A famous revolutionary event in the Kingston section of Franklin Township will be recreated, for the first time, on January 4, 2026, following that morning’s annual reenactment of the Battle of Princeton. Known as “The Conference on Horseback,” General Washington and his senior officers met in Kingston soon after their victory at Princeton in January 1777 to decide their next move.
The reenactment at 2:30 PM will be open to the public at no cost and will follow the Battle of Princeton reenactment at 9:30 AM at the battlefield on Mercer Street, and a ticketed lunch at 12:30 with Washington and his officers at Eno Terra restaurant in Kingston. The lunch and The Conference on Horseback are being organized by the Millstone Valley Preservation Coalition in cooperation with the Franklin Township 250 Committee, the Princeton Battlefield Society, and the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route Association (W3R-US).
Washington and his Generals after crossing the Delaware, startingto the Ten Crucial Days that ended with the Conference on Horseback.
“Franklin Township is very proud to have been the site of a War Council meeting on horseback on the last of the ‘Ten Crucial Days’ when the possibility of American independence was saved,” said Franklin Mayor Phil Kramer.
“This reenactment will officially kick-off a robust schedule of events throughout 2026 to commemorate our nation’s 250th anniversary, with a focus on the important things that happened right here in Franklin,” said Bob Lacorte, the chairman of the Franklin 250 Committee.
The featured reenactors at the lunch and the Conference on Horseback will have participated in the reenactment of the Battle of Princeton at 9:30 am on January 4, with tickets available from the Princeton Battlefield Society for just $10. Following the reenactment the officers will ride four miles to Kingston, just as occurred 249 years earlier. John Godzieba, Board President of the Friends of Washington Crossing Park (PA), will portray George Washington, while Princeton Battlefield Society Vice President Ken Gavin will portray General John Sullivan, and Jim French of the 4th Light Dragoons of Pennsylvania will portray General Nathanael Greene. The reenactors will wear wireless microphones so the public can hear the debate they have as they decide whether to continue fighting the British in New Brunswick, or to retire to Morristown for the winter.
Tickets for “Lunch with Washington after the Battle of Princeton” are available on Eventbrite for $60 and will feature a hearty Brunswick Stew and other farm-to-table delicacies, including vegetarian options. For an additional $20, guests can enjoy Revolutionary-themed alcoholic beverages from Unionville Vineyards and River Horse Brewing in Central Jersey, and War Cannon Spirits from upstate New York. Proceeds of the event will support Franklin 250 events.
“The luncheon at Eno Terra is a special opportunity to interact with these wonderful reenactors, enjoy local wine and craft beverages,and partake in a farm-to-table meal,” said Brad Fay, Founder of the Discover Central New Jersey agritourism program, an organizer of these events. “What a great way to kick-off the 250th annivesary year of our nation!”