Landing of the British at the Head of Elk. Washington's Preparations to meet them. March of Americans from Philadelphia. his landing were stormy, and prevented any considerable movement being made before the 28th, when the British commander-in-chief, with the first and second brigades of light troops September 3. BIRMINGHAM MEETING-HOUSE.2 two miles eastward of Elkton. This force had remained at the landing to cover the debarkation of the stores and artillery. General Grant, with a suitable force, remained at the Head of Elk to maintain the communication with the shipping. Washington, as we have seen, was perplexed by the movements of Howe, being uncertain of his destination. As soon, however, as he was informed that the British fleet was off the capes of the Chesapeake, he turned his attention in that direction. The detachments in New Jersey, whom General Sullivan had employed in unsuccessful enterprises against Staten Island, were recalled, and the whole army left Philadelphia for Wilmington. General Stephen, with his division, with that of General Lincoln, who had been ordered to join Schuyler at the north, first proceeded to Chester, in which vicinity the militia of Lower Pennsylvania and Delaware were gathering in large numbers, for the country was thoroughly aroused. 1777. The divisions of Stirling, Sullivan, and Greene (the latter composed of the brigades of Muhlenberg and Weeden), with Morgan's corps, and Bland's regiment of horse, accompanied by Washington in person, left Philadelphia on the morning of the 24th of August, and encamped at Red Clay Creek, a few miles below Wilmington, the next day. The August 25, principal portion of the American cavalry were under the immediate command of Count Pulaski. General Nash, with Proctor's artillery, embarked in flat-boats upon the Delaware, and proceeded to Chester, from whence he pressed forward to Wilmington. The whole effective force then present and fit for duty consisted of about eleven thousand Thomas Proctor men, including about eighteen hundred of the Pennsylvania militia. Washington established his head-quarters at Wilmington, and made immediate preparations to oppose the march of the enemy, he having been informed, by scouts, of their arrival at the head of Elk. The Pennsylvania and Delaware militia-the former under General Armstrong, the latter under General Rodney-were ordered to press forward to the head of Burgoyne, then pressing forward toward the Hudson from Canada. He immediately sent a message to Sir Henry Clinton, who was left in command at New York, to act in conjunction with Burgoyne, if circumstances should permit. The result we have considered. 1 Manuscript letter from General Agnew to his wife, dated "Camp on the River Elk, August 30th, 1777." In this epistle he wrote, "I have not had the happiness to receive any letter since the one which brought me the plan of a house, in which I trust in God yet to pass many, many happy years in the society of my worthy Betty and the two dear children, as the best and true real reward for all we have undergone." Alas! five weeks afterward he was slain in the battle at Germantown, and wife and children saw him no more. stone. This is a view of the southerly front of the meeting-house. The building is very substantially built of Much of it is serpentine, which abounds in that region, and of which several houses are constructed. I was informed that the stains made by the blood of the wounded carried in there at the time of the battle are yet visible upon the floor. The Hicksite party hold present possession of the house; the Orthodox have built a place of worship near. Encampment on Red Clay Neck. Howe's Proclamation. Retreat of the Americans across the Brandywine. of Elk, and to secure the stores deposited there. In this, however, they failed, for, before their arrival, the British army had debarked, and all the stores, among which was a large quantity of salt,' fell into their hands. Generals Greene and Weeden thoroughly reconnoitered the country between Wilmington and the Elk; and Washington himself rode through August 26, heavy rains to the head of that river, to make personal observations. An eligi1777. ble place was selected by Greene for the American army to encamp, within six miles of Howe's position on Gray's Hill; but, before information of the selection reached Washington, it had been determined in a council of war to take a position on Red Clay Neck, about half way between Wilmington and Christiana, with the left of the army on Christiana Creek, and the right extending toward Chad's Ford, upon the Brandywine. Greene's sagacity foresaw the hazard of the chosen position, and he expressed his opinion that the Americans must abandon it on the approach of the enemy. The sequel proved the correctness of his opinion. Distressed for want of horses, hemmed in by strong parties of the American militia, and almost daily annoyed by the attacks of Captain Henry Lee's and other smaller detachments of cavalry upon his pickets, Howe did not move forward until the 3d of September. On the 27th of August he issued a proclamation to the people, assuring them that he did not come to make war upon the peaceable, but to put down the rebellious; that private property should be respected; that their persons should be secure, and that pardon should be extended to all who should return to their allegiance, and surrender themselves to any detachment of the royal forces within a specified time. But the people of Lower Pennsylvania had heard of the falsity of professions put forth in his proclamation to the inhabitants of New Jersey the year previous, and his "Declaration," as he termed it, produced very little effect in his favor. The people had learned to suspect the flattering words of British officials, whether in Parliament