Reenactment of Battle of Germantown

Battle of Germantown, Reenactment of

First Saturday in October

In October of 1777, George Washington's battle strategy to recapture Philadelphia from the British called for an assault on the little community of Germantown to the northwest of the city. The British soldiers took refuge in a new stone house, Cliveden, that had just been built by Benjamin Chew. Although the house was pounded by cannon balls, the stone walls withstood the assault and Washington's men were eventually forced to retreat. The thick fog proved to be a decisive factor, hindering the movements of Washington's soldiers at a point where they appeared to be on the verge of winning. Although the Americans were defeated, the Battle of Germantown was considered a moral victory, especially when it was followed two weeks later by the victory of General Horatio Gates at Saratoga.
Since the early 1970s, there has been a reenactment of Washington's defeat by the British in Germantown, now a suburb of Philadelphia, on the first Saturday in October. British and American troops stage a mock battle from house to house. At Cliveden, which now belongs to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, visitors can still see the scars left by American bullets.

CONTACTS:
Cliveden of the National Trust
6401 Germantown Ave.
Philadelphia, PA 19144
215-848-1777
www.cliveden.org

SOURCES:
Battle of Lexington and Concord See Patriots' Day

Celebration days: Oct 1, 2011; Oct 6, 2012; Oct 5, 2013; Oct 4, 2014; Oct 3, 2015