the search box and enter it in the catalog number box. However, it’s a bit broken; I need to fix it.
