The History Place - American Revolution: An Unlikely Victory 1777-1783 An Unlikely Victory 1777 to 1783 January 3, 1777 - A second victory for Washington as his troops defeat the British at Princeton and drive them back toward New Brunswick. Washington then establishes winter quarters at Morristown, New Jersey. During the harsh winter, Washington's army shrinks to about a thousand men as enlistments expire and deserters flee the hardships. By spring, with the arrival of recruits, Washington will have 9000 men. March 12, 1777 - The Continental Congress returns to Philadelphia from Baltimore after Washington's successes against the British in New Jersey. April 27, 1777 - American troops under Benedict Arnold defeat the British at Ridgefield, Connecticut. June 14, 1777 - The flag of the United States consisting of 13 stars and 13 white and red stripes is mandated by Congress; John Paul Jones is chosen by Congress to captain the 18 gun vessel Ranger with his mission to raid coastal towns of England.

June 17, 1777 - A British force of 7700 men under Gen. John Burgoyne invades from Canada, sailing down Lake Champlain toward Albany, planning to link up with Gen. Howe who will come north from New York City, thus cutting off New England from the rest of the colonies. July 6, 1777 - Gen. Burgoyne's troops stun the Americans with the capture of Fort Ticonderoga on Lake Champlain. Its military supplies are greatly needed by Washington's forces. The loss of the fort is a tremendous blow to American morale. July 23, 1777 - British Gen. Howe, with 15,000 men, sets sail from New York for Chesapeake Bay to capture Philadelphia, instead of sailing north to meet up with Gen. Burgoyne. July 27, 1777 - Marquis de Lafayette , a 19 year old French aristocrat, arrives in Philadelphia and volunteers to serve without pay. Congress appoints him as a major general in the Continental Army. Lafayette will become one of Gen. Washington's most trusted aides.

August 1, 1777 - Gen. Burgoyne reaches the Hudson after a grueling month spent crossing 23 miles of wilderness separating the southern tip of Lake Champlain from the northern tip of the Hudson River. August 16, 1777 - In the Battle of Bennington, militiamen from Vermont, aided by Massachusetts troops, wipe out a detachment of 800 German Hessians sent by Gen. Burgoyne to seize horses. August 25, 1777 - British Gen. Howe disembarks at Chesapeake Bay with his troops. September 9-11, 1777 - In the Battle of Brandywine Creek, Gen. Washington and the main American Army of 10,500 men are driven back toward Philadelphia by Gen. Howe's British troops. Both sides suffer heavy losses. Congress then leaves Philadelphia and resettles in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. September 26, 1777 - British forces under Gen. Howe occupy Philadelphia. Congress then relocates to York, Pennsylvania.

October 7, 1777 - The Battle of Saratoga results in the first major American victory of the Revolutionary War as Gen. Horatio Gates and Gen. Benedict Arnold defeat Gen. Burgoyne, inflicting 600 British casualties. American losses are only 150. October 17, 1777 - Gen. Burgoyne and his entire army of 5700 men surrender to the Americans led by Gen. Gates. The British are then marched to Boston, placed on ships and sent back to England after swearing not serve again in the war against America. News of the American victory at Saratoga soon travels to Europe and boosts support of the American cause. In Paris the victory is celebrated as if it had been a French victory. Ben Franklin is received by the French Royal Court. France then recognizes the independence of America. November 15, 1777 - Congress adopts the Articles of Confederation as the government of the new United States of America, pending ratification by the individual states. Under the Articles, Congress is the sole authority of the new national government.

December 17, 1777 - At Valley Forge in Pennsylvania, the Continental Army led by Washington sets up winter quarters. February 6, 1778 - American and French representatives sign two treaties in Paris: a Treaty of Amity and Commerce and a Treaty of Alliance. France now officially recognizes the United States and will soon become the major supplier of military supplies to Washington's army. Both countries pledge to fight until American independence is won, with neither country concluding any truce with Britain without the other's consent, and guarantee each other's possessions in America against all other powers. The American struggle for independence is thus enlarged and will soon become a world war. After British vessels fire on French ships, the two nations declare war. Spain will enter in 1779 as an ally of France. The following year, Britain will declare war on the Dutch who have been engaging in profitable trade with the French and Americans. In addition to the war in America, the British will have to fight in the Mediterranean, Africa, India, the West Indies, and on the high seas. All the while facing possible invasion of England itself by the French.

February 23, 1778 - Baron von Steuben of Prussia arrives at Valley Forge to join the Continental Army. He then begins much needed training and drilling of Washington's troops, now suffering from poor morale resulting from cold, hunger, disease, low supplies and desertions over the long, harsh winter. March 16, 1778 - A Peace Commission is created by the British Parliament to negotiate with the Americans. The commission then travels to Philadelphia where its offers granting all of the American demands, except independence, are rejected by Congress. May 8, 1778 - British General Henry Clinton replaces Gen. Howe as commander of all British forces in the American colonies. May 30, 1778 - A campaign of terror against American frontier settlements, instigated by the British, begins as 300 Iroquois Indians burn Cobleskill, New York. June 18, 1778 - Fearing a blockade by French ships, British Gen. Clinton withdraws his troops from Philadelphia and marches across New Jersey toward New York City. Americans then re-occupy Philadelphia.

June 19, 1778 - Washington sends troops from Valley Forge to intercept Gen. Clinton. June 27/28, 1778 - The Battle of Monmouth occurs in New Jersey as Washington's troops and Gen. Clinton's troops fight to a standoff. On hearing that American Gen. Charles Lee had ordered a retreat, Gen. Washington becomes furious. Gen. Clinton then continues on toward New York. July 2, 1778 - Congress returns once again to Philadelphia. July 3, 1778 - British Loyalists and Indians massacre American settlers in the Wyoming Valley of northern Pennsylvania. July 8, 1778 - Gen. Washington sets up headquarters at West Point, New York. July 10, 1778 - France declares war against Britain. August 8, 1778 - American land forces and French ships attempt to conduct a combined siege against Newport, Rhode Island. But bad weather and delays of the land troops result in failure. The weather-damaged French fleet then sails to Boston for repairs. September 14, 1778 - Ben Franklin is appointed to be the American diplomatic representative in France.

