Ambush of Geary 1776
Recorded location from Wikidata; battle sites are often approximate.
Key facts
| Date | 14 December 1776 | Wikidata |
|---|---|---|
| Year | 1776 | Wikidata P585 (point in time) |
| Era | Early modern (1500–1799) | derived from year |
| Location | United States | Natural Earth (modern borders) |
| Continent | North America | Natural Earth |
| War / conflict | American Revolutionary War | Wikidata P361 |
| Coordinates | 40.4569, -74.8594 | Wikidata P625 |
About the battle
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.
Text adapted from the Wikipedia article Ambush of Geary (revision 1370104880), licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Changes: excerpted from the article lead section; formatting and citations removed. No text added.
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Other battles of the American Revolutionary War
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- Capture of Fort Ticonderoga 1775
- Siege of Boston 1775
- Siege of Fort St. Jean 1775
- Siege of Savage's Old Fields 1775
- Battle of Block Island 1776
- Battle of Fort Washington 1776
- Battle of Harlem Heights 1776
- Battle of Iron Works Hill 1776
- Battle of Long Island 1776
All 190 battles of the American Revolutionary War →
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