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Dec. 25, 2021 - Bannon's War Room
48:43
Episode 1,511 - Combat History Of Christmas Hour OneEpisode 1,511 - Combat History Of Christmas Hour One
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patrick k odonnel
29:38
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steve bannon
13:38
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Speaker Time Text
unidentified
O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God
appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
In man the blue world shall come to thee, O Israel.
O come, thou day-spring, come and cheer us,
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
It's Christmas Day, Saturday, the 25th of December, the year of our Lord 2021.
You're in the War Room.
We do this every year as a Christmas special.
It is the Combat History of Christmas, where what we do is go through American heroes, American patriots that have, in service to their country and to their countrymen, have been defending Western civilizations on battlefields all over the world.
Today we're going to take you from The United States during the Revolution, we're going to take you to the Chosin Reservoir in Korea and to Germany, the Battle of the Bulge, all of it.
You're going to see patriots.
I'll also be making some comments and talking about people that have been at sea during Christmas, the Christmas holidays, and particularly Christmas Day.
We always commemorate this with Patrick K. O'Donnell, the finest combat historian of his generation.
Patrick, thank you so much for joining us today on the War Room on our Christmas special, The Combat History of Christmas.
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
It's great to be with you, Steve.
I always enjoy doing this every year with you.
It's my favorite show.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Yeah, I think, I don't know, it's five, six, seven years we've been doing this.
We did it on Breitbart Radio and then shifted over to the War Room.
Really want to thank you.
What is that?
It's our third Christmas doing this?
Is that right?
So Patrick, let's start at Trenton.
And I want to set it up for people because I think a lot of times folks are getting, particularly if they're younger, really get confused about the American Revolution.
And so the Battle of Trenton, which was a small battle, but a pivotal battle.
And in fact, if what we're going to take you through in the next hour had not have happened, you don't know if America really would have ever been broken off from the British Empire and really defeated the British.
And we're talking about we're taking back in time to December 25th of 1776, really the first year, the second year of the war, but the first year of our independence.
So after a fighting in Lexington and Concord and the siege of Boston in 1775, Finally, the Patriots of Continental Congress, or Continental Association, I guess it was called, got together in Philadelphia in the late spring and early summer of 1776, came to the conclusion that we had to have a purpose to kind of continue this rebellion, and that purpose would be independence.
It wouldn't just be fighting the British to come to some sort of new arrangement.
It would be total and complete independence.
Declaration of Independence was drafted, written, agreed to, debated, passed, then signed on the 2nd of July, and I guess the proclamation went out on the 4th, but en route already was the biggest armada that the United Kingdom had ever put together.
I think 200 ships with Admiral Howe and General Howe, the two brothers, arrived in New York Harbor, I think in August, and then you can take it from there.
From August really all the way through Christmas, virtually continual fighting of the really nascent Continental Army and these militia groups that you so
So greatly documented in your two books, what really happened from their landing in August, the British Armada, with this massive expeditionary force of British regulars and Hessian mercenaries, was probably the most formidable military power on earth at that time to really deliver to the United States to crush this rebellion.
George III had made a decision that this rebellion had to be crushed, not just politically, But that the military force of the colonies, the militia groups, the Minutemen, and this nascent Continental Army had to be crushed.
So tell us how we actually got to Trenton from the time the Armada arrived.
What happened?
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
Steve, at this point in the revolution, it's an American crisis.
It's probably the darkest days of the revolution.
And it's a situation where the United States Was about to be extinguished as they knew it at that time.
Washington's army had suffered one catastrophic defeat after another after the Battle of Brooklyn or the Battle of Long Island.
It's here that the Indispensables saved the army through the American Dunkirk.
They allow the army to cross the East River and save it temporarily.
But following that, there's practically one American defeat after another.
Going up Manhattan, We have a slight win at the Battle of Harlem Heights, but then it's followed by the Battle of White Plains, which is a defeat as well.
There's a battle of Fort Washington where 3,000 Americans nearly are brought into captivity as the fort is surrounded and the men are run through literally a gauntlet.
They're bayoneted to death.
They're robbed of their possessions.
And they go into captivity on concentration camp-like ships in New York Harbor, where many of them starve to death or die of disease.
