Brandywine
Brandywine
Brandywine Creek
On September 11, 1777, General George Washington was determined to prevent the British from capturing the American seat of government, Philadelphia. Taking up positions along Brandywine Creek, Washington mistakenly believed that his army blocked all fords across the Brandywine.
Opposing Washington was Sir William Howe and an army of 15,500 British Regulars and Hessian troops. Hidden by heavy fog, the British moved into position. General Wilhelm von Kynphausen was ordered to demonstrate against the Americans’ front at Chadds Ford, while the bulk of Howe’s forces crossed the Brandywine further upstream.
The battle had been raging for hours by the time Howe's force appeared undetected on the Continental right flank. Washington dispatched troops under General John Sullivan and William Alexander, “Lord Stirling,” to shore up his right flank. However, despite putting up a stiff resistance, the Continentals were eventually overrun by Howe’s men.
Simultaneously, Knyphausen’s troops hit the American units that remained near the Quaker meeting house at Chadds Ford. Washington’s line collapsed.
To prevent the defeat turning into disaster Washington ordered Nathanael Greene’s division to act as a rear-guard so that the Continental Army could escape to the northeast. Greene’s brave men counterattacked, going toe-to-toe with British along the crest of Birmingham Hill. When night fell, the remaining Americans fell back in an orderly retreat, led in part by the Marquis de Lafayette. Although wounded, the charismatic young Frenchman remained on the field to ensure an organized withdrawal.
The crushing defeat allowed the British to occupy Philadelphia, but the bulk of the Continental army had survived to fight another day.
Battle Facts
Result
British Victory
COMMANDERS
Forces Engaged
30,100
American
14,600
British
15,500
Total Estimated Casualties
1,887
American
1,300
300
killed
600
wounded
400
missing & captured
British
587
93
killed
488
wounded
6
missing & captured
Rev War
Battle Map
BATTLE MAP | Campaign 1776’s map of the Battle of Brandywine, Pennsylvania on September 11, 1777
Rev War
Historical Map
HISTORICAL MAP | The Battle of Germantown, Pennsylvania on October 4, 1777
Rev War
Animated Map
See the Revolutionary War unfold, from Lexington to Yorktown and beyond, on our animated map,...
Explore the Battle of Brandywine
Join t Fight
Donate today to preserve battlefields in America and protect the legacy of our nation’s defining conflicts.
Topics
|
Topic
|
Topic
|
|
|
|
|
Topic
|
Topic
|
|
Topic
|
Topic
|
Related Battles
Rev War
On the night of September 20, 1777, one of the most infamous events of the American Revolution took...
Rev War
Following the American defeat at the Battle of Brandywine in September 1777, the British Army...
Rev War
On a hot and humid June 28, 1778, General George Washington and his subordinate, General Charles...
Rev War
American forces were frequently plagued by negative encounters with the Iroquois Nation in upstate...
50,000
ACRES SAVED
The American Battlefield Trust and our members have saved more than 50,000 acres in 24 states!
SEE THE LAND WE'VE SAVED
Shop and Preserve
Show your pride in battlefield preservation by shopping in our store. Every purchase supports the mission.
Give with Confidence!
The Majority of our funds go directly to Preservation and Education.