There is no better place to celebrate Memorial Day then in historic Princeton, New Jersey. One of the most pivotal events in U.S. history took place near here — George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware.
The British had seized control of New York. The colonists had retreated across New Jersey. Many of the troops’ enlistments were set to expire at the end of the year. Morale was low.
A ferry crossing between New Jersey and Pennsylvania had been established in 1700. Washington felt it was the best place for him and his troops to cross back into New Jersey without detection. After successfully landing in New Jersey — a cold Christmas voyage — the Continental Army surprised Hessian and British troops in the Battle of Trenton and subsequent battle in Princeton. These battles were the turning point in the American Revolution.
It was a fierce battle. American troops under General Washington defeated a force of British regulars on the morning of Jan. 3, 1777. Our soldiers, pushed back by a strong British assault, were rallied by Washington who rode his horse between the British and American lines, leading his men to his first field victory over British troops. The Battle of Princeton capped 10 days of maneuvering and fighting, including three battles, which began with Washington’s famous Dec. 25, 1776, crossing of the Delaware.
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We visited the battlefield last Tuesday. It’s a state historic site. We read how the peaceful winter fields and woods of Princeton Battlefield were transformed into the site of what is considered to be the fiercest fight of its size during the American Revolution. The Battle of Princeton extended over a mile away to the College of New Jersey (now Princeton University).
The famous Mercer Oak, once stood in the middle of the battlefield not far from the spot where General Hugh Mercer fell during the Battle of Princeton. After being wounded, Mercer was carried to a nearby Quaker dwelling where he died nine days later. The county was named in his honor. A young oak, growth from a cutting from the original tree, now stands in the field where General Mercer once lay.
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Last week on a beautiful spring day which Washington would have envied, we too crossed the Delaware. We could have done it by foot but we chose to drive. We spent time on each side of the river in beautiful parks with pastoral greenery and too many biting bugs. We saw some little turtles popping up in the river. Unfortunately, it was Monday and the Visitor Centers were closed. Still it was a perfect day for a picnic. We chose a table under a tree and, except for the pests, it was perfect. Unlike well-behaved insects in the Bay Area, the East Coast varieties love to feast on the flesh.
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On Memorial Day, there is a town parade downtown on Nassau Street to the memorial statue depicting Washington leading his men. There are a few high school bands but mainly kids and parents pushing strollers or walking dogs. The downtown is festooned with American flags and almost everyone is dressed in some assortment of red, white and blue and waving and shouting out to a marching neighbor or friend. It’s a small town American parade and it’s beautiful. But it’s also a modern-day event and the participants represent almost every race and ethnicity. One feels very patriotic on this historic day, when we honor our fallen troops.
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I am headed back home as you read this and ready to read a month’s mail and political literature. And ready to send in my ballot. I was horrified when I read the DJ headline “San Mateo plans 11,000 new housing units.” 11,000? Really? Is that good for climate change? Do we want our city to be a metropolis? Guess I have been spoiled by the beauty of open space. There is plenty of it here. Large tracts of farm land and empty fields. It’s what makes central New Jersey so appealing.
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The negative political mail is definitely hurting Diane Papan. These hit pieces against Giselle Hale are Trump like, which feature this prominent Obama supporter as a Trumper. Lies, lies and more lies, not worthy of Diane.
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Let’s remember the children and teachers in Uvalde, Texas who gave their lives for a perverse reading of the Second Amendment. Their bodies lie in shreds. Did the framers intend for teenagers to have access to military assault weapons when they wrote “a well regulated militia is necessary to the security of a free state.” The colonial militia would have been horrified to be used as the excuse for this massacre.
Sue Lempert is the former mayor of San Mateo. She can be reached at sue@smdailyjournal.com.
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