Seven Crucial Weeks: Fort Lee to Trenton and Princeton November 16, 1776, to January 3, 1777

A 2026 BGES Revolutionary War Field University Program

with Gary Ecelbarger and Bill Welsch

September 23-27, 2026; from Princeton, NJ

After the Declaration of Independence, the event of the Revolutionary War receiving the most attention during the 250th anniversary year is the Crossing of the Delaware, followed by the American victories at Trenton (twice) and Princeton. Making these ten days more dramatic and impactful for the American Cause is the abysmal 40 days leading up to it––two fortnights of retreating following a military manhandling in Manhattan. The overwhelming despair felt over these five-plus weeks sapped the confidence of even the most sanguine Americans.

Numerous books and monographs cover the valleys and peaks of this entire seven-week period, as have other audio/video venues (podcasts and videos). The new Ken Burns series took us through the dejection of November and most of December 1776, before highlighting the impact of these ten days which miraculously turned American misfortunes to grand fortunes.

Most touring programs of this period limit the on-site coverage of these seven weeks to no more than 10 days to two weeks and only covering the crossing of the Delaware and battles at Trenton and Princeton. This inherently limits the context of appreciation by not including the critical weeks leading to this dramatic turnaround. For the first time, BGES offers a detailed four-day field experience identifying the critical seven weeks where the true low point of American fortunes in 1776 rose to its zenith by the third day of 1777. Led by expert guides dedicated to this history and experienced at both the well-known and obscure tour stops of this exciting period of our past, this timely program is offered within eight weeks of the exact 250th anniversary of this world-famous series of inspiring events which has captured the interests of artists and authors in the 18th, 19th, 20th and now the 21st Century.

Join BGES for this exceptional program as Gary and Bill lead four days of exploration of this most important campaign.

Itinerary

Wednesday, September 23, 2026 – Orientation (6–7 p.m.)

We’ll gather at the headquarters hotel for an evening orientation with Gary and Bill who will introduce the campaign, distribute program materials, and set the stage for our field study. Their introductory lecture will discuss Washington’s horrible summer and fall of 1776, and the very real possibility that British General William Howe will have successfully conquered America. We will also discuss Howe’s plan to capture Philadelphia.

Dinner is on your own.

Thursday, September 24, 2026 (8:00 a.m.–5 p.m.)

Load up for departure and four very full days. Our first day begins at the spot where Washington wept on November 16, 1776 – Fort Lee – where we overlook the disastrous loss at Fort Washington and discuss the outcome of the final battle of the New York Campaign. We then will follow the retreat route of the Continental army through New Jersey, stopping in several locales to highlight their significance.

After lunch we will cross the Raritan River at New Brunswick and visit the Americans’ three-day encampment there at the end of November 1776. From there we head to Trenton and discuss Washington’s six nights there during the first week of December, including a stop at the old Seven Years’ War structure, the Old Barracks, and discuss its possible use as a shelter for American troops early in December as well as for the families of the Hessians beginning on December 8. We will spend our final stop of the day at the edge of the Delaware River and review the transfer of Washington’s soldiers to the safety of the Pennsylvania side of the river, revealing newly discovered data regarding the numerical strength of Washington’s army.

Back to our hotel.

Lunch is included, but dinner is on your own.

Friday, September 25, 2026 (8:00 a.m.–5 p.m.)

We begin with an off-the-beaten path and unmarked site: Colvin’s Ferry. It has a significant place in this campaign and beyond. From there, we head up the old ferry road to George Washington’s Bucks County, Pennsylvania, headquarters, known as “Summerseat.” It is the only known house owned by two signers of the Declaration of Independence. We then finish the morning visiting several sites important for the prelude to “The Crossing,” including the houses where the plan to attack the Hessians was hashed out, plus both General Greene’s and Lord Stirling’s headquarters.

After lunch, we visit the exact locales of the planned American Christmas night crossings. We start at Dunks Ferry and work our way up the Delaware River and return to Colvin’s Ferry. At both sites we will identify in detail the troops that are there and the outcome of their attempts at crossing the river. From there we will enjoy a protracted visit to Washington Crossing Historic Park, highlighted by dramatic and iconic riverbank site at McConkey’s Ferry where George Washington famously led 2,400-3,000 Continental soldiers across the ice-choked Delaware River on Christmas Night, 1776.

Back to our hotel.

Lunch is included, but dinner is on your own.

Saturday, September 26, 2026 (8:00 a.m.–5 p.m.)

We begin the day by reviewing the crossing from the New Jersey side. From there we conduct a detailed chronology of the pre-dawn Americans’ approach, the division of Sullivan’s and Greene’s forces, and the American artillery deployment overlooking the town of Trenton. We will spend the rest of the day on the key elements of the Battle of Trenton, the rousing American victory that sparked a tremendous reversal of American fortunes at the close of 1776.

