Tater Hales' Dispatch from the American Revolution Crossing the Delaware - Dec. 26, 1776

People never had to tell me what to do, so I never put much of my Tater brain to think much about leaders. But I've changed my mind after watching Gen. Washington since we had to high-tail it out of New York. Not only did he keep this army together to fight the British another day, but he's kept the soldiers ready to do anything, including crossing a frozen Delware River.
I watch him just like all the Continental soldiers do.
Last night with everyone's mind on Christmas, Gen. Washington ordered readings of Thomas Paine's "Common Sense," just published three days ago in Philadelphia.
But I can't help but wonder what awaits this army, as well as its general, on the other side of this frozen pond. What are the consequences now that we've crossed? What would they be if we didn't cross? These are the questions that must be going through the general's mind, yet you never see Gen. Washington waiver once he makes a decision.
Some musket-mouth, smart-alecks poked fun at the general's retreat after the disastrous defeat at Long Island.
But Gen. Washington himself put it best. "The army had to be saved at all costs," he said.
"Unless we are absolutely forced into, we shall avoid a large battle. With the fate of America at stake, our job is to prolong this war as much as possible."
John Adams said the difference at Long Island was "in general, our generals were outgeneraled." I'm not the quickest revolver on the battlefield, but if the look on Gen. Washington's face is telling me anything, I say that won't happen again. The general seems to know he needs to take a gamble to hold the troops together and keep our little revolution alive.
Since the defeat at Long Island, followed by losses at Forts Washington and Lee on the Hudson River, our army's been in a sad condition. Our 6,000 troops are tired, hungry and footsore. Half of the volunteers plan on leaving as soon as their enlistments expire by the first day of 1777. The army limped its way through New Jersey to this spot on the Delaware River, with Trenton and its British and Hessian mercenaries not too far away.
But we look at our general and find renewed hope. This army is still alive. The long winter's almost over. We have more fight left in our liberty-craving souls.
This is just Tater thinking on his way to Trenton, but the bottom line after this miserable winter of 1776 is this: The general seems to think we're about to do something big. So do I.

Tater Hales' Dispatch from the American Revolution Declaration of Independence

Folks have just about lost their independence fever minds here lately, except for a few good-for-nothing traitorous Tories like that worm Willie who runs the general store and has probably been sending his own little dispatches across the ocean. The last time I saw Willie the worm, he asked me why in the world would we not want to be subject to the most powerful country in the world.
"There are lots of reasons, worm-boy," I told him, "but I only need one. We're gonna kick them out of our land for trying to shove a sissy sport like soccer on us."
These old Tater eyes see more and more people wearing their independence bonnets these days. Finally, folks in these parts are speaking more of Tater's language instead of trying to kiss that fat king's crown while he's trying to kick ours all the way south of Georgia. First, there was Thomas Paine's "Common Sense," which came out in January. The title alone got my attention - you know how Tater feels about plain old common sense - and there was plenty in Paine's work. He called for us colonists to rebel against the British monarchy (I always thought that was a funny word, sounds more like some kind of fancy bird) and proclaim our independence. But it wasn't just the title that got Tater's attention. Paine made us feel this was our time to show what we're made of by rebelling against "a violent abuse of power" and throw away the tyranny of a king just like my horse Sir Liberty Bell III of Salem Hills, Va.
"These are the times that try men's souls," Common Sense began: "The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country, but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered."
I hope at least my grandchildren will one day read these words, but you never know what writings will be handed down to future generations. The worst fear many of us independence patriots have is for the colonies to win this fight for freedom, give birth to a country and one day have citizens who forget what we broke from the mother ship for in the first place. Freedom, to us, is life. To some of us, it will be death. We don't want it to ever be used as a catchphrase or an excuse for laziness or wrongdoing.
"The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind," Paine wrote. "We have it in our power to begin the world over again... The birth-day of a new world is at hand."
The war began in April 1775 at Lexington and Concord and soon spread to Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill, but in the past year, independence has spread like yellow fever. In June, Richard Henry Lee read a resolution that proclaimed the right of the colonies to be free and independent states, absolved from any connection to Great Britain. Lee's resolution led to five men - John Adams, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston and Thomas Jefferson - hammering out the details for a new kind of declaration - one that proclaimed a new nation, independent and free. All Willie the worm needs to know, he can learn from those powerful words Thomas Jefferson wrote to know what this war is really about: the basic fact "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with inalienable rights," and "that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."
For those of you in Great Britain who may have trouble with learning, this means we no longer consent. We could hear the Liberty Bell ringing outside the State House after they adopted the Declaration of Independence, and I hear General Washington made copies of the important paper and read it to his Army who are preparing for a fight against the British Armada at Long Island, N.Y. People throughout the colonies are lighting fires and launching rockets all night to celebrate.
When we win our independence, I hope Americans will remember what it took to form this country and never take this date, or the freedoms they enjoy because of what we're doing, for granted. The worst thing that could happen would be for any American to just look at the fourth day of July as a day to not work. The war isn't even a year old, and we already realize the price that has to be paid. I hope future Americans will never fail to realize it as well.

