BATTLE OF PRINCETON

Battle of Princeton

The very next morning, January 3rd, 1777, Washington’s army appeared on the British flank near Princeton, New Jersey, in a bold march that outmaneuvered Cornwallis. A sharp engagement unfolded as British regulars tried to block the road and protect their garrison, and early in the fighting General Hugh Mercer’s brigade was driven back in confusion. Washington personally rode forward to steady the line, famously exposing himself to enemy fire as he rallied the Continentals for a counterattack. American troops pushed the British from the field and took prisoners, turning what had seemed like a winter of defeat into a string of victories. The Battle of Princeton, coupled with the earlier victory at Trenton, helped drive British forces back toward New Brunswick, boosted Patriot morale, and persuaded many fence-sitters that the Continental cause remained viable.