Battle of the Brandywine

[jon_norstog]

It was perhaps the biggest single day's battle of the Revolution in terms of units and troops engaged and the geographic area of the field of conflict. Brandywine is where the Continentals really made their bones. They fought long and hard and when the day was lost they retreated in good order. The British took Philadelphia but Washington kept the Army together through that terrible winter at Valley Forge and even gave the Brits a Christmas surprise at Princeton and Trenton.

Here's a pretty decent narrative of how the fight went down:

https://www.battlefields.org/learn/articles/battle-brandywine-proving-patriots-mettle

The Civil War Trust has expanded its scope to include preserving some Revolutionary War battlefields. I gave them a sawbuck for Brandywine.

jn

[Sunray]

"...of the Revolution..." The Rebellion, you mean. Remember the White House is white due to the actions of British troopies in 1814.
George Washington was only on your side because he was refused a British Army commission. Probably didn't have the money for one.

[Vern Humphrey]

"...of the Revolution..." The Rebellion, you mean. Remember the White House is white due to the actions of British troopies in 1814.
George Washington was only on your side because he was refused a British Army commission. Probably didn't have the money for one.

That's a myth. There are references to the White House in print years before the War of 1812.

And while Washington did apply for a commission in the British Army, he remained an American -- and he wouldn't be the only British officer to fight on the American side in the Revolution. (NOTE: A revolution is a rebellion that succeeded.)

[blackhawknj]

I wonder how much of the Revolution was due to snobbishness and condescending behavior by the British ? In the 150 years or so of colonial history only one American-William Pepperel-was elevated to the peerage, when the British tried to raise Tory units they refused to recognize rank parity and insisted that all Colonial officers rank behind the lowest British lieutenant. Cf. how Franklin was treated when he arrived in London to discuss the colonists' grievances.
The Battle of Long Island was probably the biggest battle in terms of troops engaged and present. Brandywine is a good example of how much more could have been done with a properly trained and disciplined army.

[clintonhater]

The Battle of Long Island was probably the biggest battle in terms of troops engaged and present.

Believe this is correct, though it's rather surprising it came so early in the war.

[jon_norstog]

........ Brandywine is a good example of how much more could have been done with a properly trained and disciplined army.

It took a while for the Continentals to become a dependable army. 1777 was the make-or-break year for the Revolution, Saratoga stopped the British invasion down the old lakes and river route from the north and proved the Continentals could win against the Lobsters. Brandywine showed that the Continentals could maintain discipline, retreat in good order, and live to fight another day. It meant the Revolution had a chance of success.

After those two fights, France decided to throw some resources our way, which made a big difference.

jn

[jon_norstog]

...... Washington did apply for a commission in the British Army, he remained an American -- and he wouldn't be the only British officer to fight on the American side in the Revolution. (NOTE: A revolution is a rebellion that succeeded.)


Washington was one of the leaders who brought what was left of Braddock's army back from the disaster at the Battle of the Monongahela. He served with officers Thomas Gage, Charles Lee and Horatio Gates and drivers Daniel Boone and Daniel Morgan.

jn

[blackhawknj]

Brandywine and Germantown showed that the Continental Army had fighting spirit, it took Baron Von Steuben's training at Valley Forge to turn them into a real army.

[Vern Humphrey]

Exactly right. Von Steuben (who was not a real baron) had great difficulty training Americans. He complained that it was not enough to tell them what to do, you also had to tell them why.