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The battles of TRENTON and PRINCETON are connected, and part of a campaign against the British forces in NJ, during the American Revolution during the 1776-1777 winter. Here is a general account of that campaign. In the fall of 1776, Washington was in desperate straits, having been defeated in Long Island, and having to retreat from New York City, which being surrounded by water, was found to be indefensible from the British with their naval mobility and larger force. Fort Washington on Manhattan Island was captured by the Hessians (mercenary troops from Germany employed by the British), and Fort Lee,...

"Don't Shoot Until You See the Whites of Their Eyes!" commanded Colonel William Prescott, repeating the order of General Israel Putnam, JUNE 17, 1775. Colonel William Prescott's men were in the center redoubt located on Breed's Hill, adjacent Bunker Hill, guarding the north entrance to Boston Harbor. Samuel Swett wrote in his History of Bunker Hill, that as the 2,300 British soldiers advanced: "The American marksmen are with difficulty restrained from firing. Putnam rode through the line, and ordered that no one should fire till they arrived within eight rods ... Powder was scarce and must not be wasted. They...

The National Park Service says it is working to remove graffiti on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier of the American Revolution. They’ve had to enlist the help of professional conservators to clean the monument in Washington Square because it is porous limestone.

This is a blood-bought land We are a blood-bought people The LORD purchased our souls Patriots gave us a nation Bold, courageous Declaring self-evident truth They fought, they died For those they loved With unborn millions not forgotten They accepted and paid the purchase price So that you and I could be free Oh, what a supreme shame it would be To fail to pass along this precious gift To our posterity

American Revolutionary Song by Dr. Joseph Warren

In September of 1774, Dr. Joseph Warren wrote the Suffolk Resolves.British statesman Edmund Burke cited the Suffolk Resolves as a major development in colonial animosity, which eventually led to the Declaration of Independence. The Suffolk Resolves stated: “That it is an indispensable duty which we owe to God, our country, ourselves and posterity, by all lawful ways and means in our power to maintain, defend and preserve those civil and religious rights and liberties, for which many of our fathers fought, bled and died, and to hand them down entire to future generations … and that the inhabitants of those...

“Our country is in danger, but not to be despaired of. Our enemies are numerous and powerful; but we have many friends, determining to be free, and heaven and earth will aid the resolution. On you depend the fortunes of America. You are to decide the important question, on which rest the happiness and liberty of millions yet unborn. Act worthy of yourselves.” ~ Dr. Joseph Warren, 1775 Monday Boston showed what it means to act worthy of yourself through their strength and courage to help those around them. They have been a true example of the American Spirit. Blog...

Lord, Keep our Troops forever in Your care Give them victory over the enemy... Grant them a safe and swift return... Bless those who mourn the lost. . FReepers from the Foxhole join in prayer for all those serving their country at this time. ...................................................................................... ........................................... U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel...

Dr. Joseph Warren, one of the more notable members of the Sons of Liberty, was born on this date in 1741. It was Warren, after receiving intelligence on the impending attack by the British on Concord, who sent William Dawes and Paul Revere on their midnight rides to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock and sound the alarm. Warren later led troops in the battles of Lexington and Concord and later at Bunker Hill, where he helped inspire the men to hold their ground against the British, and where was killed in action. In his honor, we raise the Sons...

He arrived just as the fight began, and seeking out General Putnam (who was already there) desired to be posted where the service was to be the most arduous. Putnam expressed sorrow at seeing him, in a place so full of peril; “but since you have come, I will obey your orders with pleasure.” Warren replied, that he came as a volunteer – not to command. Putnam requested his to take his stand in the redoubt, where Prescott commanded, On his entering the redoubt, he was greeted with loud huzzas; and Prescott, like Putnam, offered him the command. He again...

U.S. Military History, Current Events and Veterans Issues Where Duty, Honor and Countryare acknowledged, affirmed and commemorated. Our Mission: The FReeper Foxhole is dedicated to Veterans of our Nation's military forces and to others who are affected in their relationships with Veterans. We hope to provide an ongoing source of information about issues and problems that are specific to Veterans and resources that are available to Veterans and their families. In the FReeper Foxhole, Veterans or their family members should feel free to address their specific circumstances or whatever issues concern them in an atmosphere of peace, understanding, brotherhood...

