AN HISTORICALLY UNFORGETTABLE CHRISTMAS
by Mike McCormack, AOH NY State Historian Emeritus and NYS AOH History Council Member, District 4.
On a humid August 27, 1776, 20,000 British regulars and Hessian mercenaries attacked George Washington's new American army of 9,000 men as part of a campaign to take New York and split New England from the rest of the colonies. This first major battle of the war since the Declaration of Independence was signed two months earlier on July 4th cost the patriots 300 dead, 650 wounded and 1,100 captured. Washington led a masterful evacuation from Brooklyn to Manhattan, through New Jersey, headed for the Delaware River with the British in hot pursuit. On December 1st he notified Congress in Philadelphia, to set up a fleet of boats at Trenton to get him across the Delaware into Pennsylvania. Author James F. Smith in his book Irish in the American Revolution noted that Captain John Barry of Wexford contacted his friend Paddy Colvin on the Delaware River to help complete the crossing. Some ‘historians’ ignore facts to downsize their presentation; what is most egregious is when the contributions of the Irish are thus ‘written out’. For example, the Irish around Trenton, like Paddy Colvin, who ran a Delaware River ferry; Paddy Lamb, who lived near Assunpink Creek and John Honeyman, a retired British soldier, now a butcher in nearby Griggstown, all had a significant part in that historic venture, but their names have been forgotten. However, we remember!
In 1885, Rev A. Lambing, compiling an issue of Catholic Historical Research, wrote: Not long ago, when reading one of the Trenton papers, I saw the simple statement that the American forces under General Washington crossed the Delaware at Patrick Colvin's ferry into Pennsylvania on its way to Virginia to join Lafayette who was keeping Cornwallis at bay. Struck by his name, which at once denoted his nationality, I resolved to know more about him and made him a subject of investigation.1 Were it not for Lambing’s research, poor Paddy may have been forgotten by history though now he is only ignored! Patrick Colvin of Co Cavan bought the ferry and a tract of land in 1772, which he owned until 1792, and for those twenty years, what is now Morrisville, was known as Colvin's Ferry.2 Considering the number of times that Washingtonhad to cross the Delaware, it was fortunate that the ferry was in the hands of a patriot like Colvin. In a speech to the New Jersey Historical Society in January, 1885, US Army General Carrington stressed that Trenton was a key to the success of Washington’s operations, being strategically located between New York and Philadelphia. No bridges spanned the river and yet it had to be crossed quickly or the patriots would be trapped on its banks. Paddy Colvin, who owned the closest ferry to Trenton, knew all the fords and obstacles of the river and how to avoid them. He also knew the other ferry owners; who owned boats and where they could be found. He placed all this information, as well as his ferry, at the service of Washington.3 Colvin’s Ferry was the oldest and less than 2 miles from Trenton. The other ferries were McConkey’s Ferry 9 miles above Trenton, Howell’s Ferry 4 miles above and Dunk's ferry 10 miles below. On December 3rd, Washington’s advance guard reached Trenton and began ferrying across the Delaware. On the 8th, Washington and his rear guard crossed as the Brits entered Trenton. Colvin got the army safely across and an angry Cornwallis found all the boats moored on the Pennsylvania side of the river – now a impassable barrier between him and the disorganized army he hoped to capture. He left a force of Hessian mercenaries to hold Trenton and returned to winter quarters at Princeton as Washington set up his headquarters a half mile north of Colvin’s Ferry. Then, Washington decided to cross the Delaware and surprise the Brits, but he needed information. He met with Armagh-born John Honeyman, who had retired from the British army, but was now a patriot spy. He had traded with, and was familiar to, the Hessians and told Washington of the small force guarding Trenton. Pretending to have escaped from Washington’s camp, Honeyman went back to the Hessian camp to inform their commander, Col. Johann Rall, that the colonials were in no shape to attack. He said they were demoralized, suffering dreadfully from the cold and hunger and that many didn’t even have shoes. Hoping the Hessians had been lulled into a false sense of security, Washington chose to cross the ice-choked Delaware River on Christmas night and surprise the Hessians at dawn after they had spent the night celebrating Christmas.
