Description

Can you imagine rowing through ice floes, and then trudging ten miles through a blizzard in the middle of the night — and your destination is a battle to decide the fate of your country? The paintings that show General Washington crossing the Delaware on that snowy Christmas night in 1776 have forever caught the imagination of the public — so much so that reenactments in Pennsylvania attract thousands of visitors each year. But what happened once the troops landed in New Jersey? Get a glimpse at Washington Crossing State Park in Titusville, NJ. On December 10, from 11 am to 3:30 pm, please join State Park historians, the Washington Crossing Park Association, the First Rhode Island Regiment, and other NJ-based reenactor groups who will give the public an opportunity to experience both the Crossing and the March to Trenton through the eyes of the men and women who lived it. The title of this event is “Washington’s Landing in New Jersey,” which occurs on the same day as the Pennsylvania Park’s rehearsal crossing of the Delaware. The encampment will take place at the New Jersey Park’s “Overlook,” next to the historic Johnson Ferry House, with a wonderful view of the river below. Reenactors will patrol the lower park, encouraging visitors to undertake a brief “march” over the Park’s pedestrian bridge and up to the Overlook, where cozy fires, hot cider, and skilled reenactors will regale them with tales of the rich history that took place in Mercer County. Special efforts will be made to engage the youngest visitors in hopes of sparking their interest in New Jersey history.