November 11, 1778 - At Cherry Valley, New York, Loyalists and Indians massacre over 40 American settlers. December 29, 1778 - The British begin a major southern campaign with the capture of Savannah, Georgia, followed a month later with the capture of Augusta. April 1-30, 1779 - In retaliation for Indian raids on colonial settlements, American troops from North Carolina and Virginia attack Chickamauga Indian villages in Tennessee. May 10, 1779 - British troops burn Portsmouth and Norfolk, Virginia. June 1, 1779 - British Gen. Clinton takes 6000 men up the Hudson toward West Point. June 16, 1779 - Spain declares war on England, but does not make an alliance with the American revolutionary forces. July 5-11, 1779 - Loyalists raid coastal towns in Connecticut, burning Fairfield, Norwalk and ships in New Haven harbor. July 10, 1779 - Naval ships from Massachusetts are destroyed by the British while attempting to take the Loyalist stronghold of Castine, Maine.

August 14, 1779 - A peace plan is approved by Congress which stipulates independence, complete British evacuation of America and free navigation on the Mississippi River. August 29, 1779 - American forces defeat the combined Indian and Loyalist forces at Elmira, New York. Following the victory, American troops head northwest and destroy nearly 40 Cayuga and Seneca Indian villages in retaliation for the campaign of terror against American settlers. Sept. 3 - Oct. 28 - Americans suffer a major defeat while attacking the British at Savannah, Georgia. Among the 800 American and Allied casualties is Count Casimir Pulaski of Poland. British losses are only 140. September 23, 1779 - Off the coast of England, John Paul Jones fights a desperate battle with a British frigate. When the British demand his surrender, Jones responds, "I have not yet begun to fight!" Jones then captures the frigate before his own ship sinks. September 27, 1779 - John Adams is appointed by Congress to negotiate peace with England.

October 17, 1779 - Washington sets up winter quarters at Morristown, New Jersey, where his troops will suffer another harsh winter without desperately needed supplies, resulting in low morale, desertions and attempts at mutiny. December 26, 1779 - British Gen. Clinton sets sail from New York with 8000 men and heads for Charleston, South Carolina, arriving there on Feb. 1. April 8, 1780 - The British attack begins against Charleston as warships sail past the cannons of Fort Moultrie and enter Charleston harbor. Washington sends reinforcements. May 6, 1780 - The British capture Fort Moultrie at Charleston, South Carolina. May 12, 1780 - The worst American defeat of the Revolutionary War occurs as the British capture Charleston and its 5400-man garrison (the entire southern American Army) along with four ships and a military arsenal. British losses are only 225. May 25, 1780 - After a severe winter, Gen. Washington faces a serious threat of mutiny at his winter camp in Morristown, New Jersey.

Two Continental regiments conduct an armed march through the camp and demand immediate payment of salary (overdue by 5 months) and full rations. Troops from Pennsylvania put down the rebellion. Two leaders of the protest are then hanged. June 11, 1780 - A new Massachusetts constitution is endorsed asserting "all men are born free and equal," which includes black slaves. June 13, 1780 - Gen. Horatio Gates is commissioned by Congress to command the Southern Army. June 23, 1780 - American forces defeat the British in the Battle of Springfield, New Jersey. July 11, 1780 - 6000 French soldiers under Count de Rochambeau arrive at Newport, Rhode Island. They will remain there for nearly a year, blockaded by the British fleet. August 3, 1780 - Benedict Arnold is appointed commander of West Point. Unknown to the Americans, he has been secretly collaborating with British Gen. Clinton since May of 1779 by supplying information on Gen. Washington's tactics.

August 16, 1780 - A big defeat for the Americans in South Carolina as forces under Gen. Gates are defeated by troops of Gen. Charles Cornwallis , resulting in 900 Americans killed and 1000 captured. August 18, 1780 - An American defeat at Fishing Creek, South Carolina, opens a route for Gen Cornwallis to invade North Carolina. September 23, 1780 - A British major in civilian clothing is captured near Tarrytown, New York. He is found to be carrying plans indicating Benedict Arnold intends to turn traitor and surrender West Point. Two days later, Arnold hears of the spy's capture and flees West Point to the British ship Vulture on the Hudson. He is later named a brigadier general in the British Army and will fight the Americans. October 7, 1780 - Gen. Cornwallis abandons his invasion of North Carolina after Americans capture his reinforcements, a Loyalist force of 1000 men. October 14, 1780 - Gen.

Nathanael Greene , Washington's most able and trusted General, is named as the new commander of the Southern Army, replacing Gen. Gates. Greene then begins a strategy of rallying popular support and wearing down the British by leading Gen. Cornwallis on a six month chase through the back woods of South Carolina into North Carolina into Virginia then back into North Carolina. The British, low on supplies, are forced to steal from any Americans they encounter, thus enraging them. January 3, 1781 - Mutiny among Americans in New Jersey as troops from Pennsylvania set up camp near Princeton and choose their own representatives to negotiate with state officials back in Pennsylvania. The crisis is eventually resolved through negotiations, but over half of the mutineers abandon the army. January 17, 1781 - An American victory at Cowpens, South Carolina, as Gen. Daniel Morgan defeats British Gen. Tarleton . January 20, 1781 - Mutiny among American troops at Pompton, New Jersey. The rebellion is put down seven days later by a 600-man force sent by Gen. Washington. Two of the leaders are then hanged.

March 15, 1781 - Forces under Gen. Cornwallis suffer heavy losses in the Battle of Guilford Courthouse in North Carolina. As a result, Cornwallis abandons plans to conquer the Carolinas and retreats to Wilmington, then begins a campaign to conquer Virginia with an army of 7500 men. May 21, 1781 - Gen. Washington and French Gen. Rochambeau meet in Connecticut for a war council. Gen Rochambeau reluctantly agrees to Washington's plan for a joint French naval and American ground attack on New York. June 4, 1781 - Thomas Jefferson narrowly escapes capture by the British at Charlottesville, Virginia. June 10, 1781 - American troops under Marquis de Lafayette, Gen. Anthony Wayne and Baron von Steuben begin to form a combined force in Virginia to oppose British forces under Benedict Arnold and Gen. Cornwallis. June 11, 1781 - Congress appoints a Peace Commission comprised of Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, John Jay and Henry Laurens. The commission supplements John Adams as the sole negotiator with the British.

