American Revolution

West Windsor & the Revolution

West Windsor - in central New Jersey, itself the "Crossroads of the American Revolution" - played a unique role in the American Revolution. Below is a brief outline of the major points, with links to further info.

Click here for a map of many local sites that tie West Windsor to the Revolution! And click here to return to Revolution West Windsor.

Evolving Borders

West Windsor and the surrounding towns we know of today haven't always existed. For instance, prior to the mid-1800s, Princeton was not an independent municipality. Instead, before the mid-1800s, all of the village of Princeton southeast of Nassau/Stockton Streets was part of West Windsor Township. This included Revolutionary War sites like the Princeton Battlefield, Nassau Hall (where the Battle of Princeton ended and which served as the Capitol Building of the United States for much of 1783), and others.

However, during the American Revolution, even West Windsor did not exist! Instead, we were part of a much-larger municipality called Windsor Township, which had formed around 1730/31. Windsor Township included all of present-day West Windsor, East Windsor, Robbinsville, and Hightstown, as well as portions of Millstone and Monroe Townships, and all of Princeton southeast of Nassau/Stockton Streets. It split in half in 1797, into West Windsor and East Windsor. A chunk of West Windsor was ceded to Princeton Borough in 1838, and all remaining land northeast of the Delaware and Raritan Canal was annexed by Princeton Township in 1853. The border between our town remains at the Canal to this day (yes, the canal - not Route 1 nor the Northeast Corridor railroad). Click here to learn more about how West Windsor's borders have evolved over time!

Map drawn by Paul Ligeti.

Soldiers, Loyalists, & Notable People

The Historical Society of West Windsor knows of 40 individuals who may have served as soldiers in the American Revolution, or otherwise had notable connections to the Revolution. Collectively, the soldiers fought in most (if not all) major battles of the Revolution. However, did you know that a signer of the Declaration of Independence owned significant land in town for many years? Or that a British loyalist had to flee to Canada after his wife was killed? Did you know that Princeton's second Mayor was also an officer and an integral member of West Windsor Township's government? Or that the man who hosted West Windsor Township's very first meeting, in his tavern, was not only a Lieutenant but also owned the ninth capitol building of the United States?

Richard Stockton - Declaration of Independence Signer

Richard Stockton was one of five New Jersey signers of the Declaration. Born in 1730, he rose to become a prominent lawyer, and was even received by some of the most eminent dignitaries of the British empire during a tour to England, Scotland, and Ireland in 1766. Two years later, he was elevated to the royal executive council of New Jersey and placed on the state Supreme Court in 1774. In the build-up to the Revolutionary War he warned the British Crown of growing colonial anger. However, his attempts failed, and in 1776, he resigned his post. In June, he joined the Continental Congress, and signed the Declaration of Independence the next month. During the war, he traveled to inspect the American army. However, in retaliation for his efforts, the British invaded his home the night of November 30, 1776, dragged him out of bed, and kept him captive. He was kept locked in irons, starving, shivering, and cold. He was paroled in mid-January, but was sick and near-death when he returned home. He never fully recovered from his ordeal, and eventually died in 1781.

Stockton's estate of Morven (in Princeton) stands as a well-recognized National Landmark and museum. However, did you know that Stockton also owned a significant estate in West Windsor? In 1765, he purchased around 300 acres overlapping Mercer County Park and the Mercer Oaks golf course (see adjacent photo and click to enlarge). Except for 50 acres that he sold in 1774, he kept most of it until his death, after which the remaining 250 acres passed to his daughter, Mary, who eventually sold it to members of the Schenck family in 1796.

Click to enlarge.

Jacob G. Bergen - Tavern-Keeper

Jacob, a native of the West Windsor area, lived a diverse and storied life. In 1771, he purchased the famous mills at Grovers Mill. Six years later, he was a Lieutenant in the Somerset County militia. He was also a prolific innkeeper, owning several taverns in Princeton, West Windsor, Philadelphia, and Trenton. The most famous of these was the "French Arms" tavern, in Trenton (pictured adjacent). In October 1784, Jacob signed a lease with the United States Continental Congress who used the French Arms as the ninth capital building of the United States. They met there in late that year, even hosting the Marquis de Lafayette.

By 1795, Jacob had moved back moved to the historic West Windsor village of Dutch Neck. That year, he purchased a building there that had also served as an inn since the 1780s. There, the newly-formed West Windsor government held its first meeting on April 8, 1797. It continued to be used as a regular town meeting place until around 1879, when it fully became a private residence. Jacob was buried in the nearby First Presbyterian Church of Dutch Neck graveyard. Click here to learn more about his life and the Dutch Neck Inn.

