The Princeton Battle Monument commemorates the January 3, 1777 Battle of Princeton with imagery of Liberty inspiring General Washington as he leads his troops into battle and the death of General Hugh Mercer. The seals of the United States and the original thirteen states appear on its sides, and the inscription on the back was composed by Andrew Fleming West. Commissioned in 1908, it was designed by Beaux Arts sculptor Frederick MacMonnies with the assistance of architect Thomas Hastings, and President Warren G. Harding was present for its 1922 dedication. In 2006, the Princeton Parks Alliance, carrying out the vision of Princeton Borough Mayor Joseph O’Neill, undertook a project to permanently illuminate it. As with its original construction, local citizens responded with generous donations, with lighting funded by gifts from Princeton University, numerous individual donors, and additional support from the State of New Jersey made possible through the efforts of Assemblyman Reed Gusciora.