July 20, 1781 - Slaves in Williamsburg, Virginia, rebel and burn several buildings. August 1, 1781 - After several months of chasing Gen. Greene's army without much success, Gen. Cornwallis and his 10,000 tired soldiers arrive to seek rest at the small port of Yorktown, Virginia, on the Chesapeake Bay. He then establishes a base to communicate by sea with Gen. Clinton's forces in New York. August 14, 1781 - Gen. Washington abruptly changes plans and abandons the attack on New York in favor of Yorktown after receiving a letter from French Admiral Count de Grasse indicating his entire 29-ship French fleet with 3000 soldiers is now heading for the Chesapeake Bay near Cornwallis. Gen. Washington then coordinates with Gen. Rochambeau to rush their best troops south to Virginia to destroy the British position in Yorktown. August 30, 1781 - Count de Grasse's French fleet arrives off Yorktown, Virginia.

De Grasse then lands troops near Yorktown, linking with Lafayette's American troops to cut Cornwallis off from any retreat by land. September 1, 1781 - The troops of Washington and Rochambeau arrive at Philadelphia. September 5-8, 1781 - Off Yorktown, a major naval battle between the French fleet of de Grasse and the outnumbered British fleet of Adm. Thomas Graves results in a victory for de Grasse. The British fleet retreats to New York for reinforcements, leaving the French fleet in control of the Chesapeake. The French fleet establishes a blockade, cutting Cornwallis off from any retreat by sea. French naval reinforcements then arrive from Newport. September 6, 1781 - Benedict Arnold's troops loot and burn the port of New London, Connecticut. September 14-24, 1781 - De Grasse sends his ships up the Chesapeake Bay to transport the armies of Washington and Rochambeau to Yorktown. September 28, 1781 - Gen. Washington, with a combined Allied army of 17,000 men, begins the siege of Yorktown. French cannons bombard Gen.

Cornwallis and his 9000 men day and night while the Allied lines slowly advance and encircle them. British supplies run dangerously low. October 17, 1781 - As Yorktown is about to be taken, the British send out a flag of truce. Gen. Washington and Gen. Cornwallis then work out terms of surrender . October 19, 1781 - As their band plays the tune, "The world turned upside down," the British army marches out in formation and surrenders at Yorktown. Hopes for a British victory in the war against America are dashed. In the English Parliament, there will soon be calls to bring this long costly war to an end. October 24, 1781 - 7000 British reinforcements under Gen. Clinton arrive at Chesapeake Bay but turn back on hearing of the surrender at Yorktown. January 1, 1782 - Loyalists begin leaving America, heading north to Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. January 5, 1782 - The British withdraw from North Carolina.

February 27, 1782 - In England, the House of Commons votes against further war in America. March 5, 1782 - The British Parliament empowers the King to negotiate peace with the United States. March 7, 1782 - American militiamen massacre 96 Delaware Indians in Ohio in retaliation for Indian raids conducted by other tribes. March 20, 1782 - British Prime Minister, Lord North, resigns, succeeded two days later by Lord Rockingham who seeks immediate negotiations with the American peace commissioners. April 4, 1782 - Sir Guy Carleton becomes the new commander of British forces in America, replacing Gen. Clinton. Carleton will implement the new British policy of ending hostilities and withdraw British troops from America. April 12, 1782 - Peace talks begin in Paris between Ben Franklin and Richard Oswald of Britain. April 16, 1782 - Gen. Washington establishes American army headquarters at Newburgh, New York. April 19, 1782 - The Dutch recognize the United States of America as a result of negotiations conducted in the Netherlands by John Adams.

June 11, 1782 - The British evacuate Savannah, Georgia. June 20, 1782 - Congress adopts the Great Seal of the United States of America. August 19, 1782 - Loyalist and Indian forces attack and defeat American settlers near Lexington, Kentucky. August 25, 1782 - Mohawk Indian Chief Joseph Brant conducts raids on settlements in Pennsylvania and Kentucky. August 27, 1782 - The last fighting of the Revolutionary War between Americans and British occurs with a skirmish in South Carolina along the Combahee River. November 10, 1782 - The final battle of the Revolutionary War occurs as Americans retaliate against Loyalist and Indian forces by attacking a Shawnee Indian village in the Ohio territory. November 30, 1782 - A preliminary peace treaty is signed in Paris. Terms include recognition of American independence and the boundaries of the United States, along with British withdrawal from America. December 14, 1782 - The British evacuate Charleston, South Carolina.

December 15, 1782 - In France, strong objections are expressed by the French over the signing of the peace treaty in Paris without America first consulting them. Ben Franklin then soothes their anger with a diplomatic response and prevents a falling out between France and America. January 20, 1783 - England signs a preliminary peace treaty with France and Spain. February 3, 1783 - Spain recognizes the United States of America, followed later by Sweden, Denmark and Russia. February 4, 1783 - England officially declares an end to hostilities in America. March 10, 1783 - An anonymous letter circulates among Washington's senior officers camped at Newburgh, New York. The letter calls for an unauthorized meeting and urges the officers to defy the authority of the new U.S. national government (Congress) for its failure to honor past promises to the Continental Army. The next day, Gen. Washington forbids the unauthorized meeting and instead suggests a regular meeting to be held on March 15. A second anonymous letter then appears and is circulated. This letter falsely claims Washington himself sympathizes with the rebellious officers.

March 15, 1783 - General Washington gathers his officers and talks them out of a rebellion against the authority of Congress, and in effect preserves the American democracy. Read more about this April 11, 1783 - Congress officially declares an end to the Revolutionary War. April 26, 1783 - 7000 Loyalists set sail from New York for Canada, bringing a total of 100,000 Loyalists who have now fled America. June 13, 1783 - The main part of the Continental Army disbands. June 24, 1783 - To avoid protests from angry and unpaid war veterans, Congress leaves Philadelphia and relocates to Princeton, New Jersey. July 8, 1783 - The Supreme Court of Massachusetts abolishes slavery in that state. September 3, 1783 - The Treaty of Paris is signed by the United States and Great Britain. Congress will ratify the treaty on January 14, 1784.

October 7, 1783 - In Virginia, the House of Burgesses grants freedom to slaves who served in the Continental Army. November 2, 1783 - George Washington delivers his farewell address to his army. The next day, remaining troops are discharged. November 25, 1783 - Washington enters Manhattan as the last British troops leave. November 26, 1783 - Congress meets in Annapolis, Maryland. December 23, 1783 - Following a triumphant journey from New York to Annapolis, George Washington, victorious commander in chief of the American Revolutionary Army, appears before Congress and voluntarily resigns his commission , an event unprecedented in history. Copyright © 1998 The History Place All Rights Reserved The Battle of Brandywine THE BATTLE OF THE BRANDYWINE By Edward G.Lengel The Battle of the Brandywine on September 11, 1777, marked the apparent end of a long period of frustration for the British in North America.