The Battles of Lexington and Concord, fought on April 19, 1775, kicked off the American Revolutionary War (1775-83). Tensions had been building for many years between residents of the 13 American colonies and the British authorities, particularly in Massachusetts. On the night of April 18, 1775, hundreds of British troops marched from Boston to nearby Concord in order to seize an arms cache. Paul Revere and other riders sounded the alarm, and colonial militiamen began mobilizing to intercept the Redcoat column. A confrontation on the Lexington town green started off the fighting, and soon the British were hastily retreating under...

George Washington's military genius is undisputed. Yet American independence must be partially attributed to a strategy for which history has given the infamous general little credit: his controversial medical actions. Traditionally, the Battle of Saratoga is credited with tipping the revolutionary scales. Yet the health of the Continental regulars involved in battle was a product of the ambitious initiative Washington began earlier that year at Morristown, close on the heels of the victorious Battle of Princeton. Among the Continental regulars in the American Revolution, 90 percent of deaths were caused by disease, and Variola the small pox virus was the...

George Washington was a 'liar' who the other Founding Fathers couldn't wait to see the back of, claims a new biography on The Father of his Country. Buying teeth from his slaves at a third of the market price, refusing to free them, and causing conflict that eventually led the the start of 'humanity's first world war' are among the many ethical and moral missteps the country's first president made, claims new book 'You Never Forget Your First: A Biography of George Washington' by historian Alexis Coe. The book was released this Presidents' Day weekend, coinciding with the broadcast of...

WASHINGTON CROSSING, Pa. (AP) ” Thousands turned out Wednesday to watch the annual reenactment of George Washington’s daring Christmas Day crossing of the Delaware River in 1776 ” the first time the crossing was completed in three years. The event was scrapped because of bad weather the last two years, but historical interpreter Nancy O’Leary said at Washington Crossing Historical Park that the conditions this year ‘couldn’t be better.’ ‘We had lovely weather, and we probably had record attendance,’ said Jennifer Martin, executive director of the Friends of Washington Crossing Park. She estimated that 4,500 to 5,000 people were watching...

Catherine the Great of Russia (1729-1796) rebuffed King George III's requests and bribes to have Russia side with Britain during the Revolutionary War. Instead, Russia continued trading with the American colonies, providing much needed supplies. Catherine even attempted to negotiate a peace with France and Britain to bring an early end to the war in America's favor. Catherine the Great had earlier deposed her husband, Tsar Peter III, in a coup. She then fought the Russo-Turkish War (1768-1774), against the Muslim Ottoman Turkish Empire. Her General, Alexei Grigoryevich Orlov destroyed the Ottoman navy at the Battle of Chesma, July 5-7,...

Human skeletal remains -- possibly belonging to Revolutionary War soldiers who fought in the Battle of Ridgefield in 1777 -- were discovered under the foundation of an early 18th-century house last week. The Connecticut Office of State Archaeology was notified by the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner about the find on Dec. 2. Subsequent excavations by the state archaeologist Nicholas Bellantoni, with assistance from the Friends of the Office of State Archaeology, Inc. and University of Connecticut graduate students, have yielded two more skeletons. "One has been completely excavated already and is in the medical examiner's office and we're...

Today marks the 246th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party when American patriots, frustrated and angry at Britain for imposing “taxation without representation,” dumped 342 chests of tea into the harbor in protest. You’re probably somewhat familiar with this seminal event but you may not be with the story of those behind it. The “Sons Of Liberty” flag shares its origin with the participants, their call of no “taxation without representation,” imbued a national character and revolutionary spirit that echoes to this very day. It inspires us to not exist quietly as mere subjects of our own government, or any...

"I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country" were the last words of 21-year-old American patriot Nathan Hale, who was hanged by the British without a trial on SEPTEMBER 22, 1776. A Yale graduate, 1773, Nathan Hale almost became a Christian minister, as his brother Enoch did, but instead became a teacher at Union Grammar School. When the Revolutionary War began in 1775, Nathan Hale joined a Connecticut militia and served in the siege of Boston. On July 4, 1775, Hale received a letter from his Yale classmate, Benjamin Tallmadge, who became General Washington's...

Today’s post is in honor of Marine LCpl. Michael T. Badsing who was killed on this date in 1965 by enemy small-arms fire in South Vietnam. The 20-year-old Chicago native served with C Company, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines, 3rd Marine Division. 1781: Hoping to divert Gen. George Washington from marching against Lord Cornwallis’ forces now trapped in Virginia, two battalions of British soldiers — including American Loyalist forces under the command of Brig. Gen. Benedict Arnold — assault New London, Conn.. The redcoats easily capture Fort Trumbull, but across the Thames River, the heavily outnumbered defenders of Fort Griswold fiercely...