And Washington is in full retreat at this time.
He is moving his army away from White Plains into New Jersey and is moving as quickly as he can to the safety of the Delaware.
unidentified
Before we get to New Jersey, I just wanted to tell two quick stories.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
One, the American Thermopylae in Brooklyn, which I think people in New York City don't know, how, if that had not happened, this American Thermopylae with the regiment from Maryland, the Continental Army And then the American Dunkirk, how, with the use of the fog, we get out.
Folks, understand, to get to Christmas Day of 1776, we had so many near-fatal, near-fatal catastrophes.
And you see the hand of Providence.
On Christmas Day, when it's the birth that we commemorate and celebrate the birth of Christ, divine providence at work in the Revolution.
Tell us quickly about the American Thermopylae.
I don't want to go to the American Doctor.
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
The American Thermopylae, the Battle of Brooklyn is arguably up there with Gettysburg, in terms of the importance to America.
It's a battle that was a defeat, but it could have been a catastrophic disaster that would have led to the end of the United States.
I wrote Washington's Immortals, which is on the Maryland line, that captures the story of that American Thermopylae.
It's an hour more precious in our history than any other, where the Maryland Regiment conducts a near suicidal rear guard, where they send several companies of Marylanders, this is the elites of the Maryland Regiment,
In really many of the elite of the Maryland society, these men make a bayonet attack against a fixed position against the British, where there's a number of guns that are positioned, and they open up a gap in the line that allows a large portion of the American Army to escape.
They were initially located on the Heights Iguanas, which is kind of this bony spur that fans out.
And today's Greenwood Cemetery is where the battle begins.
But they somehow make this breakout and allow the army to escape.
But it's a disaster for the Marylanders.
It's called the Maryland 400 or Washington's Immortals.
Nearly to a man, they are lost.
Their sacrifice is epic.
This stand, this Thermopylae-like stand, allows these American Spartans, allow the army to live on, though, and to escape to the heights of Brooklyn.
Where the American Army and the British Army face off, and the British decide, instead of attacking immediately, had they done so, they may have even won the war right then and there.
But the Marylanders stand, choose up hours of daylight and time, and allows them to escape.
And it's late in the afternoon, and Lord Howe makes a decision, a fateful decision, Based largely on his experience at the Battle of Bunker Hill where the British Army was mauled.
He lost scores of British officers around him, a large portion of his force, nearly 50% die on Bunker, die or killed, die or wounded are on Bunker Hill.
So it causes him to pause and he decides to entrench.
He feels like he can entrench the British Army and build siege lines and then come up the backside on the East River with the Royal Navy.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Hang on one second, I just want to emphasize something that people may not realize.
Because of the stand of really the American militia, because we didn't even have the Continental Army at the time, the American militias, on Breeds Hill or Bunker Hill, how General Warren, Joseph Warren, and others fought and eviscerated 50% casualties of these British regulars.
Hal and these guys were in shock.
In fact, the numbers when they got back to London, they were in shock.
This specter was all over the war from that time forward.
The Americans were so tough, although outgunned and clearly not professional soldiers, they were so tough, they were such good shots, they knew how to work in teamwork, that the British, and you're absolutely correct, in Brooklyn Heights, instead of having one of these front charges and just kind of overwhelm these hayseeds,
They were always very careful after that, and you can see from the American Thermopylae where this Maryland regiment just attacks, attacks, attacks over and over again at that stone house.
The Americans showed such bravery and courage under fire.
That the British regulars, who were as tough as you could get throughout the world, said, hey, these people are just not going to collapse as is.
And this is why we got the time at the American Dunkirk.
Because Howe and the senior officers said, I don't know if we want to go up against these guys right now.
Let's do a siege and try to put them back on the beach.
Go ahead, Patrick.
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
Yeah, absolutely, Steve.
And what's also worth mentioning is we probably would have won the Battle of Bunker Hill had we not run out of ammunition, and specifically gunpowder.
And gunpowder is the critical supply throughout the American Revolution.
I bring it out in the Indispensables because it's the Indispensables, the Marbleheaders, that bring it in.
They smuggle it in.
