We had to run an errand near Philadelphia yesterday - UGH! To make the trip bearable, I decided to go through Brandywine on the way home. Although it was a major defeat for the Americans (Howe brilliantly flanked Washington), I find the Battle of Brandywine very interesting - it took place over a large area (about 10 square miles, much of which you can walk today - although many of the buildings and such are privately owned) and involved more troops than any other battle in the Rev War. If interested, by far the best and most detailed book about the battle is "Brandywine" by Michael C. Harris. Obviously, I'm a Rev War history buff.
Anyway, here are a few pics.
Brinton's Mill, where the Knyphausen's Hessian Jagers came across the river in the latter stages of the battle and drove Anthony Wayne and William Maxwell's troops back.
Can you envision their advance in that field right in front of you?
The Glipin house, where 19 year old Major General Layfette had his headquarters. He mounted a horse under fire and organized the retreating troops enough to allow an orderly withdrawal and the preservation of the American army; and was wounded in the leg.
John Chadd's house at Chadd's Ford on a hill overlooking the river. Henry Knox placed his artillery here. When it came under counterfire from Knyphausen's cannons on the other side of the river, Washington came forward right into the front yard of the house you see below. His aide, John Laurens, more or less dragged him back away from the fire, but nearly all of the draft horses used to pull the cannon were killed, so 12 of 14 guns were lost to the British when the Americans retreated. It happened right here.
This was Washington's headquarters. Many people were based here - the lesser staff in tents in the yard. Everyone was fed out of the kitchen (note the bake oven out back). A busy and chaotic place I'm sure in September of 1777. Quiet now.
When Washington finally realized that he was being flanked by Cornwallis' 15,000 man strong column coming down from the north, Men under Stirling and Sullivan were deployed around the Birmingham Quaker Meeting House to try to halt the flanking attack. They took cover behind the stone walls surrounding the cemetery and held up the British advance for a while.
They were routed when 1,200 grenadiers made a bayonet charge up Birmingham hill. The dead from both sides are buried in a mass grave right here.
While General Howe won this battle and soon took Philadelphia (the American capital) as a result, his strategic skills ran way behind his tactical skills. John Burgoyne and his whole Army were captured at Saratoga a few days later (which brought the French into the war and turned the whole war around). Howe was supposed to have marched north to support Burgoyne and thereby cut the colonies in half, but chose, on his own, the capture Philadelphia in instead. Howe thought that capturing and holding ground would win the war, when, in fact, the only way to win the war was to destroy the American army in the field. We had lots and lots of ground to give up. So, by winning at Brandywine, Howe lost the war for the British.
Thus endeth today's history lesson.....
Greg