After George Washington crossed the Delaware and won a victory at Trenton on Dec. 26, 1776, he did not rest on his laurels. Using Patton—like tactics to press the battle, he then marched his troops to attack the British at Princeton, NJ on January 3, 1777.

Washington himself participated in the attack on Princeton, along with a young artillery captain named Alexander Hamilton. Yes, this is the same person who would later become a co—author of the Federalist Papers, Secretary of the Treasury, and whose image appears on US ten dollar bills today. According to the biography Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow (p. 84—85), Capt. Hamilton arrived in Princeton to find that British Soldiers had occupied Princeton University, which consisted then of Nassau Hall and perhaps some few additional smaller building, such as their chapel. He laid siege to the university with his cannons and the British surrendered. If that wasn't bad enough, Hamilton was a King's College (now Columbia University) man. The online Britannica Concise Encyclopedia states

"Nassau Hall (1756), the principal structure of the college, changed hands three times during the American Revolution's Battle of Princeton, and the engagement ended within its walls."

One can only imagine how modern day professors who protest ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corp) on campus, would have reacted to both the British and American armies being on their campus and exchanging fire. Their theoretical world met the real world. At that time the professors got to see first hand how they owe their academic freedom to criticize The Crown — and the American Revolutionary government and army — to that battle. Perhaps the final stages of The Battle of Princeton should be reinacted each year on campus to remind the professors where their academic freedom comes from.

The New York Times started publishing in the later ninteeth century, so they were not available to protest the American attack on the Princeton campus — while, of course, ignoring the British Army's invasion of the school grounds and town of Princeton. If Pinch Sulzberger and the NY Times were around then, he would probably have published a pre—Christmas 1776 headline, "Washington's Army Plans to Secretly Cross the Delaware and Surprise Hessian forces at Trenton As they Enjoy Their Winter Solsis Feast." But then again, getting such information was difficult at that time. Even Benedict Arnold was a loyal American until 1780. And General Washington might have dealt rather harshly with such wartime press revelations.

Jack Kemp (not the politician)   7 28 06

Jack Kemp
(not the politician)