Much of that powder on Bunker Hill is from the Indispensables and bringing it in from Spain.
But they make an epic stand on Bunker Hill.
Cause catastrophic casualties.
And then it translates also into the epic stand for the Marylanders at the American Thermopylae.
And it's here that Washington has to make a decision.
Does he stand and fight at Brooklyn or does he retreat?
And he wisely consults his aides and his senior battle captains.
And they all agree that it's time to retreat.
But that is a very, very difficult task.
A retreat under fire.
And they have to cross a river, and right under the noses of not only this massive British army, which is right in front of them, but also the Royal Navy, which is only about a mile or so up the East River.
And it falls upon the shoulders of the Marbleheaders, and they assemble all of the rafts and anything that floats, basically, small boats with sails.
And they're only given about two hours.
Initially, the army is told that they're attacking.
Washington wisely tells his men that they're attacking, but instead of moving forward, they move backward towards the river.
And with two hours' notice, John Glover and the Marbleheaders have to assemble this motley group of boats, rotting tubs, and somehow bring the army across.
And that night, it wasn't working well at all.
It was a disaster.
The tides were not going with the marble headers.
The wind wasn't going with them.
They initially tried to call off the operation, but they couldn't find Washington, thank God.
And everything moved forward, and then the tides changed, the wind changed, but miraculously, this is the hand of God, the wind was not favoring the British Navy.
They weren't able to sail up the East River.
Had they been able to do that, they would have blown these small boats to smithereens with their massive warships, and they would have never been able to cross.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Patrick, just hang on for one second.
We're going to take a short commercial break.
We're going to return.
It's the combat history of Christmas as we commemorate and celebrate American heroism and patriotism on one of the most sacred and holy days of the year, the birth of Christ, December 25th.
We're here on our special.
We're going to return in a moment with Patrick K. O'Donnell.
unidentified
We're going to return in a moment with Patrick K. O'Donnell.
The Holy Mares of Mary's Lord, Mary's Lord, and Mary's Lord, Jesus Christ.
O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel.
that mourns in lonely exile here, until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Okay, welcome back to our Christmas special, The Combat History of Christmas with Patrick K. O'Donnell.
One of the reasons we do this is to show you that many Americans for their country have had to be in horrible circumstances in defense of the Judeo-Christian West on this most holy, or one of the most holy days in the Christian calendar.
But you can see the hand of Providence in every one of the situations we're going to show you, whether from the Trojan Reservoir to World War II, certain things that happened at sea, at the Battle of Fredericksburg that happened right before Christmas, all of it.
And particularly, it exemplifies itself, I think, the most in the Battle of Trenton.
And really the first year of our nation's history, or at least the founding of our constitutional republic.
Patrick O'Donnell, you got us on the shores of Brooklyn Heights at the East River of Manhattan, right essentially where Brooklyn Bridge is for people who want to put that.
So you can see Manhattan right there.
The Royal Navy's got an armada.
Right out by Governor Zaland in lower Manhattan.
And General Washington has a dilemma.
Under fire, he has to do the hardest thing you can do, which is an extraction.
He has to do an extraction of troops under extreme circumstances to save the Army.
If the Army's not pulled off of Brooklyn Heights and gotten to Manhattan and able to continue to retreat, there won't be an American Republic because there won't be an American Army.
Patrick K. O'Donnell.
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
Yeah, this is one of the closest times in our nation's history where everything could have been lost.
This battle has incredible significance.
The American Dunkirk, which is what the Marbleheaders are affecting, it takes on immense importance.
That night, the winds shift and it starts to favor the Americans.
But it's about the skill that these men possess and the teamwork that they have that's been honed Over decades of time, fishing the Grand Banks, where they fished prior to the American Revolution.
And it's the most treacherous waters in the world at the time.
But it made these men like steel, the greatest mariners of the colonies at the time.
And they were able to handle it that night and move the army across.
But they were working against time, Steve.
Dawn was coming, and with it, daylight.
And the British would suddenly have eyes on the entire operation.
You know, we saw this summer just how difficult it is to withdraw under enemy fire.
And that's exactly what they were doing that day with a massive British Army that was over 20,000 strong.
