Washington
Crossing the Delaware

BY

HENRY FISK CARLTON


Edited by CLAIRE T. ZYVE, Ph.D.
Fox Meadow School, Scarsdale, New York

BUREAU OF PUBLICATIONS
TEACHERS COLLEGE, COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY
NEW YORK CITY

HOW TO BE A GOOD RADIO ACTOR

The play in this book has actually been produced on the radio. Possibly you have listened to this one when you tuned in at home. The persons whose voices you heard as you listened, looked just as they did when they left their homes to go to the studio, although they were taking the parts of men and women who lived long ago and who wore costumes very different from the ones we wear today.

The persons whose voices you heard stood close together around the microphone, each one reading from a copy of the play in his hand. Since they could not be seen, they did not act parts as in other plays, but tried to make their voices show how they felt.

When you give these plays you will not need costumes and you will not need scenery, although you can easily arrange a broadcasting studio if you wish. You will not need to memorize your parts; in fact, it will not be like a real radio broadcast if you do so, and, furthermore, you will not want to, since you will each have a copy of the book in your hands. All you will need to do is to remember that you are taking the part of a radio actor, that you are to read your speeches very distinctly, and that by your voice you will make your audience understand how you feel. In this way you will have the fun of living through some of the great moments of history.

HOW TO FOLLOW DIRECTIONS IN THE PLAY

There are some directions in this play which may be new to you, but these are necessary, for you are now in a radio broadcasting studio, talking in front of a microphone. The word (in) means that the character is standing close to the microphone, while (off) indicates that he is farther away, so that his voice sounds faint. When the directions (off, coming in) are given, the person speaking is away from the microphone at first but gradually comes closer. The words (mob) or (crowd noise) you will understand mean the sound of many people talking in the distance.

Both the English and the dialect used help make the characters live, so the speeches have been written in the way in which these men and women would talk. This means that sometimes the character may use what seems to you unusual English. The punctuation helps, too, to make the speeches sound like real conversation; for example, you will find that a dash is often used to show that a character is talking very excitedly.

Washington Crossing the Delaware

CAST

GENERAL WASHINGTON
COLONEL REED
JOHN HONEYMAN
COLONEL RALL
A CORPORAL
A SOLDIER
GENERAL KNOX
COLONEL GLOVER
MOB
VOICE
ORDERLY

ANNOUNCER

We take pleasure in presenting this story of Washington crossing the Delaware. The picture of that famous event is familiar to everyone, but the story of what led up to it, and of its importance in American history is not so well known.

The fall and early winter of the year 1776 saw the fortunes of Washington's army sink very low indeed. Beginning with the defeat on Long Island in late August, Washington and his army had met reverse after reverse. They had been forced to retire in succession from Manhattan to Fort Washington, then across the river to Fort Lee, then from Fort Lee to Hackensack. This succession of defeats and the enforced retirements had disorganized and depleted the army. But even worse than that, it had well-nigh ruined the morale of the civilian population, whose hearty support was absolutely necessary if the war was to be carried on. But now, discouraged and disheartened, the mass of the population gave Washington no help, no encouragement, no cooperation.

This is the situation on the morning of November 22, 1776, as we begin our story. Washington is in his headquarters at Hackensack, New Jersey, when Colonel Joseph Reed, his aide, enters—

REED

Good morning, General Washington!

WASHINGTON

Good morning, Colonel, what news?

REED

Not much, I'm afraid, sir.

WASHINGTON

Have we no information of the British movements yet?

REED

None!

WASHINGTON

What's the matter with our intelligence service?

REED

It's completely disrupted, sir; and we can get no help from the civilian population.

WASHINGTON

I know—they've lost all faith in us, Colonel. Nothing but a victory can bring us again the loyalty and help of our own people! It's discouraging, Colonel, to think that now when we need it more than ever before, we can get no help!

REED

Sir, if we could only turn and strike a quick blow, we might recapture Fort Lee.

WASHINGTON

Yes—if I only knew what force of the enemy is holding the Fort, and when Lord Howe expects to bring the rest of his army across the Hudson.

REED

Well, we don't know that!

WASHINGTON

And without an intelligence service we can't find out! Of course if General Lee would join me—there wasn't any word from Lee this morning, was there?

REED

None, sir.

WASHINGTON

Oh, why doesn't he answer? Why doesn't he come? It's been more than a week now since I ordered him to join me at once! Have you heard any rumor about him? Has he left Peekskill yet? Has he crossed the Hudson?

REED

I haven't heard a word. He hasn't even acknowledged the last half dozen orders I've forwarded to him.

WASHINGTON

That's the most discouraging thing of all! If the second in command won't obey orders, is it any wonder that the rest of the army is out of hand? Oh, well! We can't hope to do anything without Lee's help, so there's nothing for us to do but retreat—

REED

Again?

WASHINGTON

Yes, Colonel, our small force is uselessly exposed here. We can't risk capture—that would be the end of everything!

REED

Yes, sir.

WASHINGTON

If Lord Howe crosses the Hudson in force, we'd be trapped between the Hackensack and the Passaic Rivers.

REED

I'm afraid so, sir.

WASHINGTON

So—we've got to begin our retreat at once.

REED

The troops are ready to move, sir. It shouldn't take us long to get out of danger with our small force.

WASHINGTON

Yes, yes, that's one advantage of a small army, isn't it, Colonel? At least we can retreat rapidly! I suppose the force we have is even smaller today than it was yesterday?

REED

I'm afraid so, sir. The morning report showed less than five thousand present and fit for duty!

WASHINGTON

If we only had Lee's seven thousand! But we haven't. You may order the retreat at once, Colonel.

REED

Yes sir, over what route?

WASHINGTON

We'll move across the Acquackonack bridge, and thence to Newark.