From the January 2023 American Battlefield Trust calendar.
JANUARY 2, 1777
** Second Battle of Trenton, New Jersey.
JANUARY 3, 1777
** Battle of Princeton, New Jersey
JANUARY10, 1776
** Thomas Paine anonymously publishes"Common Sense."
JANUARY 17, 1781
** Battle of Cowpens, South Carolina
--Cooter
From the January 2023 American Battlefield Trust calendar.
PRINCETON BATTLEFIELD STATE PARK
The Battle of Princeton concluded the ten-day campaign that began with George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River in Christmas Day 1776.
His counterattack at Princeton -- a ferocious charge across Maxwell's Field -- secured his first victory over British regulars in the field.
The Trust has saved 24 acres at Princeton, including 15 acres at Washington's charge site. With a grant from the American Battlefield Protection Program and support from local and state partners, the Trust is ready to reinvigorate Princeton's on-site interpretation.
--Cooter
Yes, his middle name is actually spelled Willson with two "Ls".
From Wikipedia.
Since I was writing about the portrait this man painted of George Washington at the Battle of Princeton, I figured I's find out some more about him. I don't remember ever knowing anything about him. Now, I do.
(April 15, 1741- February 22, 1827)
American painter, soldier, scientist, inventor, politician and naturalist. A real Renaissance Man. He is best remembered for his portrait paintings of leading figures of the American Revolution and establishing one of the first museums in the United States.
After forays into saddle making, clocks and metal working, he found his niche in painting. After joining the Sons of Liberty, he became enamored with the new country that was being established on Philadelphia and moved there where he painted many of the famous people leading the effort, including, of course, George Washington.
--Cooter
In the original painting, which is now a part of the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts collection, Washington leans on the barrel of a captured cannon while Hessian and British flags lie at his feet.
Washington is in his blue and buff uniform with commander's sash looks confidently at the viewer while in the background you can see Nassau Hall, the final scene of the battle.
From Wikipedia.
Charles Willson Peale made eight copies of the painting. It was completed in early 1779 when Washington sat for Peale in Philadelphia.
In January 2005, the painting sold for $21.3 million, setting a record for highest price paid for an American portrait.
--Brock-Perry
9. THE VICTORY AT PRINCETON RESCUED THE PATRIOT CAUSE FROM ONE OF ITS DARKEST HOURS
The disastrous defeats in the 1776 New York Campaign and retreat across the Delaware River had left prospects for American independence in tatters. Rather than retreat into winter quarters as everyone was expecting, Washington chose to attack.
His victories at Trenton, the Assunpink Creek and Princeton completely reversed the fortunes of the Continental Army and the prospects of the young United States.
Many look at the battles of Trenton and Princeton as small affairs, but these battles, combined with the tough winter campaigning sliced Lord Howe's once mighty army in half. Howe's further requests for reinforcements left many in London aghast.
Washington's bold maneuvers and gambles as well as effective leadership had delivered the very sort of public confidence that Washington was keen to produce. Not only were the British and Loyalists discouraged, but his own soldiers found newfound confidence that they could beat the very best that the British could put onto the field.'
--Cooter
Maybe I'll finish these ten facts sometime in the future. Continued from February 17.
7. MARINES FOUGHT ALONGSIDE WASHINGTON AT THE BATTLE OF PRINCETON
Washington sent out a desperate plea for reinforcement. One of the first groups to respond to this request were roughly 600 Marines from the Philadelphia area. This force had been recruited to serve aboard Continental warships now anchored in Philadelphia and were generally considered to be excellent fighters.
Their officers had had duty against British ships and they had been occupied in daily drill and frequent skirmishes with the British forces operating in the area.
Three companies of Marines accompanied Washington on his nighttime march to Princeton. Moving with Cadwalader's Brigade into the fight, a few Marines under the command of Major Samuel Nicholas, engaged Manhood's British troops on the Clarke Farm.
(Major Samuel Nicholas was the first Marine Corps officer and, by tradition, considered the first commandant of the corps.)
