"If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men… [no] controls on government would be necessary." — James Madison

Peer & Possibility at Princeton: General Hugh Mercer

A momentous battle of the American under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Revolution was fought at Princeton, Charles Mawhood on January 3, 1777.This New Jersey, whereby General George battle began eight days after Washington’s Washington’s American forces maneu-victory at Trenton. A newborn nation that vered about and defeated the British troops had been in despair on Christmas Day, 1776, had its spirits raised in just ten days by the Continental Army’s daring actions under Washington’s decisive leadership. Leading the Americans into the fight at Princeton was a promising physician-turned-general, Hugh Mercer.

The son of a Presbyterian minister, Mercer graduated medical school from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland,in 1744 at the age of 19. When Bonnie Prince CharlesEdward Stuart landed in the Highlands in Scotland in an attempt to take the English crown, Mercer volunteered as an assistant surgeon in the Highlands Army in the fall of 1745. Mercer was with the Prince when he marched on London. The rebellious army was only a two-week march away from London when Charles stopped and returned to Scotland. At the Battle of Culloden Moor, fought on April16, 1746, Prince Charles’s forces were brutally cut down by the British soldiers. Mercer took refuge on a cousin’s nearbyfarm, remaining in hiding from the King’s men who were actively seeking traitors.In March of 1747,a local fishermantransported Mercer from Aberdeen to Leith, a port city.

Mercer set sail for Philadelphia, arriving in May. After a brief stay, Mercer migrated westward to Pennsylvania’s Cumberland Valley and settled in present-day Mercersburg.There he practiced medicine and maintained his interest in military affairs by volunteering to serve as a doctor for General Edward Braddock’s wounded soldiers in 1755. On March 6, 1756, Hugh Mercer was commissioned captain in the Pennsylvania militia.His first command was located at Fort Shirley in Huntingdon County. By mid-March he was in overall command of that fort. Raiding the AmericanIndian village of Kittanning on September 8, 1756, Mercer’s right arm was broken by a musket ball and he was separated from his comrades. He endured a ten-day ordealin Indian Territory by living off the land until he foundhis way back to Fort Shirley. The next year, his reputation enhanced by the manner in which he conducted himself in that escape from hostile American Indians, Mercer was promoted to major. On May 29, 1758, the 33-year-old Scot was promoted once again to the rank of colonel and assumed command of the 3rd Battalion of the PennsylvaniaRegiment that fought during the French and Indian War.

During the expedition against Fort Duquesne, Mercer met George Washington on September 16, 1758, and the two became friends. When the French abandoned Fort Duquesne that winter, the British took it over, renamed it Fort Pitt, and Colonel Mercer was placed in charge there.Mercer later commanded the largest of the Pennsylvania forts, Fort Augusta, in March and April of 1760. For the remainder of that year he helped the British develop a military thoroughfare from western Pennsylvania all the way tothe Great Lakes. With the French and Indian War all but over in America, Mercer was mustered out of service on January 15, 1761, having served five years. The following month he moved to Fredericksburg, Virginia.

A friendship with George Weedon, another futureContinental general, led to Hugh Mercer meeting Weedon’s sister-in-law, Isabella Gordon. Clearly smitten by theyounger woman, Mercer courted and married her once he had established his medical practice. Their first child was a girl, Anna Gordon Mercer. Anna was the light of his life.She ultimately married Robert Patton (forebear of GeneralGeorge S. Patton). Isabella and Hugh would have fourmore children, all boys. To help support his growing family, Mercer opened an apothecary shop in Fredericksburg in May of 1771.The following year found him with a new partner in the medical profession, John Julian. The partnership would last to the Revolutionary War.

Mercer resumed his friendship with George Washington,even joining the same Masonic lodge as the tall Virginian.In 1774, Washington moved his mother, Mary, from the 600-acre Ferry Farm to a new house near Mercer’s apothecary shop. The doctor purchased Ferry Farm for 2000pounds and enjoyed the well-situated farm located on the north side of the Rappahannock River.

A “Righteous Cause”

When war with Great Britain came, Dr. Mercer was elected as colonel of militiamen in September of 1775.He reported for duty and began training the troops near Williamsburg. On February 16, 1776, he was commissionedas Colonel of the 3rd Virginia. The following month he and his regiment were transferred to the Northern Neck of Virginia to check any British advance up the Potomac River. Mercer was doing an outstanding job with his men,and further promotions seemed assured.

George Washington recommended to the ContinentalCongress the formation of a “Flying Camp” to guard theNew Jersey shore from British landings. The unit was tobe a mobile army reserve of 10,000 militiamen chosenfrom Delaware, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey.Washington also lobbied for Hugh Mercer to be promotedto brigadier general and placed in command of the FlyingCamp. The Congress acquiesced; Mercer received a June4, 1776 letter from President John Hancock containing acommission to brigadier general. After a brief visit backhome to put things in order, Mercer reported to commander-in-chief Washington in New York on July 3, 1776.He received orders to return to New Jersey and establish the Flying Camp there. Early that fall Mercer led anindecisive night attack on Staten Island. The British hadbeen tipped off, and the advance by Mercer resulted in a small skirmish before the Americans returned to New Jersey. After that, he joined General Washington as theAmerican forces further retreated from New York across New Jersey. He also contributed to Washington’s battle execution on the eventful day of December 26, 1776, whenWashington’s surprise attack at Trenton breathed fresh lifeinto the American cause.

Dr. Benjamin Rush met with Mercer and others inTrenton on January 1, 1777, where Washington’s armyencamped. The Scotsman assured Rush that he wouldrather live among the American Indians in the interior of the country than submit to Great Britain: “For my ownpart, my views in this contest are confined to a single object,that is, the success of the cause, and God can witness how cheerfully I would lay down my life to secure it.”

