A Frigate and a Gamble: Two American Heroes and the Birth of the US Navy

A Frigate and a Gamble: Two American Heroes and the Birth of the US Navy

Driving snow and sleet cut through the cold night air on Dec. 25, 1776, slashing Gen. George Washington and his bedraggled troops as they silently crossed the Delaware River. New England watermen from Col. John Glover’s Marblehead regiment expertly navigated the treacherous river, easily identifiable in their short blue seaman’s jackets, tarred pants, and woolen caps. This was the third time Grover had come to Washington’s rescue. Though Washing…