Battle of Princeton
The Battle of Princeton took place on January 3, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War, shortly after the victory at Trenton. Following a strategic move across the Delaware River, General George Washington gathered approximately 5,000 soldiers in Trenton to confront British forces. The battle began with British regulars initially overwhelming American units; however, Washington's quick reinforcements and counterattack turned the tide in favor of the Americans. This confrontation lasted only about forty-five minutes, resulting in significant casualties for the British, with approximately 500 lost and around 300 taken prisoner. In contrast, the Americans suffered 44 killed and wounded. Though Washington aimed to capitalize on this victory by targeting British supply lines in New Brunswick, his troops were too fatigued, leading them to winter quarters in Morristown instead. The successful outcomes at both Princeton and Trenton revitalized the American cause after earlier setbacks, prompting the British to retreat from much of New Jersey. This battle is often seen as a turning point in the Revolutionary War, boosting American morale and support for the independence movement.
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Battle of Princeton
Type of action: Ground battle in the American Revolution
Date: January 3, 1777
Location: Princeton, New Jersey
Combatants: 5,000 Americans vs. 1,200 British
Principal commanders:American, General George Washington (1732–1799); British, General Lord Charles Cornwallis (1738–1805)
Result: Washington defeated a detached British brigade in a sharp fight
In late December, 1776, George Washington recrossed the Delaware River from Pennsylvania into New Jersey and concentrated 5,000 soldiers in Trenton, having destroyed a Hessian force there several days earlier. Skillfully eluding a British army under General Lord Charles Cornwallis with a night march on January 2-3, Washington struck a lone brigade near Princeton that morning. The disciplined British regulars scattered the first American units on the field with heavy volleys of musketry and a bayonet charge. Washington, however, brought up reinforcements, restored order, and counterattacked. This routed one British regiment. Two others quickly retreated as the Americans advanced on the town. The Americans inflicted approximately 500 casualties, taking 300 prisoners in this sharp, forty-five-minute fight, at the cost of 44 killed and wounded. Washington had hoped to then seize the British magazine at New Brunswick, but his troops were exhausted. Therefore, he marched to Morristown and went into winter quarters.
Significance
The victory at Princeton, coupled with the victory at Trenton, greatly revitalized the American effort after the disastrous New York Campaign of 1776. The two victories also caused the British to evacuate most of New Jersey, undoing much of what the British had accomplished during the previous year.
Bibliography
Dwyer, William M. The Day Is Ours! November 1776-January 1777, An Inside View of the Battles of Trenton and Princeton. New York: Viking Press, 1983.
Ketchum, Richard M. The Winter Soldiers: The Battles for Trenton and Princeton. New York: Doubleday, 1973.
Lefkowitz, Arthur S. The Long Retreat: The Calamitous American Defense of New Jersey, 1776. Metuchen, N.J.: Upland Press, 1998.
Wood, W. J. Battles of the Revolutionary War, 1775–1781. Chapel Hill, N.C.: Algonquin Books, 1990.