On the second day of 1777, Lord Cornwallis brought a large British force of approximately 8,000 men to the area.Heavy, steady skirmishing erupted between the opposing forces, continuing until early evening. Cornwallis decided to call off the engagement around 6 p.m., confident he couldbag the Americans and their commander the following day.Washington would have none of that. Calling a council of war in Trenton late that night, he and his officers including Mercer discussed the alternatives. A decision was finallyreached to pass around the British left flank and strike the British rearguard at Princeton.

British Lieutenant Colonel Charles Mawhood left Princeton at 5 a.m., headed for Trenton in response toCornwallis’s dispatch of January 2, 1777. Mawhood was in command of the three regiments comprising the British 4thBrigade, the 17th (his own regiment), the 40th and 50th regiments, 50 dismounted cavalry troops, and two artillery pieces. Mawhood’s men crossed over the Post Road Bridgethat spanned Stony Brook and continued heading toward Trenton.When the column came to the crest of a hill, some of the troopers detected figures moving off to the east.Realizing it was the Americans on the move, Mawhood turned the column around. After re-crossing the Post RoadBridge, the British turned off the Post Road, heading for the high ground now known as Mercer Heights.

In response, Mercer decided to turn from the mainroad and lead his men to the top of a hill on his right.Two artillery pieces under the command of Captain Daniel Neil were placed on the high ground. It was now sunrise. Mercerlearned to his dismay that Mawhood’s force was ahead of him on the route to Princeton. The Scotsman decided to rejoin the main American force and headed east across the William Clarke farm.

Mawhood saw Mercer’s attempt to cut across the farm and attacked.To slow Mercer’s movement,he sent 50 troopers to the northern edge of the William Clarke orchard.They opened fire on the Americans. Mercer acted quickly and decisively to this unexpected situation and attacked thedismounted troopers, driving them back 40 yards. There they stood their ground until Mawhood could come forward to reinforce them by placing his two guns on the rightof his line. Both sides were now firing canister at the other,while the infantrymen exchanged volleys. Unfortunatelyfor Mercer, his men were outnumbered and outgunned.Their rifles took longer to load, adding to a growing Britishadvantage. Finally, after ten minutes of stand-up fighting,Mawhood ordered a bayonet charge.The Redcoats quicklyattacked across the open space and were in and among the Americans, many of whom did not have bayonets to counterthe enemy.The result was predictable.The Americans brokeand ran, heading south toward the Thomas Clarke house.

Mercer’s gray horse was shot in the foreleg during theretreat, leaving the general to command on foot. He triedunsuccessfully to rally his men. When he was 50 yards fromWilliam Clarke’s barn, Mercer was seriously injured in thehead as a British soldier struck him with the breech of a musket. The jubilant British soldiers, mistaking him forGeorge Washington, called for the “rebel general” to surrender. Indignant at being called a rebel, Mercer tried to fightback with his sword, but to no avail. He was immediatelyoverwhelmed and bayoneted seven times. Resorting to an oldAmerican Indian trick, he feigned death and the Redcoatsfinally left him alone and continued chasing the retreatingAmericans. Because of Mercer’s actions that day,Washingtonproceeded further toward Princeton to defeat the British.

Amazingly, Hugh Mercer did not die that day. After thebattle, the unconscious general was taken to the Thomas Clarke house. However, Washington believed that Mercer had died on the field. Realizing that his friend was still alive,he sent Major George Lewis with a letter under a flag of truce to Lord Cornwallis requesting favorable treatment for Mercer.The British commander consented and allowed Lewis, a physician himself, to stay with Mercer. Cornwallisalso sent along a British surgeon to help, and that doctor thought Mercer would survive. Mercer responded to the contrary: “Raise my right arm, George, and this gentleman will there discover the smallest of my wounds but which willprove the most fatal. Yes, sir, that is a fellow that will very soon do my business.” Major Lewis was under the impression that Mercer had surrendered and then been bayoneted.General Mercer refuted that notion: “The tale which you have heard, George, is untrue.My death is owing to myself. I was on foot, endeavoring to rally my men, who had given way before the superior discipline of the enemy, when I was brought to the ground by a blow from a musket. At the same moment, the enemy discovered my rank, exulted in having taken the rebel general, as they termed me,and bid me ask for quarter. I felt that I deserved not so approbrious an epithet and determined to die as I had lived, an honored soldier in a just and righteous cause, and with out begging my life or making reply.I lunged with my sword at the nearest man. Theythen bayoneted and left me.”

Hugh Mercer suffered afflictively from his bayonet andhead wounds. Sensing the end was near, on January 11 he said,

“What is to be is to be! Good-bye, dear native land.Farewell, adopted country. Into thy care, O America,I commit my fatherless family. May God prosper our righteous cause! Amen!”

General James Wilkinson later wrote: “In General Mercer was lost a chief who, for education, experience,talents, disposition, integrity, and patriotism, was secondto no man but the Commander-in-Chief, and was qualified to fill the highest trusts of the country.” Washington’s biographer, Douglas Southall Freeman, had this to say of Mercer’s abilities: “[He] might have been his peer and possibly his superior.”

Jay Jorgensen is a NJ Superior Court Judge. In addition to writing Revolutionary War articles, he has also published four books on the Civil War. His Gettysburg’s Bloody Wheatfield won the Bachelder-Coddington Award as the best new book on Gettysburg in 2002. A Division I basketball player in college,Jay has also published articles on the Baseball Hall of Fame andthe U.S. Supreme Court. Contact: JayJorgensen2@juno.com