There's about 9,500 Americans that have to somehow, you know, make it across this river with the British Army directly in front of them about to spring at any point.
And the Marbleheaders make one trip after the other.
As you point out, it's at the place of the Brooklyn Bridge now.
That's where the embarkation and the evacuation took place.
And they're moving across one group at a time.
They move the guns.
They move the wounded.
And dawn is quickly approaching.
And it's here that many of the men say it's divine providence.
A massive fog rolls in.
at exactly the right time at dawn and screens the movement of the Americans and the Marbleheaders and the Indispensables bring off the army.
Only, it's remarkable, only one boatload of guys is enabled to make it.
They fall into the river as the British fire upon them and then they still swim to the safety of Manhattan.
And it's arguably one of the greatest evacuations in history and it saves the Republic.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
So from that time, and you've got White Plains, you've got all these battles, these fights in Manhattan, and of course, north of Manhattan, they get across to New Jersey.
New Jersey is kind of also a strategic retreat.
And then they actually leave New Jersey and go into Pennsylvania.
I mean, they're essentially, Washington is obviously a strategy to protect this army.
But by the fall or early winter of 1776, when you get to December, It's put up a bunch of valiant stands.
The courage is undeniable.
But we're on our back foot.
There's no doubt about that in your mind?
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
It's not only our back foot, Steve, but these military defeats are having an impact on the political will of the American people, which is eroding very quickly.
Lord Howe has an amnesty program in effect in New Jersey.
And people are flocking to, you know, renounce the United States and, you know, sign up for their allegiance to the legions to the crown.
Even Congress men are doing it.
So it's it's it's they're going in droves.
There's also hyperinflation that's taking place at this time.
The Continental Congress has a very little hard currency.
There's little gold around.
So they're printing money like mad.
And it's devalued.
The money that Americans are using to, you know, they're either getting paid, the Continental soldiers or militia are getting paid in these Continentals, which are practically worthless.
This is very, very hard times.
People are starving.
And then overlaying all this, Steve, is a pandemic.
And smallpox is raging across The, um, what's the, the, you know, recent, the nascent United States, um, people are being killed by the thousands.
The army itself is sustaining massive casualties from smallpox.
Um, all of these things are having a massive effect.
The army, which started out nearly 20,000 strong under Washington, um, in New York is now dwindled down to thousands.
And, oh, by the way, there's an even bigger problem coming because most of the armies, um, We're enlisted for a year.
And those enlistments are expiring at the first of the year or in some cases around the middle of December.
So Washington is in a real crisis.
He has to change the course of the war or otherwise the United States will be lost.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
They retreat into the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania across the Delaware River, but I have to ask you.
Also, there is now a striking loss of confidence in General Washington himself, and the long knives are out for Washington.
So put us in, we're in mid-December.
Walk us through the tensions that are building and the pressures on General Washington.
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
There's enormous pressure on General Washington because he's presided over one defeat after another and the long knives are out.
And his great adversary is a guy by the name of General Charles Lee.
And Charles Lee is a soldier of fortune in many ways.
He was a former British officer, but he fought in various wars and was considered by many to be the most experienced battle commander out there.
He had a lot of weird peculiarities.
He liked dogs more than he liked people.
He had dogs constantly running around him all the time.
And his nickname was Boiling Water because he actually married a Native American.
And they named him that because of his volatile personality.
But sort of another miracle takes place in many ways.
And that is in the middle of December, Charles Lee, Washington, is urging him to move his army down towards across to pennsylvania to join him and in leah's constantly spelling giving him one excuse after another why he can't do it and we really is vying for washington's position and he's being obstructionist and what happens is he goes overnight uh... stays in a at a tavern uh... it is to which is not very well guarded
and banister tarleton along with them another officer captures him uh... alive and it changes the course of the war because it's very possible that we may have been installed by congress at one point or another had he not been captured legal And Lee goes into captivity, and we don't know it at the time, but Lee actually collaborates with the British and even tells them how they can defeat us.
He's a real, you know, an interesting and divisive figure.
But, you know, fortunately, he's removed as the great adversary to Washington, and Washington proceeds forward, and it's here that he has to formulate this great counteroffensive that changed the course of history.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
I want to make sure that people understand this.
