Happy 2012, January 2

It's a cold day along the Rhine River in 366, and there are a lot of people along the shores to the east.  Not for long, of course.  They're Alamanni, and according to the calendar, they're due to cross the river this year.  So why wait any longer?  So they do, and enter into the Roman Empire, which is not terribly happy to see them.  It's gonna be a lot of trouble in the near future!

A while later, in 533 to be precise, Rome is in the news again.  There's a new pope, Mercurius.  Wait, who?  A-ha!  That's the interesting thing.  Rather than give us Pope Mercurius, he decided to change his name, and he becomes Pope John II.  This is a completely new turn of events, but it does catch on for the next 1500 years (and counting).

Remember on December 26, when Washington and his band of ragged men capture Trenton, thus arguably saving the Revolution?  Well today, it's Cornwallis, the recent birthday boy, against Washington at Assunpink Creek, just outside of Trenton, the Americans having crossed the River again to keep the British on their toes.  Cornwallis attacks and is repulsed.  Then it gets dark, and Cornwallis, like so many British commanders in the War, decides that he'll have to wait until morning, when he'll have more time to attack, defeat, and capture Washington. One of his generals, William Erskine, told Corny "If Washington is the general I take him to be, his army will not be found there in the morning."  On the other side of the fence, James Grant (he was the general who was in command of all the garrisons in New Jersey, so he bears ultimate responsibility for the capture of Trenton, or should.  However, remember the Court of Inquiry that decided to blame Colonel Rall for the defeat?  Guess who was on it?)  At any rate, Grant argued that the morning would be fine, and that the troops were too tired anyway- which was probably a valid point.  That being said, Corny was the one to make the decision, and he famously decided that "we've got the old fox safe now.  We'll go over and bag him in the morning".  Didn't quite work out that way, of course.  Washington slipped away during the night.  As did his army.  Caught the British rather off guard.  I wonder where they went... and what'll happen next?  Stay tuned, and you'll find out.  Soon.  Like within a day or so.

Sadly, there isn't that much more happening.  It's the official New Years Holiday, you know.  So we'll catch up on our other daily events, and see who might have missed out on a tax deduction by a couple days.