First Battle of Trenton
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Posted on 07/17/2007 3:46:43 PM PDT by george76
Day camp affords kids a look at 18th-century life .
Each summer, youngsters ages 9 to 12 have the opportunity to spend a week in the ranks of Gen. George Washington's army.
History becomes a personal experience for those who take part in the Old Barracks Summer Day Camp at the Old Barracks Museum in Trenton.
Children at the day camp participate in indoor and outdoor activities that re-create life in the 18th century. Campers muster into Gen. George Washington's Continental Army on the Old Barracks parade grounds, used more than 200 years ago by British, Hessian and Continental soldiers, learn to cook as they did in the 18th century, make their own gear, sing and dance to the music of the time, learn colonial crafts, march to local sites and drill according to Baron Von Steuben's "Manual of Arms."
Campers at the Fifers and Drummers Summer Day Camp will learn fife and drum military music of the 18th century and the troop ceremony used by the Brigade of the American Revolution; practice drills and field ceremony; study fife and drum camp duty calls; learn music theory with an emphasis on the aids to memorizing music; and hear a guest speaker on the importance of 18th-century signal musicians.
Drummers will learn how to tuck calfskin drum heads and rope tension drum maintenance and fifers will make their own fife cases
(Excerpt) Read more at nj.com ...
First Battle of Trenton
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Cool! Two of my sons went to Civil War day camp two years ago at a historic site in this area. Lots of fun, wore them out!
It may even spark a life time of curiosity.
They were already interested in the Civil War, but they got a lot out of the camp. It’s been a very successful program here the last few years, and the site also has “Frontier Living” and “Plantation Lady” day camps.
Kids seem to love the historic life activities. Hard, outdoor work is fun for them, because it’s such a change from their daily lives.
The Flag of the Grand Union--the first flag we fought under as Americans
The Union Jack inset with the red and white stripes of the flag of the Sons of Liberty
The Old Barracks is a great place to visit and bring the family. The First Battle of Trenton was very important as it was our first win. In the diagram above, it was Alex Hamilton who set up the cannon of the NY Artillery (at positions 1 and 3) and shot downhill at the assembling Hessians. The General, standing with Hamilton, noticed a group of Hessians attempting to set up cannon at the bottom of the hill. He ordered his cousin Lt. William Washington and the then 17 year old Lt. James Monroe (yes, THAT James Monroe) to take the position...and they did. Both were wounded, however. Monroe meant it when he put forth the Monroe Doctrine years later--he could back it up.
Learning to load and fire those vintage weapons gave me more of a feeling for those times than anything else I could have possibly done.
They were real men.
I'm sure Monroe meant it, but it was John Quincy Adams, Monroe's Sec. of State who concieved and wrote the document. Even though Adams' only brush with combat was around the same time as Trenton when he was 15 years old in the middle of the Atlantic heading to Europe with his father, I'm sure he meant it just as well. ;~))
John Q. Adams was a remarkable person in his own right.
My expertise in American History pretty much stops when The General died in 1799. I just remember reading accounts of Monroe's charging the Hessian artillery at Trenton, Dec. 26, 1776 and being quite impressed at the young man's fearlessness.
They were some amazing people.
Thanks for the pings!
ppfft! the hard core would do a day camp at the winter camp of Morristown.
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