Hundreds Gather For Washington’s Annual Crossing

George Washington has made his annual Christmas Day ride across the Delaware River.

The 59th annual re-enactment of Washington's daring Christmas1776 crossing of the river -- the trek that turned the tide of theRevolutionary War -- was staged Sunday on the Pennsylvania and New Jersey border.

Hundreds gathered to hear Washington's stand-in deliver stirringwords to the troops and watch three boats make the crossing from Pennsylvania to New Jersey.

During the crossing 233 years ago, boats ferried some 2,400 soldiers, 200 horses and 18 cannons across the river, and the troops marched 8 miles downriver and fell on Hessian mercenaries in the streets of Trenton. Thirty Hessians were killed, and two Continental soldiers froze to death on the march, but none died in the battle.

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