Today is a full day of reenactments and other activities related to late 18th C. I am one part excited, one part curious, one part skeptical as we go to downtown Trenton for the days events. We first go to the Old Barracks Museum where the 'troops' are lining up, readying themselves to march the mile up Kings Street (the old Kings Highway). There are men in the blue and red familiar uniforms, others in a woolen ivory pants and shirts with a large fringed collar from Delaware, and many from the 9th PA. These are the Patriots. The Hessians wear long knee length coats and are recognizable by their tall arch shaped gold hats. There are Scots in red kilts and the British as well.
Each regiment has a drummer and one has a fife player. Several flags that represent the regiments are on display. The men hug their rifles as the commanders give directions to march.It is going to be a good day.
There are 100s of people ready to follow the troops up to the Battle Monument, a tall structure with a statue of a soldier up top that all would pass as they traveled north and south.
From this vantage point we look down the street to see the Hessians and the battle begins. The first rows shoot their rifles then move to the back to make room for the next rows. This is how they move down the street as we scurry to keep up with them.
I know from the previous day's tour that much of this battle was fought between the houses as urban warfare, even though many of the Hessians ran to the adjacent orchard, assuming that was where they would meet. But General Rall had not made any plans, so the fighting was disorganized.In this reenactment there was no General. Rall, but in the actual battle he was fatally injured as he tried to rally his troops atop his horse.
Patriots 1 British/Hessians 0
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