For Lieutenant-General Sir William Howe, commander of the British forces in North America, it was the first chance he had to come fully to grips with General George Washington's army since the British victory of Long Island in August 1776. That battle resulted in the loss of New York City to the United States for the remainder of the war. Since then, however, the only serious engagements between the armies had been the inconclusive affair at White Plains, N.Y. in October 1776, and the Battles of Trenton and Princeton, N.J. in December 1776 and January 1777, when Washington inflicted minor but stinging defeats on Howe's forces. The British commander spent the first part of the summer campaign of 1777 in New Jersey, trying to lure Washington into the open for another major engagement that would finally wipe out the main American army while Lieutenant-General John Burgoyne's northern expedition severed New England from the rest of the colonies.

Washington's stubborn refusal to risk a major engagement forced the British commander to find another means of forcing battle, and on July 8 he began embarking his 16,500 men on board his brother Admiral Richard Howe's armada at Sandy Hook, N.J. General Howe's intention was to sail via the Delaware Bay to the Delaware River, threatening Philadelphia and preventing Washington from reinforcing Major-General Horatio Gates's northern army against Burgoyne. In the process he might force the pitched battle he had sought unsuccessfully in New Jersey. The fleet set sail on July 23 and reached the Delaware Bay on July 30, where Howe received misleading intelligence of American obstructions in the Delaware River that seemed to make an approach from that direction impracticable. He decided in view of this to enter the Chesapeake Bay, landing at the northernmost point possible and approaching Philadelphia overland. The Americans were meanwhile kept guessing about Howe's destination. The sighting of the British fleet in the northeast Chesapeake Bay on August 22 and the subsequent British landing at Turkey Point, 8 miles below Head of Elk, Md., on August 25 finally put an end to all speculation.

Unexpected as the landing was, the American main army, numbering roughly 16,000 men, was not in a bad position to defeat or at least contain it. Marching from positions along the Neshaminy Creek in Pennsylvania, the Americans passed through Philadelphia to Darby, Pa., reaching Wilmington, Del. just as the British commenced landing. Morale among the Continental troops was high, as John Adams and others who watched them march through Philadelphia attested. Though lacking the smartness of professional soldiers they were, Adams noted, "extreamly well armed, pretty well cloathed, and tolerably disciplined." The general orders for the day had demanded the strictest march discipline, threatening any soldier who broke ranks with "thirty- nine lashes"; though Washington was not above stopping for refreshments with his entourage at the City Tavern. Although Howe's landing was unopposed, his soldiers were seasick and exhausted. Their horses were in a wretched state, many having died on the voyage; and although the local Tory inhabitants and deserters from the American dragoons helped to re-equip the British, this took some time.

A concentrated American attack, given the disorganized state of the militia and the distance of the main army, was however clearly impossible, and Howe was left to rest and reorganize his command in peace. The British moved forward on September 3 in two divisions, one commanded by the Hessian Lieutenant-General Baron Wilhelm Knyphausen and the other by Major-General Earl Charles Cornwallis. The two columns converged at what is now Glasgow, Delaware, whereupon Cornwallis's division took the lead on the road leading north. Here they met an advance guard of Brigadier- General William Maxwell's light infantry, which had been sent forward to observe and if possible harass the British advance. After a brief, running engagement ending at Cooch's Bridge a short distance north, Maxwell's men were driven off and Howe settled down to rest his troops. William Howe and George Washington Washington ordered Maxwell's corps to take up positions on White Clay creek after this engagement, while the main army encamped behind Red Clay Creek just west of Newport, Del., on the direct route to Philadelphia.

Howe threw his army to motion again on September 8 to the accompaniment of what one of his officers called "a remarkable borealis." A small force marched to demonstrate against the American front while the main army marched around Washington's right. Although a general alarm was beat in the American camp, by early the next day Washington had seen through Howe's plan and ordered a redeployment to Chad's Ford on the Brandywine. The American movement commenced on the afternoon of the 9th. Howe, meanwhile, proceeded to Kennett Square, reaching it on September 10. ° ° ° ° Chad's Ford, where the American army now took up positions, was at the point where the Nottingham Road crossed the Brandywine Creek on the route from Kennett Square to Philadelphia. It was the last natural line of defense before the Schuylkill River, which could be forded at so many points that it was practically indefensible. The Brandywine, a shallow (knee to waist-high) but fast-flowing creek, was fordable at a comparatively small number of places that could, so it seemed, be covered fairly easily.

At Chad's Ford, really made up of two fords about 450 feet apart, the creek was 150 feet wide and commanded by heights on either side. The surrounding area was characterized by thick forests and irregular but low hills surrounded by prosperous farms, meadows and orchards. Many of the local Quaker inhabitants were sympathetic to the British cause, a fact that would prove to be important in the efforts of both armies to secure accurate intelligence. Washington concentrated the American defenses at Chad's Ford, but also prepared to prevent possible British flanking movements to the south or north. Pyle's Ford, an easily defensible crossing and the only practicable one south of Chad's Ford, was covered by two brigades of Pennsylvania militia under Brigadier General John Armstrong. Nathaniel Greene's 1st Division, composed of the 1st and 2d Virginia Brigades under Brigadier Generals Peter Muhlenberg and George Weedon, was entrusted with the primary defense of Chad's Ford. Greene's troops straddled the Nottingham road leading east from the Brandywine. To Greene's right was Brigadier General Anthony Wayne's 4th division containing two brigades of Pennsylvania Continentals.

Colonel Thomas Procter's Continental Artillery Regiment was placed on some heights commanding Chad's Ford to Wayne's right. On the right, Major General John Sullivan's 3rd Division consisting of the 1st and 2d Maryland brigades was posted opposite Brinton's Ford about a mile above Chad's Ford. Major General Lord Stirling's 5th Division, containing a Pennsylvania brigade under Brigadier General Thomas Conway and a New Jersey brigade, was placed in reserve a short distance behind Sullivan. Major General Adam Stephen's 2d Division, made up of the 3rd and 4th Virginia brigades under Brigadier Generals William Woodford and Charles Scott, was also in reserve, apparently in a position to move to the support of either the right or left of the army. Finally, Maxwell's light corps was posted to the west of the Brandywine along the Nottingham Road and on some hills on the western side of Chad's Ford. The most vulnerable point of the American position, as Washington and his generals were well aware, was on the right.

