As we explore the many local connections to the American Revolution and the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence over the next year, it seems to me that we should start with one of the most well-known local events of that era: the events surrounding the Battle of Trenton.
Most everyone knows of Washington’s Crossing of the Delaware on that cold Christmas night, and the surprise attack in Trenton early in the morning on December 26.
This historic victory and “turning point” event is locally celebrated and highlighted, as it should be.
But our very own Ewing (then, Trenton Township) is the connection between Washington’s Crossing in Titusville, Hopewell Township, and the ensuing victory in the city of Trenton.
That night, Washington’s troops, artillery, supplies and support all had to make their way through present day Ewing. What do you know about that part of the story?
Well, the Ewing Township Historic Preservation Society, the Hopewell Valley Historical Society, The Hopewell Museum and the Lawrence Historical Society are jointly hosting two local experts on this specific topic to speak on Sunday, Oct. 19 at 2 p.m. at the 1867 Sanctuary, 101 Scotch Road, Ewing. This event will be the official start of Ewing Township’s 250th Celebration.
The speakers are two well-known historians in the area:
Ewing resident William L. “Larry” Kidder, a veteran of the Vietnam War and retired history teacher, is now a busy author and speaker.
A member of the Ewing Township Historic Preservation Society (ETHPS), Hopewell Valley Historical Society (HVHS), and Lawrence Historical Society (LHS), he is a past president of ETHPS and HVHS, and a long-time and dedicated volunteer at the Howell Living History Farm in Hopewell.
He is the author of nine books, three dealing with the history of Pleasant Valley in Hopewell Township and six dealing with Revolutionary War topics relating to locations in Central New Jersey (Ewing, Trenton, Lawrence, Amwell and others), and Fort Stanwix in Rome, New York.
Roger S. Williams is the State Historian of the New Jersey Society of the Sons of the American Revolution (SAR), and Vice Chair of the History Committee for the National Society, SAR.
He is the co-founder of TenCrucialDays.org, a 501C3 non-profit organization dedicated to heritage tourism and the education of the sites and venues in Bucks and Mercer counties.
A former publisher of books on American Military History emphasizing the American Revolution and the founding era, he has been a Historical Interpreter at Washington Crossing Historic Park and the Princeton Battlefield State Park since 2010. Roger is also the Lead Project Consultant for a musical production in development called The Crossing, TheCrossingMusical.com.
These men are the perfect individuals and historians to provide details on the story of “Just After the Crossing: Washington’s Night March to Trenton” — which just happens to be the title of the talk.
They will explore details of the nine-mile march and relate it to today’s landscape, and discuss the efforts of the Patriot militiamen from Ewing, Hopewell and Lawrence who intimately knew the terrain, and successfully guided Washington and his troops through the stormy night.
They will also discuss the return march, with prisoners and spoils from the attack on Trenton, as well as additional troop movements in the area in the following days and weeks. There will be some relatively new revelations, and even some books to purchase. If you love local history, you’ll want to attend!
So – how to do that? A large crowd is anticipated, so anyone interested in attending should visit the ETHPS website SOON (ETHPS.org) for information on the three different registration options:
• Attend in person at the 1867 Sanctuary with a $5 fee, or
• Attend the real-time live-stream for free across Scotch Road in the Ewing Covenant Presbyterian Church Education Building, or
• Attend at home for free using the info provided to watch on YouTube.
Ewing played a quiet yet crucial and pivotal role at this historic moment, and you can learn all about the fascinating details at this talk by Larry Kidder and Roger Williams on October 19th. I look forward to seeing you there!
Helen Kull is an Advisor with the Ewing Township Historic Preservation Society.
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