Washington was deeply religious, right?
And he was always in prayer, looking for divine providence to give him guidance.
People, at the time, we were on our back foot.
The Army's down to a couple thousand people.
It's not particularly well-fed or well-paid.
Congress is in disarray.
You actually have very prominent people that are taking this amnesty.
Washington understands that he has to strike a blow, that victory begets victory, and we need a win.
And so, in the formulation of that, Walk us through, we've got about a minute here, we're going to take another break, but walk us through how he pulled this together through prayer, meditation, thinking through this problem.
How did Washington think that somehow I've got to strike a blow?
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
You know, Washington didn't necessarily put his religion on his sleeve, but he was a religious man that prayed.
And he also recognized the weakness that the British had.
They had to, you know, this is a problem with all counterinsurgencies, if you will.
You have to hold the territory with men in order for your political ideas or whatever you want to do to take hold.
And the British were short of men.
This is a problem that they had through the entire war.
But they decided to position them in various garrisons around New Jersey.
Okay, Patrick.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Patrick, just hang on right there.
The counterinsurgency, they've got to take over the hamlets and the towns.
That's what the British are doing.
Washington's going to use their greatest strength against them as we take a short commercial break here on our Christmas special, The Combat History of Christmas in the United States.
We'll take a short break.
Be back with Patrick A. O'Donnell in a moment.
unidentified
♪ The rising of the sun and the running of the deer ♪ ♪ The great, sweet song that the ear can hear ♪ ♪ The holly bears a prickle as sharp as any thorn ♪ ♪ And Mary bore sweet Jesus Christ to eat ♪
♪ Oh come, oh come, Emmanuel ♪ ♪ And ransom captive Israel ♪ ♪ That mourns in lonely exile here on high ♪ you Rejoice!
the Son of God appear. Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Welcome back to the War Room Christmas special.
I want to thank everybody for joining us or taking part of the Christmas morning to to join us.
Really honored.
So Patrick, the British understand they have to take the towns and hamlets.
Washington understands that that could be a weakness since they're spread out.
So what plan does he come up with and how is he executed?
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
Comes up with a plan to to take out one of those isolated and vulnerable outposts.
British are spread out all around New Jersey.
They're there with their Hessian allies.
These are German allies that are paid to fight for the British.
They're local leaders.
They're kings in Germany.
Germany is not united at this point.
It's various kingdoms.
Sell their men to the highest bidder and rent them out, if you will.
And these are experienced, well-drilled, excellent soldiers.
They're Hessians.
And one garrison of Hessian regulars under the command of Colonel Johan Rall is at Trenton.
And it's here that Washington focuses all of the Army to take out that Trenton garrison.
And it's a very, it's a formidable thing.
Washington has to cross the Delaware River, which is not easy.
It's a very big obstacle, natural obstacle.
He once again turns to the reliable Marblehead Regiment, the most experienced mariners in the Continental Army, and asks John Glover, you know, point blank, are you able to bring, you know, the army across?
He's like, don't worry about it.
My men can handle it, he tells Washington.
And, you know, that is where the army is at.
It's Christmas, and they have to cross the Delaware, and it's not an easy task.
At this point, there is a massive Nor'easter that rolls in, Steve.
And this is a double-edged sword for the Trenton operation in the sense that it will screen the movement of the army.
And the prying eyes of the Hessians won't see, necessarily, the bulk of the army cross because there's this massive snowstorm that takes place.
But the river itself is filled with ice.
It's impassable for all but the most experienced mariners, and it's the Marbleheaders Once again, have to pull off the impossible.
And I need to emphasize to you that Washington, Washington was very fond of complex plans.
Um, and he divides up his army, um, uh, rather in some cases unwisely and all aspects of the army.
There were several parts of it that were not under the marble headers.
Uh, command in terms of the boats failed to cross on Christmas day.
They all failed.
And it was only the Marbleheaders that were able to bring the army across on Christmas Day and in the midst of this raging Nor'easter with ice chunks flowing.
I mean, I love the picture, the Loon's picture, which there's some inaccuracies, but it captures in many ways the moment.