Sullivan was therefore ordered to provide adequate cover at the three known fords above Brinton's, namely Painter's, Wistar's, and Buffington's Ford, each about two miles apart. Buffington's Ford was on the east branch of the Brandywine, just above where the creek forks about six miles above Chad's Ford. Sullivan detached for this purpose a Delaware regiment and Colonel Moses Hazen's mixed "Canadian" Regiment, the latter unit being divided to cover the two upper fords. The area north of Buffington's Ford on both sides of the Brandywine was the responsibility of the light horse under the general command of the Virginian Colonel Theodorick Bland. Sullivan assumed that his responsibility went no further north than Buffington's, and relied on Bland to watch this area. Only a mile further upstream, however, another ford known as Jeffries' provided in conjunction with Trimble's Ford on the west branch of the creek an entirely unguarded route around the American right flank. Washington and Sullivan appear to have been unaware of the existence of this critical ford, of which neither Bland nor any locals had informed them.

° ° ° ° Prelude: The Affair at Cooch's Bridge The first significant engagement of the Philadelphia campaign took place at Cooch's Bridge, Del., on September 3. After resting and refitting at Head of Elk for over a week, Howe divided his army into two divisions under Earl Charles Cornwallis and Baron Wilhelm Knyphausen. Howe accompanied Cornwallis's column, which advanced from Head of Elk and reached Aiken's Tavern in what is now Glasgow, Del. at about 9:00 A.M. Knyphausen's division, marching from Cecil County Courthouse, arrived an hour later. Cornwallis's division, having arrived earlier, proceeded first on the road north from Aiken's Tavern toward Cooch's Bridge and Iron Hill, Del. Just a mile north, the vanguard of Hessian jägers under Lieutenant Colonel Ludwig Johann Adolph von Wurmb encountered outposts of Brigadier-General William Maxwell's light corps. This ad hoc formation had been thrown together to replace Colonel Daniel Morgan's vaunted and invaluable riflemen, sent some months earlier to aid Major-General Horatio Gates.

Stationed "at the entrance of a wood," the Americans commenced an irregular fire on the advancing British that continued for two miles up the road. Captain Johann Ewald of the Hessian jägers, who had gone ahead with six dragoons to scout the road, "received fire from a hedge, through which these six men were all either killed or wounded." This continued for some time as the Americans fell back from one position to another. Howe's aide Captain Friederich von Muenchhausen "saw several rebels behind trees, firing at our advancing jaegers, then retreating about 20 yards behind the next tree, then firing again." Wurmb was meanwhile "continuously in front of the jaegers, encouraging them in every way, both by actions and by words." Finally the Americans retreated to the area of Cooch's Bridge. Howe ordered a simultaneous advance on both flanks of the enemy. On the American right, the attempt of Lieutenant-Colonel Robert Abercromby's light infantry got entangled in the woods and bogged down in what was known as "Purgatory Swamp," advancing no further.

On the left, Captain Carl August von Wreden with a body of Hessian grenadiers succeeded in gaining the American flank and "cannonaded [them] with some amusettes and charged with bayonets," driving the Americans back in disorder. Major John André wrote that "their flight afterwards became so precipitate that great numbers threw down their arms and blankets." Accounts of casualties vary widely, but probably approached thirty British and 60 American. What was intended to be little more than a delaying action had turned into a bloody skirmish; the initial tenacity of the Americans, as well as their propensity to break when pressed with the bayonet, was a portent of things to come. As dawn broke on the morning of September 11th, Sir William Howe was in the process of dividing his army. At six o'clock, Knyphausen marched with 6,800 men along the Nottingham Road directly toward Chad's Ford.

His mission was to engage Washington's attention while Howe marched at five o'clock with 8,200 men northeast from Kennett Square up the Great Valley Road, turned east across the Brandywine at Trimble's and Jeffries' fords, and then proceeded south around the American right flank. A dense fog cover initially shielded Howe's march, and locals kept him well informed of his route. Knyphausen's Tory vanguard of the Queen's Rangers and Major Patrick Ferguson's Riflemen advanced only three miles before running into Maxwell's outposts near Welch's Tavern. The Americans took advantage of the numerous defiles and woods along the road, as Sergeant Thomas Sullivan of the British 49th Foot wrote, to keep up "a running fire, mixed with regular volleys for 5 miles, and they still retreating to their main posts, until they got almost in gun shot of the Ford." At the hills before Chad's Ford, Maxwell's men unleashed an ambuscade from wooded and marshy ground on either side of the road, taking the Tories by surprise and leaving "nearly half of the two corps . . . either killed or wounded," according to a Hessian witness.

"All the woods were full of enemy troops," wrote the Hessian Major Carl Leopold Baurmeister, shouting "Hurrah" at the work their musketry had done among the Tories. Proctor's artillery on the other side of the Brandywine was now firing on the British as well, shredding trees but doing little real damage due to poor siting. Some of Greene's men splashed across the creek to support Maxwell, who began building breastworks on a hill overlooking the road on Knyphausen's right. The Hessian general rallied the Tories and ordered Ferguson's riflemen to take position behind a house on his right. He also dispatched the 28th and 49th Foot along with two heavy and two light artillery pieces to an elevation behind them. The British cannon promptly began pummeling the American breastwork, which apparently mounted nothing more than a couple of light field pieces.

At the same time the Queen's Rangers and the 23d Foot filed off to the left, and by musket and bayonet "quickly drove the rebels out of their woods and straight across the lowland." On his right, Knyphausen then pushed the 28th Foot in a flanking march around Maxwell's left, to an eminence slightly behind the breastwork. Maxwell had had enough. Once his breastwork had been outflanked, he ordered a withdrawal across the creek, a maneuver carried out in good order despite close pursuit by Knyphausen's troops. By 10:30 A.M., the British and Hessians had cleared the west bank of the Brandywine and taken up positions overlooking the Ford. Aside from some halfhearted British feints and random artillery fire, this part of the battlefield lapsed into inactivity. Washington had moved his headquarters to the heights where Procter's guns were stationed in order to observe the commotion.