or in the camp, and, instead of "remaining quietly in their houses," they flocked to the standard of the patriots, and annoyed the common enemy on every side. The advance of the royal forces toward the Brandywine was marked by a series of skirmishes, in which the Americans made a number of prisoners." Cornwallis, with Knyphausen, at the head of one division of the royal army, moved forward and encamped above Pencander, where a brief but severe skirmish ensued September 3. between the enemy and Maxwell's regiment of foot, formed in ambuscade, in which the patriots lost forty in killed and wounded. The loss of the enemy was somewhat less. On the 8th, General Grant, having rejoined the army with the tents, baggage, and stores, the British moved forward by way of Newark, and took post within four miles of the right of the American encampment, extending their left far up into the country. A strong column made a feint of attacking the American front, and, after some menacing maneuvering, halted at Milltown, within two miles of the center of the Americans. Washington, believing it to be the design of Howe to turn the American right, cross the Brandywine, cut off their communication with Philadelphia, and thus hem them in, upon a tongue of land, between the British fleet and army, saw at once the peril of his position, and, pursuant to Greene's prediction, broke up his encampment, and crossed the Brandywine at September, Chad's Ford, at about two o'clock on the morning of the 9th. On the same evening, the British marched forward in two columns. Knyphausen, with the left, encamped at New Garden and Kennet Square; Cornwallis, with the right, was posted below, at Hockhesson meeting-house. On the following morning the two divisions met at 1777. Salt was a scarce, yet indispensable article during the war. In his official dispatch, dated August 25th, 1777, Washington, alluding to the efforts to save the stores, wrote, "Among others, there is a considerable parcel of salt. Every attempt will be made to save that." During the winter encampment at Morristown in 1780, salt was eight dollars a bushel, and it was difficult to procure it even at that price. 2 On the 28th of August the Americans took between thirty and forty prisoners; and, on that evening, twelve deserters from the British navy and eight from the army came into camp. On the 29th, Captain Lee took twenty-nine prisoners. 3 The column of Cornwallis was composed of two battalions of grenadiers, two of light infantry, the Hessian grenadiers, part of the seventy-first regiment, and two British brigades; in all about 13,000 men. Approach of the British to the Brandywine. The Fords of that Stream. Plan of the Battle. Kennet Square, and at evening advanced to within a mile of Welsh's tavern, then a public house of considerable note, three miles east of Kennet.' Knyphausen's division consisted of two British brigades, the residue of the Hessians, and Wemys's corps of Rangers; in all about 5000.. 1 This tavern, and also the Kennet (Quaker) meeting-house, still exist. The reader will better understand the position of places, as well as the movement of the armies, by reference to the above map. Kennet Square, a small village, is about seven miles west of the Brandywine, upon the high road from Chad's Ford. Welsh's tavern is about three miles east of the Square, and half a mile beyond is the Kennet meeting-house and grave-yard, noted on the map. The several fords on the Brandywine, mentioned in the narrative, were located as follows: First above Brandywine village was Pyles's Ford; the next was Chad's Ford; one mile above was Brinton's; two miles above this was Jones's, on the Street road, and Wistar's (now Shunk's), about a mile above Jones's. These were below the forks of the creek. On the north branch was Buffington's (now Brinton's), Jefferis's, six miles above Chad's Ford, and Taylor's Ford, about half a mile higher, where the old Lancaster road crossed. On the west branch was Trimble's' Ford, about a mile above the forks, and five miles from the British encampment near Welsh's tavern.-See Bowen and Futhey's Sketch of the Battle of Brandywine, explained below. EXPLANATION OF THE MAP.-This plan, alluded to on page 374, note 3, was carefully drawn, from those surveys, by Edward Armstrong, Esq., the recording secretary of the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, and published by that association. A A, denote the column under the command of Lord Cornwallis, after having crossed the forks of the Brandywine. C, two squadrons of dragoons, which were not employed in the action. E E, the first general attack of the enemy's guards and grenadiers. F, Deborre's brigade, on the right, forced by the enemy. G, G, the British and Hessian grenadiers entangled in a wood. HH, march of the enemy toward and beyond Dilworth. The position of the Americans when the battle commenced is named on the plan. I, indicates the ravine or defile where Greene checked the enemy until night No. 28 denotes the site of a blacksmith's shop which stood near the defile, but now destroyed. Position of the American Army on the Brandywine. Movement of the British. Localities of the Battle-ground. On the morning of the 11th of September, the day of the battle on the Brandywine, the main strength of the American army was posted on the heights east of Chad's Ford, and commanding that passage of the creek. The brigades of Muhlenberg and Weeden, which composed Greene's division, occupied a position directly east of the ford; Wayne's division and Proctor's artillery (o o o on the map) were posted upon the brow of an eminence near Chad's house (printed on page 386), immediately above the ford; and the brigades of Sullivan, Stirling, and Stephen, which formed the right wing, extended some distance up the river, on