It captures the actual diversity of the crew of the men in those boats, which included Native Americans, African-Americans that were in the Marbleheaders, as well as others.
And they all, against all odds, bring the army across.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Let me ask you, he knew, and this is why I think it's so important that we commemorate this on Christmas Day.
He specifically chose this holiday to strike, knowing that there were German mercenaries, knowing about Germans and how they celebrate Christmas and exactly the time of day.
Walk us through how he actually planned out how the assault was going to take place and how he would catch people unprepared.
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
Did a couple of things that were really Impressive.
Washington was also a spymaster, and he initially puts out kind of a meeting that's a ruse.
In that meeting, he calls that someone that he knows that the British spies will pick up on, and they send out misinformation about the timing of the attack and the whereabouts.
And then he calls another meeting, which is a meeting with his most trusted men, which included John Glover and others.
And then they designed the attack.
It's worth noting that the Hessians' adversaries that they had were excellent and professional soldiers.
They were not drunk at Christmas Day, as we read in many of the children's books.
These guys were well-prepared, drilled, and were literally sleeping in their uniforms.
With their muskets by their sides.
Because they've been hit so many times by raids by the Continental Army as well as the militia.
And they were constantly on alert.
And what happens that day is sort of another miracle in a sense.
But it was a miscue.
Adam Stevens, who was a member of the Virginia aspect of the Continental Army, conducted a raid Without Washington's approval.
It was a reprisal raid for several men that had died earlier that week.
So he conducts the raid.
His company of men are on the other side of the river without authorization.
And Rawl is actually tipped off by British intelligence that the Americans are coming and that they're coming soon and they're coming on Christmas Day.
And this raid by, this unauthorized raid, It leads Rawl to believe, I believe, that this is the full assault of Washington's army and it's repelled by Rawl's men.
And Stephen's men actually fade out and are about to cross back across the river when Washington, in the middle of Christmas Day that night, encounters them on the road to Trenton.
In the middle of a snowstorm, and he's dumbfounded.
What are Americans doing on the other side of the river without authorization?
And he's absolutely furious, but calms down and then asks them to join the rest of the group, and they continue to march forward.
But I believe that this is an important event because it makes Raw believe that the American attack had already come, it had been repelled, and then secondly, there's this massive nor'easter that is occurring.
And, you know, in Raul's mind, why would the American Army, how could any army possibly cross the Delaware and attack that night?
And, you know, there's even an amazing story of how Raul is playing checkers that night, and he is given an African American servant comes in with a desperate note that says that the Americans have crossed.
He puts the note in his pocket and never reads it.
And the next day, The note is found on him.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Talk to us about that Northeaster for a second, because it's really amazing that Washington didn't call it off.
Seeing the hand of Providence in all this, he thought it might be to an advantage, but, and this is why the Marlboro Hurricanes are so important.
In a Northeastern, people who have lived in the East know how tough these are, essentially, winter hurricanes.
How could you actually, because the hardest thing you know, if the second hardest is an extraction across a river, during combat.
The hardest is a forced river crossing.
If you talk to anybody in the Army, they say, hey, a forced river crossing is always the hardest thing you do.
What was it about Washington when that weather hit?
He said, hey, we're still going.
We're going to get through this.
And the Marbleheaders were the guys that really could actually, the men of steel could actually get it done.
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
I think he sensed, you know, I mean, he had this innate sense of strategy and he sensed an opportunity.
Where others would have sensed great defeat, potentially, and catastrophe.
And uses the weather to his advantage.
Moves forward down Trenton on that icy road, and it's a blinding snowstorm.
And many of the men, their cartridge boxes are getting wet from the snow and the sleet and everything else.
And they turn to Washington and say, well, what are we going to do?
We don't have any ammo.
He says, we'll use the bayonet on them.
And we'll charge them with the bayonet.
And, uh, the men pushed forward.
Many of the men literally fall asleep in some cases.
Um, there's great danger of, uh, they fall asleep and they'll, they'll die because of the, the weather is so extreme that night.
And men are, some men actually do fall asleep and their bodies are covered with snow.
Unfortunately, many of them are woken up as they continue to press forward.
