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Originally published in 1939
Some of this information may no longer be current and in that case is presented for historical interest only.
Edited by GET NJ, COPYRIGHT 2003
The half-dozen Quaker families who settled in the Princeton area in 1696 were not the first in this region. Predating them by 15 years was Capt. Henry Greenland, that irascible insurgent who was instrumental in dissolving the Colonial legislature in 1681. His plantation, established the same year, occupied most of what is now the town. One of the Quaker settlers was Richard Stockton II, whose descendants played an important part in national affairs. At first the settlement was called Stony Brook after the small stream that borders two sides of Princeton, but in 1724 the residents chose the name of Prince's Town (later shortened to Princeton) supposedly because of the proximity to King's Town (Kingston). Princeton was an important coaching center then: sometimes as many as 15 coaches would start off each way on Nassau Street, part of the New York-Philadelphia highway.
The town was slow to build until the middle of the eighteenth century when Princeton University was moved here from Newark and a Presbyterian Church was formed. During the years prior to the Revolution both the students and townspeople were active in the cause for independence. The State government was organized in Princeton under the new constitution in 1776, and the Council of Safety, a wartime tribunal with official power, met in Princeton several times. The village became a target for Tory hatred; farms were plundered and families destroyed by the marauding British.
Toward sunrise of January 3, 1777, Washington and his main army of a scant 2,500 men approached Princeton after an all-night march over an ice-covered back road from Trenton, where Cornwallis and his superior main army slept in the belief that they would crush the Americans at sunrise. In Princeton were three British regiments under Colonel Mawhood, and three troops of dragoons.
Washington divided his troops at first, but then led the Pennsylvania militia to support the troops of General Mercer who had been bayonetted in an advance action. The British, in the face of the entire American Army, prepared for a heavy assault. Washington made several futile attempts to
rally his tired troops. Finally he reined his horse facing the enemy and sat motionless. With Washington still between the lines, both sides leveled their rifles. A roar of musketry was followed by a shout from the Americans as the British lines gave way. When the smoke cleared, Washington -- unharmed -- urged his men on in pursuit.
The battle ended in Nassau Hall (where two of the British regiments had taken refuge) when a daring militia captain with a handful of men charged into the hall. About loo of the enemy had been killed and nearly 300 were made prisoners. Although the American loss did not exceed 30, the brief fighting took a heavy toll of officers. General Mercer died of his wounds nine days later.
Washington led his tired men off on the Rocky Hill road, just in time to escape the pursuing forces of Cornwallis, and headed for winter encampment. The victory at Princeton, coming on the heels of the maneuver at Trenton a week earlier, went far toward establishing new confidence throughout the Colonies in Washington's tatterdemalion troops. Frederick the Great went so far as to characterize Washington's strategy as the most brilliant operation in all military history.
In the summer of 1777 the first State legislature met at Princeton, and was addressed by William Livingston, first Governor of the State. At these sessions the original State seal, first in the new Nation, was adopted.
From June to November of 1783 the town was the Nation's capital. Threatened in Philadelphia by unpaid soldiers who were imitating the Pennsylvania Line mutineers, the Continental Congress, "one by one, hurriedly in the night, fearing abduction by their threateners," left Pennsylvania and established offices at Princeton. To be close to the proceedings, Washington was summoned to Princeton. He moved with his family to Rocky Hill (see Tour 8), where he lived for 3 months and wrote his historic farewell address to the army.
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