OFF TO BATTLE: An unprecedented number of reenactors will descend on Princeton Battlefield State Park on Sunday, January 4, to initiate the 250th anniversary of the Battle of Princeton.
By Anne Levin
With more than 50 regiments, troops, and historic organizations scheduled to take part in the Princeton Battlefield Society’s (PBS) annual reenactment of the Battle of Princeton on January 4, it would seem that the town is a focal point for kicking off the nation’s 250th anniversary in 2026.
“It is,” said Mark Herr, a member of the PBS and its spokesman. “We have been trending up, and now we have more than 50, which is a record. This is definitely going to be one of the most exciting reenactments on the Eastern Seaboard, and certainly in New Jersey.”
As of last Friday, early registration for visitors was up. The reenactment at Princeton Battlefield State Park brings to life Gen. George Washington’s dramatic victory over the British on January 3, 1777. The action begins at 9 a.m. in the park, which is at 500 Mercer Street.
PBS is actually holding two reenactments in 2026. The second, which will take place on a date in late December still to be decided, is part of a broader, more sweeping celebration of the nation’s anniversary and will include Washington’s crossing of the Delaware, the Battle of Trenton, and the Battle of Princeton.
And on the actual 250th anniversary of the Battle of Princeton in 2027, PBS is planning to hold a solemn wreath-laying ceremony in January 2027.
“Remember, this is a triple anniversary year,” said Herr. “There’s the 250th of the nation on July 4, of New Jersey on July 2, and of course the Battle. It’s all converging, and Princeton has an outsize role. If we had lost at Princeton, you don’t have the rest of the story as it turns out. If the army had been defeated in any of those battles, it would have been curtains for the U.S. Washington was brilliant, his men were brave, and the sacrifice they made was unparalleled.”
The regiments scheduled to participate on the American side on January 4 come from New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Virginia, and New Jersey. Some participants have distinctive names: Clotz’s Battalion of the Flying Camp, Lt. Trevet’s Coy of Marines, Schott’s Independence Coy, and The United Train of Artillery. Representing the Crown forces are several Regiments of Foot, including the First Battalion New Jersey Volunteers, and Brigade of Guards, Grenadier Coy, among others.
The battle took place on the farmland between the houses of two Quaker brothers in 1777, after Washington marched his troops all night in sub-freeezing temperatures to surprise the British in Princeton.
“These are great men,” said Herr. “They are wearing the same uniforms they wore since the summer. Many were without shoes.”
“Watching the solders refight the battle gives us a sense of what it was like for the Americans in 1777,” said PBS President Ben Strong. “We were elated in July of 1776 when we declared independence, but we spent most of the rest of the year losing battles to the British and retreating through New York and New Jersey, and by Christmas Day 1776, we’d essentially abandoned New Jersey.
“We were in a bad spot. Then Washington dramatically crossed the Delaware, beat the Hessians in Trenton, beat the British in Trenton for a second time on January 2, and then capped off this epic 10 days to reverse American fortunes here in Princeton. They changed the future of the country and the world when our Army won at Princeton.”
Taking the role of Washington on January 4 is John Godzieba, highly regarded for his ability to project the qualities that made Washington such a charismatic leader.
“That’s a big deal,” said Herr. “He is the best there is. We have to celebrate the past, because it determines our future.”
The reenactment takes place on Sunday, January 4 at 9 a.m. Visit pbs1777.org for details.