Washington chose the most able 2,400 of his 9,000 man army and arranged with Colvin to cross them as Colvin knew the river better than anyone. On Christmas night, the force was quietly taken to cross the Delaware by General Glover’s regiment of seamen on three ferries arranged by Colvin. The Records of the American Catholic Historical Society (1889), state: It was on that night that Washington crossed at McConkey’s or Patrick Colvin’s ferry. Colvin is a new hero whose services on that eventful night have been made known by recent historical investigation by John McCormack, the Catholic Historian of Trenton. Though scantily clothed and freezing in a winter nor’easter with some leaving bloody footprints in the snow, the patriots surprise worked and Trenton fell to Washington. But he knew Cornwallis would try to recapture it, so he decided to stand and fight, but the rest of his army was still in Pennsylvania. Further, he had about 1,000 prisoners to secure. General W. Davis in his History of Morrisville wrote: A long fatiguing march to McConkey’s Ferry would have been a great hardship to men so severely tired. According to the American Catholic Historical Research Series, Vol 7: there seems to be no escaping the conclusion they crossed at Colvin’s Ferry. Washington was then able to muster his forces to cross and fortify Trenton before Cornwallis could arrive. Colvin had the boats waiting, but the river was still choked with large floating ice carried rapidly by the swift current. On Dec 30th, the rest of the army crossed into New Jersey at several Ferries and though navigation was near impossible, they did it with great skill. Meanwhile Cornwallis, hearing of the fall of Trenton, left two regiments to fortify Princeton and marched back to Trenton. Washington sent out small units, under Co. Offaly-born Col. Edward Hand, to harass the Brits and slow them down. Washington laid out his defenses around the creek with the help of local resident Dublin-born Paddy Lamb.4 The British arrived by late afternoon on January 2nd and the Second Battle of Trenton began with the armies only 200 yards apart at the small bridge over Assunpink Creek. Cornwallis ordered an assault, but cannon and rifle fire from the Patriot army forced him back. After two more attempts failed, Cornwallis withdrew for the night. Hundreds of British dead were recovered from the bridge and Cornwallis told his army, Rest now, we'll bag the fox in the morning.
A less told part of the story came that night, as Washington's army built up their campfires and silently slipped away. Part of his forces were left behind to noisily build fortifications as they were planning to defend at dawn, but also to cover the sound of the army’s withdrawal. Washington’s army with General John Sullivan, son of Munster Irish immigrants, stole away in the night following Dubliner Paddy Lamb, who had now been appointed as a guide for the army. Paddy led them along back roads around the British forces to the town of Princeton 5. In the morning, the patriot army launched a surprise assault on Princeton. At Trenton, Cornwallis awoke to distant cannon fire as the attack on Princeton had begun. He divided his army and sent a force to relieve Princeton, but they were too late to prevent another American victory. Meanwhile, darkness put an end to the second battle of Trenton as the Brits were driven back everywhere. The little creek ran red with British blood and the entire campaign was decided in the patriot’s favor. As Washington went into winter quarters, the war had turned in his favor, the revolution was saved and new recruits poured in thanks to a victory in which several Irishmen played no small part. Washington’s night march on Princeton is remembered as one of the greatest flanking moves in American history and it delayed Cornwallis’s planned attack on Philadelphia.
Paddy Colvin served his adopted country again on April 6, 1789, when Congress chose Washington to be the first President of the United States. Headed to New York for his inauguration, Washington’s Party left Philadelphia on April 21st in closed carriages. Again he had to cross the Delaware and he chose Colvin’s Ferry to do it. At 10 AM they arrived and Paddy Colvin was given charge of the Presidential party. He personally ferried them across the river, exchanging a familiar handshake and conversation with General Washington. According to William Stryker, Adjutant-General of New Jersey: Colvin was a committee of one to welcome the ‛ Father of his Country’ on the banks of the historic Delaware at Trenton. It gives him a prominence in history that he richly deserves and which many may well envy. They had met there before under far different circumstances, when he had performed similar duties for the great Virginian. The banks of the river on the Jersey side were lined with Revolutionary officers and soldiers and distinguished civilians of city and State; yet, in recognition of Patrick Colvin's services and devotion to the principles of the Declaration of Independence, they paid him the compliment of permitting him to ‘take charge of the Presidential party.’ In time of war he was the genius that made the icy Delaware subservient to his will. Now that peace had dawned, all felt he should be specially honored in his chosen sphere of operations, where he had no successful rival.6 Can you believe that these men are forgotten in our school’s history books? They remember McConkey, the owner of other ferry where Washington crossed some troops who was also Irish by birth. Historian John McCormack, editor of the Potter’s Journal wrote: Colvin was a Catholic and McConkey was a Presbyterian in religion. Yet I find that these two Irishmen, holding religious beliefs so divergent, laid their theological differences upon the altar of their country, and made common cause to secure our independence. It is a rule that has but few exceptions and a story that has few more laudable heroes.7 Yet, check our school books to see which one is remembered and which ones are ignored! At least, let us remember them at Christmas.
1 Catholic Historical Researches, edited by Rev. A.A. Lambing, July 1885, Page 19
2 https://www.livingplaces.com/PA/Bucks_County/Morrisville_Borough_History.html
3. A Collection of Papers Read Before the Bucks County Historical Society, Volume 3
4 A History of Trenton frim the Trenton Historiacl Society by Trenton Citizens of Foreign Origin by Richard D. La Guardia
5 History of Trenton by John O/ Raun, pg171
6 The Battles of Trenton and Princeton by William S. Stryker, (1898) Called the definitive work by Sir George Trevelyan whose 6-volume work, The American Revolution notes: A better book on the subject could not be compiled. Living on the scene of the engagements, General Stryker from childhood gathered much of his knowledge from the families of survivors.
7 History of Bucks Co. PA, Chapter XLII & XLIII, 1804