French Arms tavern.

Hugh Mercer - Patriot and County Namesake

Mercer, a Scottish refugee of the unsuccessful the Jacobite uprising of 1745, served for the British in the Seven Years' War, during which time he became close friends with George Washington. During the American Revolution Mercer served for the American cause, and rose through the ranks, becoming a brigadier general in the Continental Army. He accompanied Washington in the New York Campaign and in New Jersey, he played an instrumental role during the Battle of Trenton, Second Battle of Trenton, and Battle of Assunpink Creek - the three battles of the "Ten Crucial Days" which saved the American cause from the brink of defeat. However, the Battle of Princeton would take his life. Confronted by the larger British forces, Mercer rallied his terrified men, but was met with bayonet thrusts from the enemy. His soldiers carried him to a nearby oak tree, and then to a field hospital in the Thomas Clarke house, where he died of his wounds on January 12.

In return for his service, Mercer County itself was named after Hugh Mercer, and its seal depicts the "Mercer Oak" under which he lay dying. Virtually all other local places named "Mercer" also reference him. This includes Mercer County Park and Mercer Lake (both mostly in West Windsor) and the 1830s-era West Windsor/Lawrence community of Port Mercer.

Hugh Mercer.

Thomas Hooper - British Loyalist and Victim

Not all who lived in the West Windsor area wanted the patriots to win. More than a few were happy with British rule, and hoped for a return to stability. Thomas Hooper was suspected to be one such individual. He lived in the historic West Windsor community of "Edinburg," around the intersection of Edinburg Road and Old Trenton Road. His family had lived here for decades, and Thomas himself even ran a local inn, at which the old Township of Windsor is believed to have held its public meetings. Click here to learn more.

However, Thomas may have also been a loyalist, which angered many of his neighbors, some of whom were fighting on the "American" side. So, he began looking to move his family to Canada. However, while he was away, looking for a spot to settle, several of his neighbors ransacked his house, looking for him. Frustrated at finding him gone, they instead took his wife captive, and subjected her (still recovering from the recent birth of one of his sons) to "indignities of cruelty." She died as a result of this torture. Shortly after the war, in 1784/5 Thomas Hooper, his children, and many other New Jersey families fled to Bedeque Bay in Prince Edward Island, Canada and established a colony there, never to return.

Hooper's Tavern (AI-interpretation).

Erkuries Beatty - Soldier, Mayor, Judge, Freeholder

Erkuries Beatty joined the American cause in 1775 at the age of 16. He rose to the rank of Colonel, and served in the Battles of Brandywine and Germantown, and spent the winter with George Washington's army at Valley Forge. He also fought at the Battle of Monmouth in 1778 and was present at the British surrender in Yorktown in 1781.

Beatty was a prominent Princeton resident and became Princeton Borough's second-ever Mayor from 1818-1823. He also served in West Windsor Township's government, including as its very first Justice of the Peace upon its formation in 1797, Judge/Moderator of Elections from 1801-1802, and as a municipal Freeholder for most years from 1800 to his death in 1823. His residence, "Castle Howard," was a Princeton landmark, and still stands. Princeton University has a larger overview of his life here.

Erkuries Beatty.

Civilian Damages

War doesn't just affect the soldiers. It's civilians, too, who inevitably get hurt. During the Revolution, it was common practice for British and Hessian troops to force locals to provide them shelter and food (also known as "quartering"). Sometimes, they brutalized their unwilling hosts (one story tells of a young girl in the Penns Neck area being assaulted), and in other cases they stole livestock, valuables, and more.

In extreme cases, the enemy would target the properties of known American soldiers as well as civilians. It was not uncommon to hear of them burning barns and mills in retribution. Click here to learn more about Revolutionary-era damages and civilian casualties and damages in the West Windsor area.

AI-generated image.

Ten Crucial Days (Dec. 25, 1776-Jan. 3, 1777)

The American Revolution's darkest hours took place in late 1776. After months of defeats in New York, many demoralized soldiers, with contracts expiring at year’s end, were to resign from Washington’s army. However, three victories in Princeton and Trenton helped turn the tide. These "Ten Crucial Days" restored confidence in the Continental Army, convincing enlisted soldiers to renew their contracts and new recruits to sign up. It also positioned Washington's army to drive the British out of New Jersey more broadly, and signaled to observers - including eventual French backers - that the patriots still had a chance.

