Children younger than 18 years old who complete the 6-mile-long march from Lawrence to Trenton are will earn a commemorative patch.
By:Lea Kahn Staff Writer
Revolutionary War soldiers did not receive a commemorative patch for marching from one point to another, but children who take part in the 44th annual Col. Edward Hand march from Lawrence to Trenton can earn a special patch Saturday.
The patch will be awarded to children younger than 18 years old who complete the six-mile-long march, which is set for Saturday at 10 a.m. at the Municipal Building, said history buff and Girl Scout leader Alison Roth.
The rain date is 10 a.m. Jan. 8, at the Municipal Building.
The event celebrates the delaying tactics of Col. Hand and his band of Pennsylvania riflemen against the British troops. Col. Hand’s soldiers held off British troops and protected Gen. George Washington and his soldiers, encamped in Trenton on Jan. 2, 1777.
On Christmas Day 1776, Gen. Washington and 2,400 soldiers crossed the Delaware River from Pennsylvania and marched to Trenton, where they routed the Hessian soldiers in the First Battle of Trenton.
Several days later, Gen. Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware River again and fought the Second Battle of Trenton on Jan. 2, 1777. Gen. Washington sent Col. Hand and his troops to delay the British from arriving in Trenton until nightfall.
Col. Hand, portrayed by Pagoda Court resident William Agress, will be accompanied Saturday by Mayor Michael Powers and Township Council. Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, plus township residents who want to make the 6-mile trek to Trenton, also may take part.
Mr. Agress said the march will follow a short program by Township Historian Robert Immordino, who will highlight some of the past marches such as which mayor made the quickest march, for example.
Audience members also can answer a 25-question quiz about Col. Hand, Mr. Agress said. There are two bonus questions. The prize is a visit to Col. Hand’s house in Pennsylvania, he said.
Following the program, the marchers will begin the trek to Trenton. They will stop at the site of two skirmishes that occurred in Lawrence. A third skirmish between the Americans and the British occurred in Trenton, near the site of today’s Capital Health Systems at Fuld Hospital.
The first skirmish between the Americans and the British occurred on the banks of the Five Mile Run, also known as the Little Shabakunk Creek.
The second skirmish took place along the banks of the Shabakunk Creek, at the site of Notre Dame High School. As they have in years past, historic re-enactor Robert Gerenser and the Coryell’s Ferry Militia will load and shoot a replica Revolutionary War-era cannon.
The marchers will continue their trek, ending at the historic Douglass House. They will enjoy refreshments, before being ferried back to the Municipal Building in township-owned vans. The march is expected to take about two hours.
The re-enactment of Col. Hand’s delaying tactics was suggested by Mr. Immordino in 1962, Mr. Agress said. He was the local chairman of the New Jersey tercentenary celebration, which commemorated the 300th anniversary of the founding of the state, Mr. Agress said.