One of the great stories is, uh, James Monroe, our future president, who's a Lieutenant at the time is pushing forward.
He's given orders, he's in the vanguard of the assault, he's given orders to detain anyone that pops out, a civilian, because they need to maintain the element of surprise.
And out pops, there's a barking dog, out pops out an American civilian who happens to be a medical doctor, Dr. Riker, and Monroe tells him that he must go inside.
And Dr. Riker, who's an American civilian, says, look, you might be, I might be of need to the army.
I'm going to, I'm a doctor.
And he continues to accompany the army forward into Trenton.
And it's here that they, um, surprised Johan Roll, but he quickly, um, assembles his men and, you know, German doctrine.
They immediately counterattacked Steve and they're, they're pushing the American army back, um, initially.
And, um, It's here that James Monroe, who's a bona fide war hero, charges several of the guns that the Hessians have at Trenton.
And he is practically mortally wounded.
His blood is fountaining out.
But it's the man that he nearly detained, Dr. Riker, that saves his life and prevents the wound from being fatal.
The Americans continue to press there, and Johan Rall, this is where the Marbleheaders play a key role.
They seize a bridge, the most important bridge in all of North America during that battle, the bridge across the Assen Peak.
And this is Johan Rall's lifeline, his ability to retreat to the other Hessian garrison and reinforce themselves.
And then they would have probably easily counterattacked the American army.
And everything would have changed, potentially.
But that lifeline, that avenue of retreat, is cut off by the Marbleheaders, who seize the bridge and stop the Hessian retreat.
And they're overwhelmed and surrounded.
Many of them die.
And Raal himself is mortally wounded.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
Patrick, real quickly, we're going to take a break here, but just explain to the audience, because I think it's always misrepresented, how professional and tough and kind of world-renowned these Hessian mercenaries were that the American Army defeated that night.
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
They were, I mean, they were as good as anybody in the British Army, if not better in some cases.
They were elite troops, and Johan Rahl was arguably one of the greatest Um, Hessian commanders of the entire war.
He led the assault at White Plains, for instance, that led through to the breakthrough at White Plains.
He led the assault and breakthrough at Fort Washington, where, you know, nearly 3,000 Americans are surrounded, uh, and then later captured and many killed or die in captivity.
It's Johan Rall, who's a true, uh, and great war hero of the early American revolution and one of their most professional soldiers.
And throughout the course of several months, Steve, Raul constantly, with his superiors, demanded additional reinforcements and men, and it was always denied that because there wasn't enough guys to go around just to basically contain the northern Jersey countryside.
unidentified
We're gonna take a short commercial break.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
We're going to return.
You see the Hand of Providence.
If Commander John Raw had read the note that the servant gave him when he was playing checkers, it would have turned out totally differently.
He didn't put it in his pocket.
It was found in his body the next day.
Short commercial break.
Back in the War Room in a moment.
unidentified
The holly bears a prickle as sharp as any thorn, and Mary bore sweet...
O come, O come, Emmanuel, and ransom captive Israel, that mourns in lonely exile here,
until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
You're in the War Room.
It is Christmas Day, the 25th of December, the year of our Lord 2021, and we're honored to have Patrick A. O'Donnell here to share his knowledge and his information about the combat history of America, the combat history of Christmas Day.
When so many brave patriots throughout the world and throughout our country's history have defended the Judeo-Christian West on arguably one of the most holiest days of the Christian calendar.
We're in Trenton in 1776.
Patrick, so what was the outcome of this?
It was an absolute miracle.
It was a Christmas miracle that this was pulled off.
What was the outcome of the battle and what did it do to take us forward as a nation?
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
The outcome of the battle is it changes the course of history, Steve.
Immediately, the mood of the country changes.
But it is just one of really three battles that changed the course of history over the course of ten days.
Washington initially wanted to sort of pull back across the river with his prisoners.
Most of the garrison was captured or killed.
As well as all the guns that they captured, the Hessian guns and small arms, and then sit back.
But things forced his hand, including John Cadwallader, who was part of a militia group from Philadelphia, the Associators.