From there he was heard to "bitterly lament that Coll Bland had not sent him any information at all, & that the accounts he had received from others were of a very contradictory nature." Bland's silence forced Washington to rely on reports passed on by Sullivan, who was becoming nervous about his flank and had sent scouts of his own to look for signs of the British upstream. Major John Jameson reported to Sullivan at nine o'clock A.M. that "he came from the Right of the Army & I might Depend there was no enemy there"; another officer sent in the same direction returned to say that "no Enemy had passd that way." Close on the heels of these reassuring reports, however, an officer arrived at Proctor's battery with a letter from Sullivan stating that Colonel Moses Hazen, stationed by Sullivan at Buffington's Ford, had sighted a body of the enemy across the creek. Although this was actually a detachment of Knyphausen's troops taking positions along the river, Washington could not afford to ignore the possibility that it was the first indication of a flanking attack and ordered Bland to investigate it.

A more substantial report arrived shortly before noon in the form of a letter from Lieutenant Colonel James Ross, who with a mixed force of militia and dragoons was scouting the Great Valley Road. Ross, writing at eleven o'clock, reported that he had skirmished with "a large body of the enemy--from every account 5000, with 16 or 18 field pieces" led by Howe himself and on its way northeast to "Taylor's and Jeffries ferries on the Brandywine." Certainly no clearer proof could be offered than this of Howe's having split his forces. If true, the American right might be in peril; at the same time, however, an immediate attack on Knyphausen might cripple half of the British army before Howe had a chance to bring his force to bear. It was a risk worth taking.

Washington seized the opportunity offered him, ordering Sullivan "to cross the Brandywine with my division and attack the enemy's [Knyphausen's] left, while the army crossed below [Sullivan] to attack their right." Sullivan promptly put the orders into effect, and elements of his division had already "crossed the river, and skirmished with and drove the Yagers" before orders arrived for their immediate recall. New intelligence had arrived. Battlefield Map Some time between noon and one o'clock, a Major Joseph Spear of the militia arrived at Sullivan's headquarters and reported that he had just returned from a morning reconnaissance along the Great Valley Road without detecting any sign of the British. The major was, indeed, "confident they are not in that Quarter." How Spear had contrived to miss any sign of Howe's column, marching along this very route, has never been determined. Sullivan was suspicious of the report and hesitated before sending it along to Washington, understanding it might mean an end to the attack on Knyphausen. If, however, Howe's move up the Great Valley Road was only a feint followed by a countermarch back to Chad's Ford, Washington's planned attack across the creek might well end in disaster.

Sullivan sent the report and Washington called off the attack. Howe's column was at that moment nearing the end of a grueling seventeen-mile march in sweltering heat, the fog having burned off early that morning. The British crossed the west branch of the Brandywine at Trimble's Ford at about 11 o'clock and then marched east, crossing the east branch at Jeffries' Ford about three hours later. They had to "cross these two branches in up to three feet of water." At 2:30 P.M. the tired men were given leave to throw themselves down on some heights to the east of the ford and rest for an hour. Bland sighted an advanced party of Howe's column about two miles southeast of Jeffries' Ford at a quarter after one o'clock, but his scribbled note conveying this information to Washington came too late. By this point, with the British already moving toward his rear, Washington had no choice but to make defensive dispositions. He therefore ordered his reserve of Stirling's and Stephen's divisions to take up positions near Birmingham meeting- house, a small Quaker church on the east side of the road leading southeast from Jeffries' Ford and about two miles north of Chad's Ford.

Directly across the road to the west was Birmingham Hill, a small eminence that was nevertheless reasonably well-suited for defense. Sullivan had meanwhile received another report from Bland of British movements "in the Rear of my Right about two miles Coming Down." The colonel added that he had seen "Dust Rise back in the Country for above an hour." The situation demanded swift measures, and Washington responded by ordering Sullivan to abandon Brinton's Ford and join Stirling and Stephen near Birmingham meeting-house, where Sullivan would take overall command of the three divisions. While putting his division into motion, Sullivan encountered Col. Hazen, who declared that the enemy were "Close upon his Heels," testimony backed up by the almost immediate sighting of the British advance guard. Sullivan rushed his men to take up positions to Stirling's left on Birmingham Hill, with Stephen's division already in place on the right. Inadequately trained as the Americans were in drill, this nevertheless took some time, especially given the rough terrain. Howe knew his dominating position and could afford to show a "Cheerful Countenance" to his officers, with whom he chatted amiably as he observed the American deployments.

His troops meanwhile formed into line for the critical assault on Birmingham Hill. The attack began at about four o'clock, before Sullivan's division had a chance to take up proper positions on the American left. On the right, Stirling and Stephen's well-sited 3 and 4 pounder guns, which had been dragged up the hill with tremendous effort, tore holes with canister and grape shot in the ranks of the advancing Hessian jägers and British grenadiers. The British were forced to halt and take cover a short distance from the base of the hill. "The small arms fire was terrible," wrote one jäger, "the counter-fire from the enemy, especially against us, was the most concentrated." Sullivan's men hurried to take up their positions but were forced to march "through a narrow lane," where Hessian grenadiers who had clambered up the slope picked them off by the dozens. On this side of the hill, the Hessian grenadiers and the Guards were to their delight able to advance out of the line of fire of the American artillery. Their assault threw Sullivan's men into utter confusion.

Sullivan himself was away on the right conferring with Stirling and Stephen, but Brigadier General Preudhomme de Borré, the French commander of the 2d Brigade who commanded in Sullivan's absence, fled with his men (he was forced out of the service after the battle). On the way down the hill Borré showed Lieutenant-Colonel Samuel Smith of the 4th Maryland "some scratches on his cheek, which he said had been done by the English firing fish-hooks, but more probably by the briars." Sullivan had meanwhile returned to rally his men, but "no Sooner did I form one party but that which I had before formed would Run off." The fight for Birmingham Hill was nevertheless far from over. Hazen's Regiment, still in good order, formed up on Stirling's left facing the Hessian grenadiers. The British at the base of the hill had meanwhile brought up cannon to bombard the American artillery, but though outgunned the American gunners returned fire as long as possible. "The Enemy Soon began to bend their principal force against the Hill," Sullivan later wrote, "& the fire was Close & heavy for a Long time & Soon became General . . .

five times did the Enemy drive our Troops from the Hill & as often was it Regained & the Summit often Disputed almost muzzle to muzzle." Several companies of the British 1st Light Infantry, hoping to gain the east slope of the hill, attempted to bypass the Birmingham Meeting-house, but here they were met by a withering fire from Colonel Thomas Marshall's Virginia Regiment stationed behind the meeting-house wall. The British infantry sustained severe casualties before they were able to gain a blind spot on the slope out of sight of both Marshall's men and the artillery on the hill. At this point Howe and Cornwallis ordered a series of attacks on the left, right and center of the hill, gradually forcing the Americans off with substantial casualties on both sides. Hazen's regiment was all but shattered by the Hessian grenadiers while Stirling's division retreated in fairly good order; most of Stephen's division was disorganized if not routed altogether, a fate that was prevented by a gallant rearguard action of Woodford's Virginians.