Tater Hales' Dispatch from the American Revolution Declaration of Independence

Folks have just about lost their independence fever minds here lately, except for a few good-for-nothing traitorous Tories like that worm Willie who runs the general store and has probably been sending his own little dispatches across the ocean. The last time I saw Willie the worm, he asked me why in the world would we not want to be subject to the most powerful country in the world.
"There are lots of reasons, worm-boy," I told him, "but I only need one. We're gonna kick them out of our land for trying to shove a sissy sport like soccer on us."
These old Tater eyes see more and more people wearing their independence bonnets these days. Finally, folks in these parts are speaking more of Tater's language instead of trying to kiss that fat king's crown while he's trying to kick ours all the way south of Georgia. First, there was Thomas Paine's "Common Sense," which came out in January. The title alone got my attention - you know how Tater feels about plain old common sense - and there was plenty in Paine's work. He called for us colonists to rebel against the British monarchy (I always thought that was a funny word, sounds more like some kind of fancy bird) and proclaim our independence. But it wasn't just the title that got Tater's attention. Paine made us feel this was our time to show what we're made of by rebelling against "a violent abuse of power" and throw away the tyranny of a king just like my horse Sir Liberty Bell III of Salem Hills, Va.
"These are the times that try men's souls," Common Sense began: "The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of his country, but he that stands it now, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman. Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered."
I hope at least my grandchildren will one day read these words, but you never know what writings will be handed down to future generations. The worst fear many of us independence patriots have is for the colonies to win this fight for freedom, give birth to a country and one day have citizens who forget what we broke from the mother ship for in the first place. Freedom, to us, is life. To some of us, it will be death. We don't want it to ever be used as a catchphrase or an excuse for laziness or wrongdoing.
"The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind," Paine wrote. "We have it in our power to begin the world over again... The birth-day of a new world is at hand."
The war began in April 1775 at Lexington and Concord and soon spread to Bunker Hill and Breed's Hill, but in the past year, independence has spread like yellow fever. In June, Richard Henry Lee read a resolution that proclaimed the right of the colonies to be free and independent states, absolved from any connection to Great Britain. Lee's resolution led to five men - John Adams, Roger Sherman, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Livingston and Thomas Jefferson - hammering out the details for a new kind of declaration - one that proclaimed a new nation, independent and free. All Willie the worm needs to know, he can learn from those powerful words Thomas Jefferson wrote to know what this war is really about: the basic fact "that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with inalienable rights," and "that to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."
For those of you in Great Britain who may have trouble with learning, this means we no longer consent. We could hear the Liberty Bell ringing outside the State House after they adopted the Declaration of Independence, and I hear General Washington made copies of the important paper and read it to his Army who are preparing for a fight against the British Armada at Long Island, N.Y. People throughout the colonies are lighting fires and launching rockets all night to celebrate.
When we win our independence, I hope Americans will remember what it took to form this country and never take this date, or the freedoms they enjoy because of what we're doing, for granted. The worst thing that could happen would be for any American to just look at the fourth day of July as a day to not work. The war isn't even a year old, and we already realize the price that has to be paid. I hope future Americans will never fail to realize it as well.