page_title: Brandywine order of battle
section_title: Left Wing
hierarchical_section_title: Brandywine order of battle / British Army order of battle / Left Wing
caption_attribution_description: Portrait of Robert Abercromby, the British Commander-in-Chief in India.
context_page_description: At the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777 a colonial American army led by General George Washington fought a British-Hessian army commanded by General William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe. Washington drew up his troops in a defensive position behind Brandywine Creek. Howe sent Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausen's 5,000 troops to demonstrate against the American front at Chadd's Ford. Meanwhile, Lieutenant General Charles Cornwallis took 10,000 troops on a wide flank march that crossed the creek and got in the rear of the American right wing under Major General John Sullivan. The Americans changed front but Howe's attack broke through.
  As Howe's wing made progress, Knyphausen converted his feint into a frontal attack on the American center. Washington's army was driven to the rear in disarray, but was saved from rout by Major General Nathanael Greene's rear guard action. Washington's army retreated to Chester, Pennsylvania while Howe occupied Wilmington, Delaware. The engagement took place in Chadds Ford Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania.
context_section_description: Lieutenant General Lord Cornwallis
  Unbrigaded:
  16th Light Dragoons (200)
  Hessian and Anspach Jägers: Lieutenant Colonel Ludwig von Wurmb (500)
  Mounted Jäger company, Captain Richard Lorey (100)
  Artillery: 3rd Brigade
  Four 12-pound cannons & six 6-pound cannons
  Guards Brigade: Brigadier General Edward Mathew (939)
  Elements of 1st Foot Guard, 2nd Foot Guard, and 3rd Foot Guard Regiments
  1st Battalion (488)
  Grenadier company, Lieutenant Colonel Sir George Osborn, 4th Baronet (124)
  Hyde's company (93)
  Wrottesley's company (91)
  Cox's company (90)
  Garth's company (90)
  2nd Battalion (451)
  Stephen's company (88)
  Murray's company (89)
  O'Hara's company (87)
  Martin's company (91)
  Light company, Lieutenant Colonel Osborn (96)
  Light Infantry: (1,300)
  1st Light Infantry Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Robert Abercromby of Airthrey
  14 light companies of the line
  2nd Light Infantry Battalion, Major John Maitland
  14 light companies of the line
  Grenadiers: (1,400)
  1st Grenadier Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel William Medows
  16 grenadier companies of the line
  2nd Grenadier Battalion, Colonel Henry Monckton
  15 grenadier companies of the line
  3rd Brigade: Major General Charles Grey, 1st Earl Grey (3,000 in 3rd and 4th Brigades)
  15th Foot
  17th Foot
  42nd Foot
  44th Foot
  4th Brigade: Brigadier General James Agnew
  33rd Foot
  38th Foot
  46th Foot
  64th Foot
  Hessian Brigade: Colonel Carl von Donop (1,300)
  Linsing Grenadier Battalion
  Minningerode Grenadier Battalion
  Lengerke Grenadier Battalion
caption: Robert Abercromby
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