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James N.
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
October 24 2007
Status: offline
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 Posted - October 21 2012 : 2:20:29 PM
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Early in the Twentieth Century, the beautiful and bucolic region around Chadd's Ford on Brandywine Creek became best known as the seat of the so-called Brandywine School of American painters who studied at the nearby studio of noted artist and illustrator Howard Pyle. By mid-century it was home to the even more famous Wyeth family: father N. C., his son Andrew, and grandson Jamie. But in "the year of the hangman", 1777, Chadd's Ford was the center of George Washington's line behind Brandywine Creek facing down the approach of Gen. William Howe's 14,000 British and Hessian troops aiming for Philadelphia. Unfortunately, this place's fame and close proximity to the city have made it in recent years the target of unscrupulous developers intent on destroying any vestige of its historic or artistic heritage in their greed.
When I last visited the place in 1997 it was still easily possible to trace the course of the sprawling battle which covered an area at least as large as most Civil War actions like Manassas or Antietam. The pathetic and far-too-small Brandywine Battlefield State Park preserves only two "historic" houses and land on which NO action took place, other than the American retreat and British pursuit across it. The small Visitor Center featured decent displays of period arms:
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Above and below, British muskets, pistols, swords, and period Grenadier's bearskin.
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American rifle, muskets, cartridge box, and officer's hunting-type smallsword.
The park land was originally acquired because it contained the site of Washington's headquarters and a period house used as his quarters by the Marquis de La Fayette. ( Not a "headquarters" per se, because at this point the ninteen-year-old Major General had only an "honorary" rank and NO command! ) In succeding years the house of Quaker Benjamin Ring that had been destroyed by a fire was reconstructed according to period illustrations:
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Benjamin Ring House/Washington's Headquarters
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Far more interesting was the surviving home of Quakers Gideon and Sarah Gilpin, which the aging Marquis recognized had been his temporary "home" on the battlefield when he and his son George Washington Lafayette made their 1825 Grand Tour of the United States. At least at the time of my visit in 1997 it also boasted the last living survivor of the battle: the huge 300-year-old-plus sycamore that towers over the house in these pictures!
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The restored Gilpin House interior has period antiques, but not original to the structure; below, the typical kitchen in the basement.
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James N.
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
October 24 2007
Status: offline
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Posted - October 21 2012 : 7:55:31 PM
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As mentioned earlier, the Battle of Brandywine actually occurred in an area several miles square and on both sides of Brandywine Creek. Washington thought this would be a good place to try with his 11,000 men to halt Howe's army in its march on Philadelphia, since the eastern bank is considerably elevated over the virtually flat western side. It was during the British advance to the creek that a famous incident occurred that could have cost Washington his life. Accompanied only by another foriegn volunteer aide-de-camp, Polish Count Casmir Pulaski, the two while out scouting the approach were seen by members of a company of British marksmen led by Capt. Patrick Ferguson and armed with Ferguson's famous breech-loading rifles. Fortunately for America, Ferguson decided it would be unsportsmanlike to take advantage of the situation! Unfortunately for the chivalrous captain he was seriously wounded in the coming battle, losing an arm and having his company of marksmen disbanded as a result.
The old Baltimore - Philadelphia Pike here crosses the creek at Chadds' ( variously spelled Chads' or Chad's ) Ford, where Washington placed the center of his line, manned by Anthony Wayne's brigade of Pennsylvanians and backed by Henry Knox's artillery on the heights. To their left ( south ) along the creek was the Pennsylvania militia of Gen. John Armstrong, who wound up playing no part at all in the coming battle. Behind the artillery and near Washington's headquarters, well back from the creek, was the reserve division, two brigades under Washington's best general, Nathaniel Greene.
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This period stone house ( with a very un-period Mansard roof! ) stands along the old Baltimore Pike near the bridge that has replaced Chadd's Ford and has been converted into a restaraunt appropriately called Chadds' Ford Inn.
Stretching north from Wayne's position was the bulk of Washington's army, New Hampshire General John Sullivan's division of three brigades: his own and those of Adam Stephen and William Alexander, also known as Lord Stirling. The previous year Sullivan had been fooled and outflanked by the same Howe, this time on Long Island, where his men were routed and he himself captured along with many of them. He was to guard the creek to his front for a distance of about two miles, while also looking even farther to his right to make sure it didn't happen again!
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The house of John Chadd stands a bit north of Chadds' Ford on a lane that parallels the creek above its floodplain. Some of Henry Knox's guns were placed on the crest of the ridge above the house.
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This view of the house looks towards the creek to the site where John Chadd also operated a ferry. Late in the battle attacking Hessian troops crossed here to drive Wayne's men away and secure the crossing.
Unfortunately for the plans of Washington and Sullivan, Howe again demonstrated his tactical superiority, repeating the identical maneuver that won the Battle of Long Island! He detached about 4,000 of his men under the Hessian commander, Baron von Knyphausen, to ( in the parlance of the day ) amuse the Americans while he and Cornwallis led 10,000 men on a circuitous march to the northeast on a little-used country lane discovered by his dragoons, who quickly scooped up the handful of American scouts watching the ford there. Knyphausen made a great show of preparing to launch an attack on the ford while the artillery of both armies banged away.
