PAGE 8
Washington Crossing the Delaware
by
Hey, you scoundrels! Git off me! Leave me be!
I’m a peaceable man, ye ain’t got no right to do
this to me–git off me–git off–I say–hey, leave
go my halter!
SOLDIERS
Well, ain’t this nice, boys. He’s brought along a
rope for us to tie him up with, now ain’t that
thoughtful–here–leave go the rope.
HONEYMAN
Let me up–don’t ye tie me up!
I’m jest a farmer–out huntin’ a stray cow!
CORPORAL
Stray cow, eh? Well, we was huntin’ a stray coward!
(
laughter
)
Here give me that whip!
SOLDIER
Here ye are, Corporal! Well boys, take a look at
him–this here’s Honeyman the Tory.
(
all comment
)
CORPORAL
All right, throw him into the boat! General Washington’ll
be right pleased to see ye, Mister Honeyman!
Come along–oh, ye won’t go, eh–well, fetch him, boys.
HONEYMAN
Leave me be! Stop it! The King’s men’ll make ye pay fer this.
ALL
Hey shut up–grab him Tom–stop that kickin’,
fetch him along.
(
etc.
)
ANNOUNCER
Protesting and struggling, Honeyman was thrown into the
boat and carried to the Pennsylvania shore of the
Delaware. In the meantime, on that very afternoon of
December 22, 1776, Washington was holding a council
of war with his staff.
WASHINGTON
Gentlemen, I regret to inform you that Congress
has fled from Philadelphia.
ALL
What? Fled? Left Philadelphia? Too bad!
(
etc.
)
WASHINGTON
I’m sorry! I asked them particularly to stay there,
as I feared the effect on the people of the country.
But it seems that even Congress has lost faith in the army.
KNOX
General Washington.
WASHINGTON
General Knox.
KNOX
We’ve got to do something to re-establish their faith!
(
all agree
)
WASHINGTON
Yes! But what? Charles Lee is captured–his army
gone–we can’t look for any help from that quarter.
KNOX
Sir, can’t we go back across the river, suddenly
–and strike a blow before the enemy knows what
we are up to?
WASHINGTON
We’ll have to! It’s our only hope. But how, when, and where? I had hoped that we might get information that would guide us in our plans. Well, we haven’t got it! Now, much as I hate to make any move without full and complete information, I don’t see what else we can do. The river will be frozen over in a week or ten days. That means that the enemy can cross over and chase us whither they please! If we are to do anything, we’ve got to do it now! I’ve called you here to lay this before you. Will you follow me on a blind chance?
ALL
Yes! We will! You can count on us, sir.
(
etc.
)
WASHINGTON
I want you all to realize that this is a desperate
chance. Failure means–well, we might as well face
it–it means the end of our cause; but success–well,
gentlemen, we can only hope and pray for success!
(
knock
)
Will you see who’s at the door, Colonel Reed?
REED
Yes, sir.
WASHINGTON
Tell whoever it is to come back later–I’m in council.
REED
Yes, sir.
(
a mumble at the door
)
I beg pardon, sir, they’ve just brought in a prisoner.
WASHINGTON
Good, tell them to wait outside.
REED
They say, sir, it’s Honeyman the Tory, and you left orders–