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Ambush of Geary

1776 in New Jersey1776 in the United StatesAmbushes in North AmericaBattles involving Great BritainBattles involving the United States
Battles of the New Jersey CampaignConflicts in 1776Raritan Township, New Jersey
Cornet Francis Geary memorial site, NJ
Cornet Francis Geary memorial site, NJ

The Ambush of Geary, also known as the Amwell Skirmish, was a skirmish of the American Revolutionary War fought on 14 December 1776 in Amwell Township of Hunterdon County, New Jersey. Cornet Francis Geary, the leader of a company of dragoons, was shot in an ambush set up by local militiamen led by Captain John Schenck. After British forces captured New York City in the first part of the New York and New Jersey campaign, they established outposts throughout central New Jersey. Geary, the son of Admiral Sir Francis Geary, was operating from a station at Pennington when he was killed in the ambush. His body was concealed and later buried in a shallow grave, preventing its recovery by British troops. In the 19th century local historical interest led to the confirmation of his grave's location, and the establishment of markers at the site and in England. Making a casualty of Geary was one of a number of militia actions that resulted in a reduced scope of British reconnaissance, contributing to the eventual success of George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River and victory at the Battle of Trenton.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Ambush of Geary (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Ambush of Geary
US 202;NJ 31,

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N 40.456944444444 ° E -74.859444444444 °
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US 202;NJ 31 78
08551
New Jersey, United States
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Cornet Francis Geary memorial site, NJ
Cornet Francis Geary memorial site, NJ
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Central Jersey
Central Jersey

Central Jersey, or Central New Jersey, is the middle region of the U.S. state of New Jersey. The designation Central Jersey is a distinct administrative toponym. While New Jersey is often divided into North Jersey and South Jersey, many residents recognize Central Jersey as a distinct entity. As of the 2020 census, Central Jersey has a population of 3,580,999. All descriptions of Central Jersey include Middlesex County, the population center of New Jersey, and tend to include much of nearby Monmouth, Mercer, Somerset, and Hunterdon counties. The inclusion of adjacent areas of Union and Ocean are a source of debate. In 2015, New Jersey Business magazine defined Central Jersey more narrowly as the five counties of Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth and Somerset.In 2022, legislation was proposed in the New Jersey Legislature to establish distinct geographic areas for tourism in the state. Bill A4711 was sponsored by Assemblymembers Roy Freiman, Sadaf Jaffer, and Anthony Verrelli in the New Jersey General Assembly. This included an official designation of the region of Central Jersey, which the legislation defines more broadly as the seven counties of Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Somerset, and Union. The New Jersey Senate version of this legislation passed by a vote of 36-1 on June 20, 2023. On August 24, 2023, Gov. Murphy signed legislation officially designating Central Jersey including, at a minimum, the counties of Hunterdon, Mercer, Middlesex, and Somerset.The intersection of the two busiest highways in New Jersey, the New Jersey Turnpike and the Garden State Parkway, are located in Woodbridge in Central Jersey.Trenton, the seat of Mercer County and the state capital of New Jersey, is located in the region. New Jersey's geographic center is in Hamilton Township in Mercer County. In 2011, the population center of the state was in the western portion of East Brunswick.