Sullivan usually gets all the ( deserved ) blame for letting this happen, but in fact it is the commander's responsibility to know the ground on which he intends to fight, and the Americans had been there long enough to have discovered this route and the little-used ford it led to. It wasn't until Whig sympathizer "Squire" Thomas Cheyney brought word of the march to Washington's headquarters that Howe's move was discovered, too late to prevent. Sullivan hurried off to attempt to turn his brigades to face north in what became a fumbling comedy of errors that must literally have amused the British officers watching from their command post on a nearby hill. Unfortunately when I took the driving tour of Howe's route and the subsequent opening battle I took no photos; from the British observation post on Osburn Hill there was nothing to see but open agricultural fields bordered by a few fences and woodlots. Today this is probably all covered over by a housing addition!
Though the units collided with each other trying to maintain formation, once they got into position, Sullivan's brigades put up a stout fight; sadly, they were outnumbered two- or three-to-one, and could only give ground towards a higher rise, topped by Birmingham Friends ( Quaker ) Meeting House. Here they fought until their ammunition was mostly used up and they continued to retreat, until they were joined by Washington who had led Nathaniel Greene's two brigades cross-country to intercept the British advance.
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Birmingham Friends Meeting stout stone walls served as both a strongpoint during and later as a hospital after the battle.
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This tablet marking unknown graves of soldiers killed or mortally wounded in the battle stands on the Meeting grounds. Note the stone wall surrounding the Meeting yard which was used as a breastwork by defending American troops.
The Americans continued their retreat and near here the Gentleman Volunteer La Fayette was wounded in the leg while attempting to rally troops in this, his very first fight; fortunately his wound was not serious and after having it dressed on the field he rejoined Washington. Though a very minor incident, today it has its own monument and at the time suitably impressed both Washington and his men that the boy was willing to fight for his adopted cause! That night during the dismal retreat the two shared Washington's cloak as a pallet for some much-needed sleep and remained firm friends for the rest of their lives.
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A little farther to the southwest, towards the road back to Philadelphia the Dilworthtown Inn sits at an intersection called Dilworth; it and the opposite building seen below remain where the Battle of Brandywine finally sputtered out as night drew near. Once he heard the battle going on in earnest, Knyphausen made a vigorous assault on Wayne and Knox's artillery, all that remained at Chadd's Ford, driving them in confusion past Washington's and La Fayette's respective quarters. The British and Hessians, with night fast approaching and unsure in which direction the bulk of the Americans had gone, halted their pursuit here at Dilworth. The Continentals drew off in the dusk on three different roads leading towards Philadelphia where the fight would continue, though by losing here Washington missed his best chance to halt Howe's invasion.
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James N.
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
October 24 2007
Status: offline
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Posted - September 27 2018 : 3:14:09 PM
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Here are some additional photos of the Chadd's Ford/Brandywine area from a visit in September, 2015. Above and below are views of the John Chad House overlooking the site of the ferry.
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Across the Brandywine River the house below was caught in the running skirmish as American troops withdrew before Knyphausen's approaching Hessians.
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British Generals Lord Howe and Cornwalis observed the American position from this knoll below as their troops in the flanking column formed their lines before making the assault on Sullivan's forces.
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The Birmingham Friends Meeting House and its burying ground below where both American and British wounded were treated and the dead buried.
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James N.
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
October 24 2007
Status: offline
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Posted - September 27 2018 : 3:47:08 PM
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Best to report, since my previous visit the protected land at Brandywine has expanded, largely due to the efforts of local preservationists, but also to those of the American Battlefield Trust. The area above is on part of the American flank where troops of Nathaniel Greene went into action late in the day north of Dilworthtown to cover the American retreat. From this point a trail makes a circuit of the newly-opened area.
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Above is the Headquarters and museum of Brandywine Battlefield State Park which unfortunately remains as inconsequential as ever, containing only the Ring House/Washington's Headquarters and Lafayette's quarters in the Gilpin House.
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Washington made his headquarters in the Benjamin Ring House which was located a short distance east of Chad's Ford and on the road to Philadelphia.
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Below, the Gideon and Sarah Gilpin House where Lafayette stayed before the battle.
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Here's a photo of me beside the 300-year-old Sycamore witness tree visible at the corner of the house in the photo above to give a better idea of its great size! (Notice the marker at the bottom attesting to the tree's age and historical significance.)
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Monadnock Hiker
Colonial Militia
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
August 31 2017
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Posted - September 27 2018 : 4:33:09 PM
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| Some truly great pics & information ... plus I've always liked stone houses. |
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James N.
Colonial Militia
USA
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
October 24 2007
Status: offline
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Posted - October 02 2018 : 1:27:07 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Monadnock Hiker
Some truly great pics & information ... plus I've always liked stone houses.
The area around Chadd's Ford is certainly a good place to see them - the Brandywine Valley is famous as the home of the Wyeth family of artists, and N. C. and his son Andrew featured the houses in many of their paintings, especially Andrew who grew up here. On another recent trip in 2014 I toured the old stone mill that is now a gallery devoted to their work, plus one of the 1700's houses made famous by his art.
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Fitzhugh Williams
Mohicanland Statesman
Bumppo's Patron since [at least]:
July 17 2005
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Posted - October 03 2018 : 09:26:22 AM
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| Another place I need to visit. |
"Les deux pieds contre la muraille et la tete sous le robinet" |
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Chadd's Ford and the Battle of Brandywine
