The Crossing (film)
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The Crossing is a 2000 A&E film based on the novel of the same name by Howard Fast starring Jeff Daniels as George Washington. Also appearing in the film are Roger Rees as Hugh Mercer, Sebastian Roche as John Glover and Steven McCarthy as Alexander Hamilton.
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[edit] Plot summary
This drama is about George Washington crossing the Delaware River and the Battle of Trenton during the American Revolutionary War. The film opens with the retreat of the Continental Army across New Jersey after repeated catastrophic defeats during the campaign of 1776. After the army narrowly escapes across the river to the Pennsylvania shore, Washington, realizing that something must be done or the Revolution will collapse, conceives a plan to cross the river and conduct a surprise attack on the Hessian garrison at Trenton. Despite their own fatigue and the winter weather, the army crosses the river, attacks Trenton on December 26, 1776, and gains a stunning victory.
[edit] Historical errors
- Hamilton appears as an officer on Washington's staff, when he would not actually join Washington's staff until some time later.
- Hamilton and another soldier are shown storming a German guardhouse and killing the Hessians inside to prevent them from raising the alarm. No such incident took place.
- In the film, Horatio Gates confronts Washington with a long, defeatist rant, after which Washington has him thrown out of the camp. In reality, Gates left camp on his own to report to Congress in Philadelphia.
- The film shows snow falling in some scenes where the soldiers are marching, but the ground is bare and the Delaware River is clear. Actually, snow had accumulated on the ground and the Delaware was full of floating chunks of ice.
- At the end of the film, Mercer tells Washington that no Continental soldiers were killed and none were wounded. It is true that no rebel soldiers were killed in the battle, but four were wounded, including two private soldiers and two officers: the General's cousin William Washington, and future President James Monroe.
