Battle of Brandywine
Chadds Ford Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
On Sept. 11, 1777, an American force of about 11,000 men, commanded by Washington, attempted to halt a British advance into Pennsylvania. The Americans were defeated near Chadds Ford on Brandywine Creek by approximately 18,000 British and Hessian troops under Howe.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
On September 11, 1777, the fields around Chadds Ford became the setting for the largest land battle of the American Revolution. George Washington positioned roughly 11,000 Continental troops to block General William Howe's drive toward Philadelphia, but Howe's larger British and Hessian force outflanked the American line. The defeat opened the road to the rebel capital, which fell to the British later that month.
Why it matters
Brandywine was the war's biggest single-day engagement and a hard lesson in the perils of a long, unguarded flank — a defeat that cost Washington Philadelphia but not his army.
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Related people
- · George Washington
- · William Howe
Related events
- · Battle of Brandywine
Themes & tags
Nearby & related markers
Casimir Pulaski
Chadds Ford Township, PA · est. 1975
Casimir Pulaski, a Polish nobleman exiled for resisting foreign rule, threw himself into the American cause and helped cover Washington's retreat from the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777. Made a brigadier general, he became the first overall commander of the Continental Army's cavalry, earning fame as the "Father of the American Cavalry." He was mortally wounded leading a charge at the Siege of Savannah in 1779.
John Chad's House - PLAQUE
Chadds Ford Township, PA · est. 1915
During the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777, Colonel Thomas Proctor's American artillery took up positions in redoubts near this house, the home of ferryman John Chad. The guns helped anchor Washington's defense along the Brandywine before the army was forced to give ground. The dwelling still marks where Continental cannon stood against the advancing British.
Dilworthtown - PLAQUE
Birmingham Township, PA · est. 1915
Near the village of Dilworthtown, the Battle of Brandywine drew to its close on the evening of September 11, 1777. After Washington's line was flanked and driven back through the surrounding hills, the last fighting flared here as darkness ended the day. The marker fixes the point where one of the Revolution's largest engagements finally spent itself.
Brandywine Battlefield - Commonwealth Treasure
Birmingham Township, PA · est. 2001
On September 11, 1777, the rolling farmland around Birmingham Township became the stage for the largest single-day battle of the Revolutionary War. Washington's Continentals tried to hold the fords of the Brandywine against Sir William Howe's advancing British and Hessian troops, but a wide flanking march turned the American position and opened the road to Philadelphia. The Commonwealth Treasure designation recognizes this preserved ground as hallowed to the founding struggle.