Guide to the Battles of Trenton and Princeton
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Hidden Trenton Guide to the Battles of Trenton and Princeton Nine Days that Changed the World December 26, 1776 to January 3, 1777 A self-guided tour of the places and events that shaped the battles and changed the history of America Go to http://HiddenTrenton.com/BattleTour for links to online resources Updated 2017 Copyright © 2011, 2017 all rights reserved. The pdf file of this document may be distributed for non- commercial purposes over the Internet in its original, complete, and unaltered form. Schools and other non-profit educational institutions may print and redistribute sections of this document for classroom use without royalty. All of the illustrations in this document are either original creations, or believed by the author to be in the public domain. If you believe that you are the copyright holder of any image in this document, please con- tact the author via email at [email protected]. Forward I grew up in NJ, and the state’s 1964 Tricentennial cel- Recently, John Hatch, my friend and business partner, ebration made a powerful impression on me as a curious organized a “Tour of the Battle of Trenton” as a silent 4th grader. Leutez’ heroic portrait of Washington Cross- auction item for Trenton’s Passage Theatre. He used ing the Delaware was one of the iconic images of that Fischer’s book to research many of the stops, augmenting celebration. My only memory of a class trip to the park his own deep expertise concerning many of the places a year or two later, is peering up at the mural of Wash- they visited as one of the state’s top restoration architects. ington’s Crossing, the image I’d revered for so long, not My interest is in the military history, and I realized when realizing this was a 1930s reproduction. I took a careful re-look at Fischer’s book, that there’s a I also, certainly, had some experience of Trenton. One of great deal of material about the geography of the battles the most indelible memories of my childhood was par- that isn’t readily accessible as published. ticipating in the Civil Rights March on Trenton in 1963. In recent years I’ve become quite adept at using modern But if you asked me, “Where was Washington headed GIS tools, including most importantly, Google Earth. It when he crossed the Delaware?”, I’m not sure I could was second nature for me to scan the excellently drawn have come up with the correct answer, “Trenton”. Today, maps by Jeffrey L. Ward in Washington’s Crossing, and I suspect even fewer fifth graders could come up with the overlay them in Google Earth. Now I could zoom in correct answer than in my era. In general, the lustre of on the locations Fischer was describing, and understand America’s colonial history seems to have faded for today’s exactly where they took place in today’s geography. It was generations. an easy matter to then visit the sites, even some of the more obscure ones. It wasn’t until I moved back to New Jersey in the mid- 1990s that I was reminded of these events, but even then What was stunning to me was how many I’d actually vis- in only the most general way. And really, it was only ited unwittingly, simply in the course of living and travel- when I read David Hackett Fischer’s Pulitzer-prize win- ing in Mercer County for 16 years. ning history, Washington’s Crossing, did I begin to under- The history is all around us, and yet we are generally stand the significance of the battle in the larger history of oblivious to it. Thus was the inspiration for this work. the United States. Let me be the first to acknowledge that it draws heavily Growing up in New Jersey, we seemed always to suffer an on the descriptions and accounts in Fischer’s book. The inferiority complex relative to New York and Pennsylva- events of the battle are my interpretation of Fischer’s ac- nia. My teachers were always trying to promote NJ his- count, and virtually all of the historic quotations were tory in compensation. Part of me wondered if the cross- originally quoted by Fischer. ing story was really just NJ boosterism at work. I never doubted it happened, but I wondered if it mattered. It If you retain an interest in this subject after reading wasn’t until I finished Fischer’s book that I could embrace through this material, you would be well served by read- the history as something truly important and relevant. ing Fischer’s book, which is still in print and readily avail- able via Amazon or other booksellers. In recent years I’ve watched Trenton’s “Patriot’s Week” celebrations. They’re wonderful in that they seem to be one of the few events that will draw into Trenton the soc- cer moms and their kids. But they’re disappointing if you’re looking to understand the history in any serious way. Nine Days that Changed the World [This page intentionally blank] Hidden Trenton Guide to the Battles of Trenton and Princeton Introduction: The State of the Rebellion in December 1776 he “smart money” was betting on England in The British Army then crossed the Hudson on Novem- December of 1776, based on events prior to ber 19, and forced Washington to flee across New Jersey, Tthe Battles of Trenton and Princeton. Almost fighting delaying actions at New Bridge (near Paramus) as soon as a British expeditionary force landed in New on November 22, and Brunswick on December 1. Due York harbor with 24,000 British regulars and Hessian to casualties, expiring enlistments, and desertions, Wash- mercenaries on August 15, the Continental Army, under ington estimated that he had only 3,765 men under his the command of George Washington, suffered a series command on December 1. of dreadful defeats. Washington’s army passed through Princeton (December The first was the Battle of Long Island. It started with 1-7), and the vanguard reached Trenton on December 2. British crossings from Staten Island on August 22. Brit- During the march, Washington’s engineers destroyed ish and Hessian infantry attacked the Continental Army, all of the bridges along the Trenton Road. This would and forced them to abandon Brooklyn and Queens. prove significant a month later. The army used the Washington’s army (variously estimated at 9,000 to South Trenton Ferry (at the end of Ferry Street, from a 11,000 men at the beginning of the battle) was able to spot a few hundred yards north of the current Rho Wa- escape destruction by evacuating to Manhattan on the evening of August 29-30. British forces then landed on September 15 at Kips Bay, on the east side of Manhattan, and defeated the Con- tinentals at Harlem Heights on September 16, driving them into defensive positions in the northern tip of Manhattan island. A series of further defeats led to the surrender of “Fort Washington”, near the site of the current George Washington Bridge, on November 15. Once again, the bulk of Washington’s army escaped de- struction, this time by retreating to NJ. Top: A British infantry en- campment of the period. Left: The Battle of Long Is- land, on August 22, 1776, was the first major defeat in a string of defeats for Washington’s Army prior to the Battle of Trenton. Direct assaults by Hessian and British regulars routed the Continental Army from what is today Brooklyn and Queens in a series of pitched battles. The sur- vivors of the engagement escaped to Manhattan on August 29-30. Hidden Trenton Guide to the Battles of Trenton and Princeton 2 The State of the Rebellion in December, 1776 terfront night club). By working day and night, the army But the Commander in Chief of His Majesty’s forces in was able to get all of its artillery and baggage across to America, Sir William Howe, was hopeful that a peaceful the Pennsylvania side by December 8. settlement might be possible, and was trying to avoid a pitched battle. The hardship caused by this rapid flight was consider- able. One contemporary witness wrote: Now on the western bank of the Delaware, and rein- A man staggered out of the line and came toward me. He forced by Pennsylvania militia, Washington’s Army de- had lost all his clothes, He was in an old dirty blanket jacket, ployed along a 25 mile front, covering every crossing his beard long and his face full of sores... which so disfig- from below Bristol in the south, to New Hope in the ured him that he was not known to me on first sight. Only north. The NJ and PA militias collected every boat with- when he spoke did I recognize my brother James. in 40 miles, and removed them to the western Bank. The Pennsylvania Navy operated heavily armed gunboats Fortunately for Washington, the British stopped their along the river. The Continental Army was safe, for now. pursuit in Princeton and delayed their arrival in Trenton until late in the afternoon of the 8th. Many British and The British decided to “enter winter camp”, which in Hessian officers were unhappy with the slow pursuit. that era implied greatly reduced operations. To counter Hidden Trenton Guide to the Battles of Trenton and Princeton The State of the Rebellion in December, 1776 3 the American deployment, the British established three “God Save the Queen” instead of the “Star Spangled mutually-supporting strong-points along the river: in the Banner” at the beginning of cricket matches.