Paving Over History, Chapter The First

Last night, as usual, I was wandering home from the Harvest Moon, singing Journey and trying in vain to design an experiment for some now-forgotten reason. My aimless meandering took me into the parking lot of the Kirkpatrick Chapel, which on a hill at the end of the College Ave campus. I've been through there before, but last night I was particularly uncoordinated... which I will blame on my residual fatigue from 53x12Will's 30+ mph, pull down the length of Amwell Rd that morning.

So there I was, zig-zagging like a good, if lethargic, infantryman, when I almost bumped into a signpost. And by almost, I mean abruptly. Sizing up my opponent, I squinted at the offending sign and was surprised by what I saw.

Apparently, this parking lot was the site of an important moment in American history. In fall of 1776, the British had been trying to cross the Raritan River in pursuit of Washington's troops. If the redcoats had been successful, we'd probably be drinking tea and driving on the wrong side of the road.

Fortunately, Alexander Hamilton was a badass. He'd put together an artillery corps, outfitting and supplying them out of his own pocket. With no infantry support from the retreating Washington, Hamilton took a risk and positioned his men on the hill that is now the site of Kirkpatrick Chapel and its parking lot. Firing volley after volley, Hamilton's corps hampered the redcoats' progress. By the time the British could finally ford the river, Washington's army was long gone, and I can only presume that all the Englishmen's oxen were dead as well.

The site of this selfless assault is now a parking lot. Only 200 years later, artillerymen in the same location would be overlooking a nondescript parking deck. The only monument to the courage of Hamilton and his troops during this key moment in history is a sign post into which intoxicated students occasionally stumble.