Brandywine, Battle of the

Brandywine, battle of the, in the American Revolution, fought Sept. 11, 1777, along Brandywine Creek. The creek, formed by two small branches in SE Pennsylvania, flows southeast to join, near Wilmington, Del., the Christina River, which empties into the Delaware. The British under Sir William Howe were advancing on Philadelphia from Elkton, Md., and General Washington, realizing that they would cross the stream, placed most of his army at Chadds Ford. Howe sent General Wilhelm Knyphausen to feint an attack at Chadds Ford, while he himself, with General Cornwallis, struck the American right flank, where Gen. John Sullivan could not check the attack. Washington ordered a retreat to Chester, Pa. The British continued their advance and took Philadelphia (Sept. 27, 1777).

Bibliography

See H. S. Canby, The Brandywine (1941).

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Brandywine, Battle of the

(Sept. 11, 1777) Battle in the American Revolution. British Gen. William Howe attempted to remove Pennsylvania from the war by engaging troops under Gen. George Washington on Brandywine Creek, 25 mi (40 km) from the revolutionary capital of Philadelphia. In the end, the British troops occupied the battlefield but failed to destroy Washington's army or cut it off from Philadelphia. This failure contributed to the later British defeat at the Battle of Saratoga.