Loyalist Raid of 1778
Newtown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania
Marker Inscription
On Feb. 19, 1778, while the British occupied Philadelphia, some 40 armed Loyalists raided the tavern here. The fighting left 5 American soldiers dead, 4 wounded, 11 captured. Tailors here were making uniforms for use at Valley Forge, and 2000 yards of cloth were lost.
Erected by Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission
The Story
On February 19, 1778, with the British holding Philadelphia and Washington's army wintering at Valley Forge, roughly 40 armed Loyalists raided the tavern that stood here. The fighting left five American soldiers dead, four wounded, and eleven captured. Tailors working at the site had been sewing uniforms for the troops at Valley Forge, and some 2,000 yards of cloth were carried off.
Why it matters
The raid is a vivid reminder that the Revolution was also a civil war among neighbors, and that the suffering army at Valley Forge depended on vulnerable supply lines in the surrounding countryside.
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Related events
- · Loyalist Raid of 1778
- · Valley Forge encampment
Themes & tags
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