After an hour and forty minutes of what General Conway called the most "Close & Severe a fire" he ever saw, the British had possession of the hill; but not, Sullivan claimed, "till we had almost Covered the Ground between [the hill] and Bremingham [sic] meeting House with The Dead Bodies of the Enemy." Battle Scene After the loss of Birmingham Hill, the American priority for the rest of the battle had to be the successful withdrawal of the remainder of the army. There could be no question of reforming either Sullivan's or Stephen's divisions, which were no longer effective fighting formations. Conway was, however, able to form a second defensive line out of his 3d Pennsylvania brigade on another small hill a short distance southeast of Birmingham Hill. The British came on quickly, routing in the process those remnants of Stephen's division which had been too slow to retreat. Unfortunately for the Americans, Conway's men initially resisted boldly but, lacking bayonets themselves, were averse to facing the British bayonet charge and broke very suddenly. The Marquis de Lafayette, who had come to observe the attack and attempted to rally Conway's men, received a British musket ball in the leg and had to be carried off the field.

What remained of the three divisions fled a mile further east to Dilworthtown, just north of which place Greene's division was forming up. Washington had dispatched Greene to this place after learning of the fall of Birmingham Hill, and he now arrived to supervise the positioning of Greene's troops. By this time the 1st division was the last fresh American division on the field. Knyphausen had assaulted Wayne's and Maxwell's positions around Chad's Ford at five o'clock, rapidly driving them back and capturing all of Procter's guns. The position at Dilworthtown was therefore critical if the rest of the army (including Armstrong's militia, which had not been engaged but was busy retreating eastward) was to be preserved. That this position held until sundown was partly because of Washington's careful positioning, at Sullivan's suggestion, of Brigadier Generals Peter Muhlenberg's and George Weedon's brigades respectively on the front and flank of the British advance.

As the Hessian grenadiers marched on Dilworthtown, Captain Johann Ewald wrote, they "received intense grapeshot and musketry fire [apparently from Muhlenberg's men] which threw [the Hessians] into disorder, but they recovered themselves quickly, deployed, and attacked the village." Brigadier-General James Agnew's brigade of redcoats, occupying at Ewald's suggestion a hill on the flank, "ran into several American regiments" of Weedon's brigade, preparing to fall upon the Hessians' flank. "At this point," Ewald wrote, "there was terrible firing, and half of the Englishmen and nearly all of the officers of these two regiments (they were the 44th and 64th regiments) were slain." Fortunately for the British, an English artillery officer arrived opportunely with two six-pounders on Weedon's flank, breaking up their attack. By this time it was growing dark and Greene's men could follow their compatriots to Chester while the British remained in Dilworthtown, tending the wounded of both sides.

° ° ° ° Lieutenant James McMichael of the 13th Pennsylvania Continental Regiment wrote that "this day for a severe and successive engagement exceeded all I ever saw." The casualties reflected the bitterness with which it was fought. The official British casualty figure was 89 killed and 488 wounded, but was probably slightly higher. The American losses have never been conclusively ascertained, but are estimated at 1,100, including 200 killed, 500 wounded and 400 captured. The battle had clearly been an American defeat, and was to lead to the loss of Philadelphia on September 26. Had the attack on Birmingham Hill begun earlier, the defeat may have turned into a rout. Howe could thank fortune, his superior intelligence gathering and the efficacy of the British bayonet for his victory. The Americans, for their part, were beaten but not broken; they knew very well that in general they had stood up well to the professional British soldiers.

It was not without reason that Washington wrote John Hancock from Chester shortly after midnight: "Notwithstanding the misfortune of the day, I am happy to find the troops in good spirits; and I hope another time we shall compensate for the losses now sustained." Sources: Baurmeister, Carl Leopold. Revolution in America: Confidential Letters and Journals 1776-1784 of Adjutant General Major Baurmeister of the Hessian Forces. Translated by Bernhard A. Uhlendorf. New Brunswick: Rutgers University Press, 1957. Burgoyne, Bruce, ed. Diaries of Two Ansbach Jaegers. Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 1997. Enemy Views: The American Revolutionary War as Recorded by the Hessian Participants . Bowie, Md.: Heritage Books, 1996. Chase, Philander, and Edward Lengel eds. The Papers of George Washington. Revolutionary War Series, vol. 11. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, not yet published. Cooch, Edward. The Battle of Cooch's Bridge, Delaware, September 3, 1777.

Cooch's Bridge, Del.: privately printed, 1940. Elmer, Ebenezer. "Extracts from the Journal of Surgeon Ebenezer Elmer of the New Jersey Continental Line, September 11-19, 1777. Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 35 (1911): 103-107. Ewald, Johann. Diary of the American War. Translated and edited by Joseph P. Tustin. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1979. Hammond, Otis G. Letters and Papers of Major-General John Sullivan . Vol. 1, 1771-1777. Concord, N.H.: New Hampshire Historical Society, 1930. McMichael, James. "Diary of Lieutenant James McMichael, of the Pennsylvania Line, 1776-1778." Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 16 (1892): 131-159. Montrésor, John.

"Journal of Captain John Montrésor, July 1, 1777, to July 1, 1778." Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography 5 (1881): 393-417. Muenchhausen, Friedrich von. At General Howe's Side 1776-1778. Translated by Ernst Kipping. Monmouth Beach, N.J.: Philip Freneau Press, 1974. Showman, Richard K., ed. The Papers of General Nathaniel Greene. Vol. 2, 1 January 1777-16 October 1778. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1980. Smith, Samuel. "The Papers of General Samuel Smith." The Historical Magazine 2d series 7 (1870): 81-92. Smith, Samuel S. The Battle of Brandywine. Monmouth Beach, N.J.: Philip Freneau Press, 1976. Ward, Christopher. The War of the Revolution. 2 vols. New York: MacMillan, 1952.

