From Ashley County Register: Crossett Rotary Club Has Speaker on Revolution, U. S. Constitution
Curtis Coleman, chairman of the Institute for Constitution Policy in Little Rock, shared historical facts pertaining to the Constitution of the United States with members of the Crossett Rotary Club during their regular luncheon on Thursday, Dec. 29.
"It's not difficult to discover what the 55 men were thinking when they wrote the constitution," he said, referring to the events that led up to writing the constitution. Coleman said he has discovered that telling people about the constitution causes people to rediscover a new passion for the document and revive some of what has been lost since the country was established.
"We are an infant in terms of the nations and countries in the world, which makes it incredibly remarkable that our constitution is the oldest document of its kind in use in a government in anywhere on the planet," he said.
Coleman said while the majority are familiar with George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River on Christmas Eve, there are some facts less commonly known.
In September, 1976, Coleman said, five battleships transporting 3,000 Hessian soldiers and 13,000 British troops anchored in the East River, New York. Although Washington had 30,000 volunteers in his army who were unprepared to battle the British soldiers, Washington and his soldiers fled. Within the first two weeks of the retreat, he said, Washington lost half his army. The retreat continued until Washington was forced to cross the Hudson River into New Jersey. There, Coleman said, Washington watched through a telescope as the British attacked Fort Washington which led to the deaths of 2,800 American troops. "They said that he (Washington) wept like a child," said Coleman.
Following the attack of Fort Washington, Coleman said, Washington and his commanders hatched a "daring" plan to attack 4,500 Hessian soldiers camped at Trenton near the Delaware River.
"Neither Washington nor the Continental Army in six months had ever won a battle, never had they won a battle with the British Army, they were defeated in every single battle," said Coleman.
Injury, illness and military discharges, Coleman said, had taken a toll on the number of soldiers in Washington's army. However, on Christmas Eve in 1776, Coleman said, Washington divided his army into three groups. Each group, he said, was to cross the river at different locations and carry out the surprise attack.
"Had that failed, it is more than likely that our nation would not be here," said Coleman.
He said at 11 p.m., the three groups began their journey. However, the divisions stationed at Trenton and south of Trenton were not able to cross because crests of ice standing five feet tall.
"Only one third of Washington's army was able to cross, and just as they begun to cross one of the worst storms in history of the area started," he said.
The storm, Coleman said, consisted of hail, sleet, snow, and freezing rain and clogged the soldiers' muskets. Washington told his soldiers to use their bayonets instead. "Which is interesting because most of the guys, before their war for independence, had never even seen a bayonet," added Coleman.
After crossing the river, the soldiers encountered rugged terrain and ice covered roads. The ice was so bad, he said, soldiers had to unhitch their teams and use trees and ropes to transport artillery over the steep inclines and deep trenches. Coleman said the soldiers tied their artillery to a rope tied to a tree and pulled it up and then had to lower it over the next embankment.
"It took them nine hours to make that trek," he said, adding the storm was so severe that two of the soldiers collapsed and froze to death along the way.
"So poorly equipped were Washington's soldiers you could trace their march by the footprints of blood in the snow," he said. "The storm that slowed them down and prevented their attack also covered their approach."
Instead of a constant watch, Coleman said the Hessian soldiers would check outside then go back inside to avoid the storm. Washington and his soldiers arrived around 9 a.m., almost four hours later than planned, but by 9:30, Coleman said, 4,800 Hessian soldiers surrendered to Washington's army. "The battle lasted 30 minutes and totally changed the course for our war for independence," he said.
Coleman said it was Washington's courage, relentless determination, integrity and ability to lead men and women, who followed him even in the face of death, that the colonies were able to have a convention in Philadelphia in 1787 that led to the writing of the Constitution of the United States.
"I personally believe if we are able to continue what our forefathers created, that if our children are able to enjoy the freedom and liberties that our forefathers purchased for us; we must strive with an equal passion to theirs to protect what we've been given," Coleman added.
Coleman is the founding president and CEO of Safe Foods Corporation (headquartered in North Little Rock and doing business on four continents), publisher and editor of The New South Conservative, and is involved in numerous organizations and a Paul Harris Fellow.
