About This Place
The Mercer Oak site marks the location within Princeton Battlefield State Park where General Hugh Mercer was unhorsed and bayoneted by British soldiers on January 3, 1777. The original white oak tree, under which Mercer reportedly fell, stood for over 300 years before it died and collapsed in March 2000. A descendant tree, grown from an acorn of the original, was planted near the site.
A monument and interpretive markers explain the significance of the location.
Revolutionary Significance
The Mercer Oak became the symbolic centerpiece of the Princeton battlefield. The image of the wounded Mercer beneath the tree appeared in numerous paintings and engravings of the battle, including works by John Trumbull and James Peale. The tree's death in 2000 was mourned as the loss of a living connection to the battle. The Princeton Battlefield Society and the State of New Jersey ensured that the site remained marked and that descendant trees were planted to maintain the landscape's connection to the event.
Location
Princeton Battlefield State Park, 500 Mercer Rd, Princeton, NJ 08540
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Events at This Location
1776
Witherspoon Signs the Declaration of IndependenceJohn Witherspoon, Richard Stockton, James Madison
1776
College of New Jersey Closes for the WarJohn Witherspoon, James Madison
1776
Capture of Richard StocktonRichard Stockton, Annis Boudinot Stockton
1776
Annis Stockton Buries Family Papers at MorvenAnnis Boudinot Stockton, Richard Stockton
1776
British Occupation of PrincetonCharles Mawhood, John Witherspoon, Thomas Olden
1776
British Damage Nassau Hall During OccupationJohn Witherspoon
1776
1777
1777
Night March from Trenton to PrincetonGeorge Washington, Hugh Mercer
1777
Battle of PrincetonGeorge Washington, Hugh Mercer, Charles Mawhood
1777
Mercer and Mawhood Clash at Clarke FarmHugh Mercer, Charles Mawhood
1777
Washington Rallies Troops at PrincetonGeorge Washington, Hugh Mercer
1777
Cannonade of Nassau HallGeorge Washington
1777
1777
Death of General Hugh MercerHugh Mercer, Benjamin Rush
1783
Witherspoon Rebuilds the College After the WarJohn Witherspoon
1783
Congress Flees Philadelphia MutinyElias Boudinot
1783
Continental Congress Meets at Nassau HallElias Boudinot, George Washington
1783
Congress Thanks Washington at PrincetonGeorge Washington, Elias Boudinot
1783
Treaty of Paris Announced at PrincetonElias Boudinot