In our first holiday collection, A Colonial Christmas, Owen and David ride with the Philadelphia Light Horse and General Washington to cross the Delaware on Christmas night. I did a lot of research to make this as accurate as possible, but I did take literary license with some things!
The Philadelphia Light Horse
You might notice that the organizer of the Troop in Freedom’s Ring, Abraham Markoe, isn’t in “Christmas Crossing.” When Denmark declared neutrality in the war in 1775, as a Danish citizen, Markoe could not fight. After serving over a year in the Second Continental Congress, their first lieutenant, Andrew Allen, became a loyalist, so the second lieutenant became captain, Samuel Morris.
They had no lieutenants until James Budden was promoted to second lieutenant in Dec 1776 because of his battle bravery (or possibly 1775; both dates are listed in the troop history)–leaving first lieutenant a perfect position for David! All of the Troopers’ names are real. Notice that Benjamin never gets a last name? The real Benjamin’s full name was Benjamin Randolph!
Poor George Fullerton is the only member of the Troop I’ve been able to confirm as a war casualty, but as Owen says, he was killed accidentally. While helping carry money for the army, the Troop history says, in 1776, Fullerton “was unfortunately killed . . . by the accidental discharge of a pistol in one of the holsters.” Which I’m assuming was friendly fire, and it seems most likely it was his own gun, as Owen says. Ouch.
After the Trenton/Princeton campaign, George Washington wrote a personal note of thanks in their discharge:
I take this opportunity of returning my most sincere thanks to the Captain and to the gentlemen who compose the Troop, for the many essential services which they have rendered their country, and to me personally, during the course of this severe campaign. Though composed of gentlemen of fortune, they have shown a noble example of discipline and subordination, and in several actions have shown a spirit and bravery which will ever do honor to them, and will ever be gratefully remembered by me.
What’s NOT real in “Christmas Crossing”
Obviously, our fictional characters were not there, much as we wish they were real!
When David points out the Hessians have struck their colors (flag), that is an actual conversation that the real artilleryman, Foster, had with Washington to tell him the battle had ended. I don’t think the Hessians presented the colors to Washington quite the way they do in the story. While shots were exchanged with the Hessians at the outpost, I don’t think the Light Horse fired there.
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