Newly appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, George Washington, passed through what is now South Brunswick Township (formerly the South Ward) on June 23, 1775.
He and his entourage, which included Charles Lee, Thomas Mifflin, Philip Schuyler, Joseph Reed, and William Lee, were headed to Cambridge, Massachusetts, to take command of American forces gathering there. A number of delegates to the Continental Congress, who were returning home, also accompanied Washington. Captain Abram Markoe and his Philadelphia Troop of Horse served as escort up to the Connecticut border.
They hastened along the King’s Highway (presently called Route 27) in order to reach New Brunswick by nightfall.
Resource: Section of: Holland, S. & Robert Sayer And John Bennett. (1775) The provinces of New York, and New Jersey; with part of Pensilvania, and the province of Quebec. London, Printed for Robt. Sayer & John Bennett. [Map] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/74694272/.