River Rapids, Ice Force Actors to Cancel Annual Revolutionary War Reenactment at Washington Crossing

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Image via Washington Crossing Historic Park
The reenactment was postponed due to this past weekend's weather.

A Bucks County Christmas tradition was canceled this past weekend due to dangerous conditions on the Delaware River. Kerry J. Byrne wrote about the event for Fox News.

Extremely high and rapidly moving water compounded by drift ice and bitter cold forced historical actors and enthusiasts to cancel their annual reenactment of General George Washington’s Christmas Day crossing of the Delaware River from Pennsylvania to New Jersey.

“The river is flowing too fast,” said John Godzieba, of Langhorne, who plays Washington. “The men cannot generate enough power with four oars in the river to get across.”

Washington led a force of 2,400 men along with horses, supplies, and cannons across the river in Durham boats, 18th-century cargo craft that was designed to haul coal. These sturdy boats were not made to go across, but instead up and down the river. Modern times reenactors use expensive replicas of these boats.

The temperature this Christmas was in the low 20s, which is much colder than in 1776, when historians believe it was 28-33 degrees.

Still, around 2,000 people gathered on the Bucks County side of the river for speeches, fife and drum corps performances, and the muster of troops, as well as cannon fire from period artillery units.

Read more about the reenactment at Fox News.

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