Battle of Trenton (Dec. 26)

On December 26, 1776, Washington's army famously crossed the Delaware River, from Pennsylvania into New Jersey, surprising and defeating a Hessian garrison in Trenton and taking the city for the patriots. Several West Windsor-area soldiers were known to have fought in this battle, and witnessed the victory. Washington successfully used this battle (and the promise of advance pay) to convince many of his men to renew their contracts and continue the war effort.

E. Leutze's "Washington Crossing the Delaware." Click image for source.

Capture of British Dragoons (Dec. 30)

However, one victory was not enough! Washington knew little about the enemy's troop movements, which endangered his troops. Thus, now encamped in Trenton, he required intel. So, on December 30, he dispatched a small party to scope out the approach to Princeton. They eventually stumbled upon a British foraging party at a farm in West Windsor, off Clarksville Road. Soon, they had taken all but one of the enemy captive. These captives revealed British troop size and position in Princeton and that British General Charles Cornwallis was to march with thousands of soldiers to recapture Trenton. With this new intel, the Americans were ready for his attack on January 2 at the Second Battle of Trenton.

The old historic house, barn, and farmland where this "Revolutionary Capture" took place were demolished in the 1960s, when a biopharmaceutical conglomerate called "American Cynamid" developed it into an agricultural research & development facility. The property has long faced further plans for development.

"A Revolutionary Capture," by Paul Ligeti.

Battle of Assunpink Creek (Jan. 2)

This battle, also known as the Second Battle of Trenton, was the second of the three "Ten Crucial Days" battles. Knowing that Cornwallis was to advance, Washington and his men were able to stave off a British attack in Trenton, centered around where the Assunpink Creek (which also runs through West Windsor) flows through Trenton. Despite superior numbers, Cornwallis was repeatedly rebuffed, and retreated for the night, satisfied that he would finish off Washington in the morning. But the Americans had other plans...

Click image for source.

Washington's March (Jan. 3)

As night fell on January 2, the Americans decided to escape Cornwallis' superior forces by secretly slipping their army out of Trenton and capturing Princeton instead. While a small contingent stayed in the city, lighting fires and making noise to fool Cornwallis into believing the Americans were still encamped, the majority of Washington's army left the city.

The march to Princeton largely followed Quakerbridge Road - West Windsor's border with Lawrence Township. One of the soldiers who led them was Ezekiel Anderson, whose family owned hundreds of acres in West Windsor. They marched past various West Windsor farms, through present-day Nassau Park Pavilion in West Windsor, and onward to victory. The soldiers trudged for thirteen miles, through cold and wind, and in the dead of night. However, the sun soon literally - and metaphorically - rose, when the Americans engaged with, and triumphed over, the British at the Battle of Princeton.

The (rough) route of this Revolutionary March from Trenton to Princeton is marked by twelve obelisks installed in 1914 by the Sons of the Revolution. One of them is in West Windsor, in the historic West Windsor/Lawrence community of Port Mercer! There are also a few more in other towns but near the West Windsor border.

Battle of Trenton, by Hugh Charles McBarron, Jr.

Battle of Princeton (Jan. 3)

The final battle of the Ten Crucial Days was a significant victory for the Continental Army. The battle began on the outskirts of the village. The main course of the fighting took place at the farms of William and Thomas Clarke, at the Princeton Battlefield. Although initially outnumbered, the Americans launched a surprise counterattack against the British. Washington famously rallied his troops, and drove the British back. Eventually, British troops took refuge in Nassau Hall, intending to resist until help came. However, Alexander Hamilton ordered a cannon bombardment, after which the British troops surrendered. That very same day, brigadier-general Hugh Mercer, a friend and compatriot of Washington's, was mortally stabbed. Mercer County was named in his honor.

"The Death of General Mercer." Click image for source.

Freedom & Slavery

The American Revolution was largely fought upon the idea of independence from the British. After all, that's why the Declaration of Independence was adopted by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776! And it's why certain unalienable rights were enshrined in our nation's Constitution. Yet, many of the country's "Founding Fathers" owned enslaved individuals themselves - even George Washington, who kept over 300 on his manor of "Mount Vernon" in Virginia at the time of his death.

And in West Windsor, where dozens of residents are believed to have fought for the American cause, slavery was a regrettable institution for well over a century. In fact, West Windsor may have had one of the last enslaved individuals in the entire state. Click here to read more, and consider the contradictions of what the Revolution was fought for.