During the fierce fighting, several Marines were killed, including Captain William Shippin.
These casualties were some of the first to be suffered by the Marine Corps on any battlefield.
--Cooter
6. AT ONE POINT, GEORGE WASHINGTON WAS JUST 30 YARDS FROM THE BRITISH LINE
Moving to reinforce Mercer's broken line, Cadwalader's brigade, about 1,500 men, moved towards the British. Despite their numerical superiority, the inexperienced Americans began to fall back under heavy British fire.
As Cadwalader reformed his men, Washington came riding up astride a magnificent white horse. As musket balls flew around him, Washington coolly assured his soldiers, "Parade with us brave fellows! There is but a handful of the enemy and we shall have them directly!"
Washington then proceeded to lead the militiamen forward and at one point was just 30 yards from the British line, easy musket range.
John Fitzgerald, one of Washington's officers, reportedly pulled his hat over his eyes, expecting to see the general shot from the saddle at any moment. But, despite his proximity to danger, Washington remained unscathed and his galvanizing presence stabilized the American line at a critical moment of the battle.
Soon, Washington along with fresh reinforcements was chasing the remnants of Mawhood's command through the fields and woods.
(See picture at right of the Battle of Princeton.)
--Cooter
4. BRITISH LT.COL. CHARLES MAWHOOD RODE INTO BATTLE WITH SPRINGER SPANIELS AT HIS SIDE.
Mercer's Americans soon saw the British advance from two British regiments, the 17th and 55th Foot. Mawhood himself could be seen atop his "brown pony" and with a pair of his favorite spaniels bounding at his side.
To say the least, Mawhood delighted in acting nonchalant at all times, but even so, he was a highly capable officer and really proved his mettle at the Battle of Princeton.
5. MANY BRITISH SOLDIERS THOUGHT THEY HAD KILLED GEORGE WASHINGTON DURING THE BATTLE
During the early stages of the battle, a British bayonet charge broke Hugh Mercer's line. He tried to rally his troops, but got surrounded by enemy soldiers who shouted "Surrender you damn rebel!" Mercer, a veteran of European wars and a fierce patriot refused to do so.
After a brief struggle, Mercer was bayonetted repeatedly and left for dead. Given that he was well-attired (as opposed to the rags of the regular American soldiers, a high-ranking officer and refused to surrender, many British soldiers thought he was George Washington.
--Cooter
From George Washington's Mt. Vernon site.
Continued from December 22, 2021. I seem to have forgotten this thread, but will finish it now.
3. THE OPPOSING FORCES ALMOST MISSED EACH OTHER
Lt. Col. Charles Mawhood, the British commander at Princeton, had been ordered by Cornwallis to bring reinforcements to Trenton. He left a small garrison at Princeton and began his march to Trenton down the Post Road just before dawn.
Washington's army was marching northward on a parallel, but lesser-known road that crossed Thomas Clark's farm . The road was largely out of view of the Post Road.
Washington had sent a small force under Hugh Mercer to seize and destroy the Stony Brook bridge on the Post Road. This detachment was seen by British scouts and Mawhood, now aware of a threat to Princeton wheeled about and approached Mercer's force at the Clark Farm.
Had this chance meeting not occurred, Mawhood would have been well on his way to Trenton and Washington would have found a very small enemy at Princeton which he could have easily overwhelmed.
--Cooter
I must admit that I didn't know much of anything about either one of these battles before I started writing about them in this blog.
Both had ramifications, but, again, I knew nothing about them.
I have been writing about the Battle of Kettle Creek this month. This one was Tories vs. Patriots.
I wrote about the Battle of Princeton back in this blog during the month of December so if you're also unfamiliar with it, that's where you go. This one involved regular soldiers on both sides.
And, for that matter, I wasn't aware of the Battle of Shepherdstown during the Civil War until recently and I have been writing about it a lot in last month and this month's Saw the Elephant: Civil War blog.
Learning stuff every day.