Our tour day will turn its focus on the nebulous period of the famous Trenton/Princeton Campaign—the week between the battles–as Washington plans for the British reaction to his surprise rout of the Hessians. Having stirred the hornet’s nest, Washington now had to deal with the dual threat of a practically certain British response as well as the expiration of the enlistments for much of his army. We begin at the rarely visited, recently discovered site of Minnock’s Ferry at the northern end of Bristol, PA. here, we discuss John Cadwalader’s crossing of the Delaware on December 27 and its implications for the campaign. From there we head to Newtown and the scene of a Council of War between Washington and his generals once they learn of the presence of American soldiers again in NJ.

After lunch we then return to the riverbank for Washington’s fourth crossing of the Delaware in three weeks, and his final crossing of this river for seven more months. We will re-enter New Jersey for a visit to Crosswicks and meet up with a growing American force commanded by John Cadwalader and then by General Thomas Mifflin. At the Friends Meetinghouse, built in 1773, we will discuss the implications of expiring enlistments, General Mifflin’s inspiring speech, the famous spy map given to Cadwalader, and the orders from Washington delivered by Dr. Benjamin Rush.

From Crosswicks, we move toward Trenton with a brief stop at the Pearsall Mansion to discuss the controversy surrounding the death of its owner. Our final stop of the day will be at the Assunpink Creek Bridge where we will review Washington’s impassioned plea to the expiring services of his troops to remain in the army for a bit longer to contest the inevitable British response to his Trenton surprise.

Return to the hotel.

Lunch is included, but dinner is on your own.

Sunday, September 27, 2026 (8:00 a.m.–5 p.m.)

We are off early and will spend this entire day on two battles fought on consecutive days: January 2 and 3, 1777. This morning, we will follow Lord Charles Cornwallis and his portion of the Crown Forces advancing from Princeton to Trenton. They were harassed and delayed by well-placed American detachments at every creek crossing en route to Trenton.

The rest of the morning will be spent developing and dissecting the Battle of Assunpink Creek (2nd Trenton) on January 2, a very bloody defeat for Cornwallis. We will then stand in front of the Alexander Douglass House, where Washington held a post-battle Council of War. Here he hatched a plan to march upon Cornwallis’s rear. After lunch, we will follow Washington’s route and cover the Battle of Princeton. This blow-by-blow account will incorporate new findings and will include a unique opportunity to follow the trace of the original road used by the Americans to enter the battle.

Our tour ends with a group discussion of the impact of these crucial days and weeks.

Lunch is provided, and we will return to the hotel by 5:00 p.m.

About the Faculty

Gary Ecelbarger has worked as a historian, symposium speaker, and tour guide for the past 30 years, and he is an award-winning author of ten books relating to 19th-century personalities and events, including two recent books about George Washinton in 1777-1778, as well as more than three dozen monographs, essays, and articles of Revolutionary War and Civil War-era topics. His future book projects include a detailed history of the Battle of Princeton, a subject of this tour.

Bill Welsch is the founding and current president of the American Revolution Round Table of Richmond and co-founder of the Congress of ARRTs. He is also past president of the Richmond Civil War Round Table. He is a 25-year tour guide, speaker, and author of a number of articles, with a special interests in the campaigns of New Jersey and Philadelphia and the Continental Army generals. He served in the Marine Corps, is a retired university administrator, and has suffered the slings and arrows of elected local politics and community involvement.

Hotel Information

This program will be headquartered at the Doubletree Princeton, 4355 US 1 South, Princeton, NJ 08540 (609-945-2519). Note that this number should be a direct line to the sales desk. You must ask for Kerry Gavaghen or a sales staff member and ask for the Blue and Gray Tour for the group rate. The BGES special hotel rate is $129 plus tax, with a rate cutoff date of September 12, 2026.

Transportation

The servicing airport is Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) 35 miles from the hotel. Philadelphia International Airport is also an option (PHL). It is 59 miles from the hotel. The hotel does not provide a shuttle. It will require a rental car, Uber, or taxi to reach the hotel.

Tour Pricing

Current BGES member $975 (one-time payment, no deposit)
Non-BGES member $1025 (one-time payment, no deposit)
Deposit to reserve spot: $150
Annual membership fee: $75

Registration

Seven Crucial Weeks: Fort Lee to Trenton and Princeton 2026-Tour

Registration includes 4 lunches, all paid admissions, maps, the academic program, support of historian(s) and a tour director, and transportation by passenger bus or van. We will also provide snacks and bottled water.

Complete your registration by filling out the form below and making your secure payment.

Step 1 of 3

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Current BGES Member SCWFL26

Price:

Quantity