Copyright © 1996-2003 by The War Times Journal at . All rights reserved. American Revolution: Battle of Brandywine Creek (1777) American Revolution: Battle of Brandywine Creek (1777) State of Pennsylvania with Counties Project Top Surnames Michael Ranck (1760 - 1826) DAR# A093901 5TH BATT, LANCASTER CO MILITIA Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Mennonite Vital Records, 1750-2014 Michael Ranck Head Fronica Ranck Child Valentine Ranck Father Joseph Ranck Child Anna... history Scope of Project This project will gather together in one place those soldiers, American, English or Hessian, who fought at the Battle of Brandywine, on September 11, 1777. Background The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American army of Major General George Washington and the British-Hessian army of General Sir William Howe on September 11, 1777. The British defeated the Americans and forced them to withdraw toward the rebel capital of Philadelphia.

The engagement occurred near Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania during Howe's campaign to take Philadelphia, part of the American Revolutionary War. Howe's army sailed from New York City and landed near Elkton, Maryland in northern Chesapeake Bay. Marching north, the British-Hessian army brushed aside American light forces in a few skirmishes. Washington offered battle with his army posted behind Brandywine Creek. While part of his army demonstrated in front of Chadds Ford, Howe took the bulk of his troops on a long march that crossed the Brandywine beyond Washington's right flank. Due to poor scouting, the Americans did not detect Howe's column until it reached a position in rear of their right flank. Belatedly, three divisions were shifted to block the British-Hessian flanking force near a Quaker meeting house. After a stiff fight, Howe's wing broke through the newly-formed American right wing which was deployed on several hills. At this point Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausen attacked Chadds Ford and crumpled the American left wing. As Washington's army streamed away in retreat, he brought up elements of Nathanael Greene's division which held off Howe's column long enough for his army to escape to the northeast.

The defeat and subsequent maneuvers left Philadelphia vulnerable. The British captured the city on September 26, beginning an occupation that would last until June 1778. Brandywine order of battle The Brandywine Campaign of 1777 · George Washington's Mount Vernon Biography of George Washington Key Facts The Man & Myth Martha Washington French & Indian War The Revolutionary War Forming a New Nation The First President Slavery Mount Vernon recently had the opportunity to speak with Michael Harris, author of the new book, Brandywine: A Military History of the Battle that Lost Philadelphia but Saved America, September 11, 1777. Michael shares his views about the Brandywine Campaign and its importance to the American Revolution. What motivated you to write a book on the Battle of Brandywine and the Philadelphia Campaign of 1777? I was hired as the museum educator at Brandywine Battlefield State Historic Site on 2005. I quickly learned that there were only two book-length treatments on the battle. One written during the bicentennial and now outdated, and the other one written 15 years ago that was not well-researched.

I always knew that a new book was needed, it just took my while to get around to it. The Battle of Brandywine is considered to be the largest land battle of the American Revolution. Why has it received so little attention from historians? Well, quite frankly, the Americans lost at Brandywine. There just has not been much written about American losses during the war at places like Long Island, Brandywine, Germantown, and Camden. Conversely, much has been written about American victories at Saratoga, Trenton, and Yorktown. Many have criticized Sir William Howe for pursuing his own interests in Pennsylvania rather than supporting Burgoyne’s offensive down the Hudson. Where do you come out in this debate? I agree. Howe’s one-sided mind set during 1777 caused him to ignore directives from London, not support Burgoyne, and pursue the capture of Philadelphia. Why did Howe’s seaborne force decide to land at Head of Elk – at the top of the Chesapeake – rather than land nearer Philadelphia? Ah, one of the great mysteries of the campaign.

Howe’s stated reason for landing in Maryland rather than along the Delaware River was to threaten American supply depots in the backcountry at places like York, Lancaster, and Reading. However, once the army landed, his British army marched nowhere near any of these places. On the eve of the battle, how would you describe the state of Washington’s Continentals and their position near Chads Ford? Were they strong enough to resist the British advance? On the eve of the battle, the Continental Army was in a very strong, natural defensive position and outnumbered Howe’s army. If Washington had properly defended the various fords along the Brandywine, they should have been able to resist the British advance. Howe devised a very ambitious plan of attack. Describe the outlines of Howe’s Brandywine plan. Howe’s plan for the battle of Brandywine was very similar to his plan at the battle of Long Island the previous year. A little less than half of Howe’s army would march directly against Washington’s very strong position at Chads’s Ford to hold him in place and to act as a diversion.

Meanwhile, the rest of the British army would conduct a 17 mile flank march through most of the day to come into the Continental Army’s right rear east of the Brandywine River. Given the length of Howe’s flank march, how did he keep that movement hidden from Washington’s prying eyes? Hadn’t Washington been repeatedly defeated by Howe’s flanking movements? Howe did not keep it from Washington’s prying eyes. At least three reports came into headquarters that day from various scouting parties confirming the presence of the flanking column. Washington misread the intelligence and failed his army. In fact, you are correct, Howe had used this same flanking tactic at least five times prior to Brandywine and Washington should have been prepared for it. It seems that the fighting on and around Birmingham Hill was the climatic phase of the battle. Why did the British prevail here? You are correct, the fighting on Birmingham Hill would prove to be the climatic phase of the battle. The British prevailed here for two reasons. One, that local numerical superiority on the portion of the battlefield. Second, one of the three American divisions that fought here never got into position before being overwhelmed by the British attack.

Brandywine was yet another defeat for the Continental Army. How would you rate its performance and Washington’s generalship at Brandywine? All things considered, the Continental Army fought remarkable well at Brandywine. Remember, this battle took place before their transformation at Valley Forge. Several units fought toe-to-toe with the elite British troops before being outmanned and outflanked through no fault of their own. However, Washington utterly failed his army at Brandywine. His poor reconnaissance prior to the battle and his inability to understand the intelligence reports the day of the battle doomed his army. Howe was successful in capturing and occupying Philadelphia. Was this a real achievement or a hollow victory? The capture of Philadelphia would prove to be a hollow victory. The hoped for uprising by Pennsylvania loyalists never occurred. Also, Continental patrols limited supplies into the city to a trickle. Ultimately, the British were forced to abandon the city in the spring of 1778. What can one see today of the Brandywine battlefield? Today, much of the Brandywine battlefield is an ongoing preservation battle. Washington’s headquarters is preserved by the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

Some of the sites associated with the fighting around Chads’s Ford are preserved by the Chadds Ford Historical Society. Portions of Birmingham Hill are protected by Birmingham Township. However, much of the battlefield has already been lost to development or remained in private hands.

Question: In which war did the 1777 battle of Brandywine take place?
Answer: American War Of Independence