--Cooter
JANUARY 1, 1776
British thwart Montgomery and Arnold's assault on Quebec, Canada. (I have written about the first two Montgomery warships in this blog and my War o 1812 blog.)
JANUARY 3, 1777
Battle of Princeton, New Jersey
JANUARY 5, 1776
New Hampshire becomes the first colony to declare full independence.
JANUARY 6, 1777
The Continental Army enters second winter encampment of the war at Morristown, New Jersey.
JANUARY 17, 1781
Battle of Cowpens, South Carolina
JANUARY 19, 1776
Thomas Paine published "Common Sense."
--Cooter
From George Washington's Mount Vernon.
The American victory at the Battle of Princeton (January 3, 1777) was one of the most consequential f the American Revolution. George Washington and his soldiers marched north from Trenton and attacked a British force south of Princeton.
Washington's victory bolstered American morale and provided great confidence to his soldiers.
1. WASHINGTON ESCAPED ONE ENEMY TO ATTACK ANOTHER AT PRINCETON.
The Americans had been able to repulse several attacks on January 2 at the Battle of Assunpink Creek (Battle of Second Trenton), but still had the prospects of an all-out attack by Gen. Charles Cornwallis' 8,000 man British Army the next day.
They were able to slip away through deceptive campfires and quietness to attack Princeton.
2. "A VERY INTELLIGENT YOUNG GENTLEMAN" PROVIDED WASHINGTON WITH INTELLIGENCE.
Col. John Cadwalader was able to get detailed information and a map from this "intelligent young gentleman." They didn't say who he was, though. But Washington had a detailed map of the British defenses and positions at Princeton.
--Brock-Perry
When the Americans spotted the British troops around William Clarke's farm, Washington detached Hugh Mercer's brigade to investigate. Mercer ran headlong into the 17th Foot Regiment, firmly stationed behind a fence at the end of Clarke's orchard. In the ensuing volleys, Mercer was wounded and his men routed by a bayonet charge.
With the British on the verge of splitting his army, Washington quickly detached John Cadwalader's Philadelphia Associatiors (militia) to plug the gap. These green troops fought valiantly, but were also broken by British bayonets.
With the battle, and the war, hanging in the balance, Washington personally led fresh troops onto the field while grapeshot and canister battery from Joseph Moulder's artillery forced the British back towards Clarke's farmhouse. Washington's counterattack broke the British line, which quickly turned into a route.
Further nearer the town, two smaller engagements at Frog Hollow and on the grounds of the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University), also resulted in a British retreat.
Washington had won a great victory, defeating a smaller force of British regulars, but British Colonel Mawhood was also praised for delaying the Americans long enough to rescue most of his supplies.
--Brock-Perry
From American Battlefield Trust.
I was aware of the Battle of Trenton, one great surprise attack, but really didn't know what happened afterwards. Now, I know.
After crossing the Delaware River on December 25, 1776, and surprising the British at Trenton the next morning, George Washington embarked on a ten-day campaign that would change the course of the war. Culminating in the Battle of Princeton on on January 3, 1777, Washington snatched victory from the jaws of defeat and proved his amateur army could defeat the British.
The Battle of Princeton was a classic meeting engagement, with both sides stumbling into each other, and neither expecting to fight on the ground where the battle raged. Initially, the British commander, Charles Mawhood, marched his force south towards Trenton to meet the main British Army, when he spotted the American column.
Washington had stolen a march on Charles Lord Cornwallis, slipping away from the British forces along Assunpink Creek the night before.
--Brock-Perry
From the December American Battlefield Trust 2021 Calendar.
PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY
24 acres saved.
On January 3, 1777, General George Washington personally led a daring charge against British regulars and reinvigorated the spirit of America's War for Independence at Princeton.
In one of the most high-profile victories, the Trust worked with the State of New Jersey, Mercer County, the Princeton Battlefield Society and other local partners to save 14.85 key acres of the battlefield, valued at a stunning $4 million.
This occurred a short time after the surprise he gave the British at Trenton on December 26, 1776.
Thanks Trust. Glad I Belong. --Cooter