the left of the main body. At Pyles's Ford, two miles below, General Armstrong was posted with one thousand Pennsylvania militia, to guard that pass. General Maxwell, with about one thousand light troops, took post on the heights upon the west side of the river, about a mile from Chad's Ford, to dispute that passage. September 11, At daybreak, the column under Cornwallis moved along the Lancaster road, 1777. which, for several miles, ran nearly parallel with the Brandywine. General Howe was with this division. Knyphausen and his command moved forward at nine o'clock. A dense fog enshrouded the country, and the scouting parties of both armies often came in close contact before they were aware of their proximity. From behind the walls of the grave-yard of the Kennet meeting-house, and also of houses, trees, and clumps of bushes, par a a, indicates the column under Knyphausen, in march from Kennet meeting-house toward Chad's Ford. bb, the heights and woods occupied by Maxwell and his troops. d, British riflemen behind a house, supported by one hundred men from Stern's brigade. e, the Queen's Rangers pursuing Maxwell, when he was driven from the woods, f. Near h, which denotes a valley, were four pieces of cannon, with the fortyninth regiment, to support the attack of the advanced troops, who crossed the ford in the afternoon, under the fire of Wayne's batteries at m m. n, position of Knyphausen's column from half after ten in the morning until he crossed the river. o o o, the position of Wayne's troops near Chad's house. q, march of the enemy to the ford, in the face of a cannonade from Wayne's batteries. Chad's Ford is named on the map. The position of the Americans is seen on the Chester road, a little to the left of Rocky Hill. Knyphausen took position at u, where he remained during the night after the battle. The following references, taken from Bowen and Futhey's map, show the names of the occupants of houses in the vicinity when the battle occurred, and also the names of the occupants in 1846, two years before I visited the ground: 1. George Strode's, now Jonathan Paxson's. 2, now Dr. A. L. Elwyn's. 4. Widow Susannah Davis's, the site now occupied by the house of Aaron Sharpless. 5. Widow of John Davis, not standing. 6. Widow of James Davis, now occupied by Hibbert Davis. 7. William Jones, now Bunton Jones, his grandson. 8. Isaac Davis's, now Abraham Darlington's. 9. John Woodward's, not standing. 10. Richard Evanson's, now Lewis Brinton's. 11. Supposed to have *This house is situated upon a new road, one mile south-southwest of Dilworth. This view is from the field in front. + There is some doubt about La Fayette having occupied this house. De Chastellux, who, in 1780, visited the battle-ground in company with La Fayette, says, "M. De La Fayette, attended by the other travelers, went further on to ask for quarters at a Quaker's called Benjamin Ring, at whose house he lodged with General Washington the night before the battle."-Travels in Amer ica, i., 237. This building is about a mile and a half east of Chad's Ford. Skirmishing on the March toward the Brandywine. Engagement near Chad's Ford. Skirmishing on the Brandywine. ties of militia kept up an annoying fire upon the advancing enemy. Knyphausen, however, pushed forward toward Chad's Ford. He sent a strong advance party to dislodge Maxwell. They met at about ten o'clock, and a severe engagement ensued. Maxwell was driven back to the verge of the stream at the ford, where he was re-enforced. Turning upon his pursuers, he made a furious charge. The ranks of the enemy were thrown into confusion, and fell back upon Knyphausen's main column. Unable to cope with Maxwell in open battle without bringing a larger force into action, Knyphausen sent a detachment through the woods to make an attack upon his flank. Perceiving this movement, Maxwell retreated across the stream, leaving the whole west bank of the Brandywine in possession of the enemy.' Knyphausen now brought forward his ordnance, and from the brow of the hill upon the west side of the stream he kept up a strong cannonade upon the Americans, without attempting to cross. The fire was returned with spirit by Proctor's artillery. Knyphausen did not cross the Brandywine, because he was instructed by Howe to amuse the Americans with feigned efforts to make the passage of the ford, until Cornwallis should cross above, and gain the right and rear of the patriots. This accomplished, Knyphausen was directed to push across Chad's Ford, when the two divisions of the royal army would make a simultaneous attack. During these maneuvers of Knyphausen, several detachments of the Americans crossed the river, and boldly attacked his flanking parties and those who were laboring to throw up intrenchments. Captains Porterfield and Waggoner having secured a footing on the western side, General Maxwell recrossed the stream with a considerable force, drove the enemy from the ground, killed about thirty men, and seized a quantity of intrenching tools, with which they were constructing a battery. Knyphausen sent an overwhelming force against them, which soon drove the Americans back to their lines on the east side of the river. General Sullivan, who commanded the right wing of the Americans, was ordered to guard the fords as high up as Buffington's, just above the forks of the Brandywine. He sent 1 The loss of the enemy in this engagement was estimated at about three hundred; that of the Americans was trifling. 2 This view is from the east bank of the Brandywine, looking southwest. The ford was about ten rods above the present bridge. Its place is indicated in the picture by the hollow in front of the tree on the extreme left. The wooded height seen on the opposite side of the river is the place where Knyphausen's artillery was planted. |