And they were one of the groups, 2,500 men, strong, that tried to cross on Christmas Day, but they didn't have the skills of the Marbleheaders in their boats.
And they failed to cross on Christmas Day, but they crossed shortly thereafter, a day or two later.
But now suddenly Washington has a dilemma on his hands.
A force of his men, a large force, is over there.
Additionally, the New Jersey militia, there's an uprising from the Battle of Trenton, and Washington decides to support his men and support the Cadwallader as well as the New Jersey militia.
Yeah, they have been actively, you know, assaulting in a guerrilla warfare like manner, nipping at the heels of the British.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
with the Marbleheaders. Well, hang on a second. The uprising is because they want to be more aggressive and they want to take the torch to the enemy.
patrick k odonnel ▲ ● ▼
Yeah, they're they they have been actively, you know, assaulting in a guerrilla warfare like manner, nipping at the heels of the British.
And now it's kind of more of a full scale uprising, which, you know, Washington is now aware of. And he decides to send his men back across to support them and also link up with Cadwallader and and his men.
And he is now once again, Washington is once again at Trenton.
But instead of doing what Johan Rall did, which is to try to defend the town, he pulls back across the river where the Assateague Creek Bridge is.
This is, as I mentioned earlier, the most important bridge in North America at the time.
And Washington decides to defend a line Across the Assam peak of over a mile long and also defend that bridgehead.
First, he sends out his cracked men that are excellent riflemen to slow down the British as they're moving towards General Cornwallis is in charge of a massive British assault force, really the cream of the British Army, the best light infantry troops that are out there, the Grenadiers, and they move towards Trenton, but they're slowed down.
By Washington's riflemen as they're they hide in the woods and they pick off British officers and they slow down the British advance until they get to the S&P Creek Bridge, which is it's now afternoon and Washington decides instead of retreating to make it a stand.
And this is really one of the great stands of the war, Steve, and Washington is there in the vortex of battle standing right near that bridge and miraculously, you know, bullets Just seemed to miraculously never hit him.
There's one account where his horse is literally touching the rail of the bridge as he stands there with his men, and they repel one British attack after another across that bridge, which becomes filled with blood, you know, as American cannon hit these British ranks as well as musketry and rifle power.
They do about three charges, and then the sun goes down, and they fail to cross the bridge.
And Washington, once again, has this epic dilemma on his hands.
Does he stand and fight?
Does he cross the river again?
Or does he do something else?
And he decides to do something else and attack the British garrison at Princeton.
But also, in New Brunswick, there's a massive war chest, over 50,000 pounds sterling, that is basically a payroll for the British Army.
And he wants it, along with all the other war supplies.
And he decides to put his men on a forced march that night.
They light campfires.
Give it, you know, the illusion that they're digging in.
He is a corps of men that stay back and they use their pickaxes and shovels very loudly to make it look like they're digging in for the night and the attack that's going to be there in the morning.
But instead, the army is slipping away in the dead of night and moving north towards Princeton.
And it's here, you know, on this icy road that the army marches.
And what's interesting is the Princeton garrison has been ordered by Cornwallis to join them at Trenton.
And on the road to Princeton, and on the road to Trenton, as for the British, they meet.
It's a classic meeting engagement, and this is the Battle of Princeton.
And, you know, the battle initially, the initial elements of the American Army encounter the British regulars, which are excellent soldiers, and they push back a large portion of the British Army, or the American Army, back towards Trenton.
And it's on its back heel.
One of their commanders is gravely wounded, and it's here that Washington changes the course of history.
He personally charges into battle and changes the tide of history, and the Battle of Princeton is an American victory.
But instead of marching on to New Brunswick, they go to Morristown for encampment, wisely.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
The, uh, the, uh, Christmas miracle of Trenton, the counterpart in Washington that saved, saved the Republic in its early days.
American heroism and patriotism on the holiest day or one of the holiest days in the Christian calendar.
unidentified
Okay.
steve bannon ▲ ● ▼
We'll take a short break.
When we return, we're going to go to the Battle of the Bulge.
We'll be in World War II, also the Brenner incident.
Then later the Chosin Reservoir.
Incredible, incredible heroism during the Christmas holidays by American patriots and heroes next in the world.
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