A Day at Brandywine

Noah and I did one last History Nerd field trip before the summer came to a close - we spent the day exploring the Brandywine Battlefield.

The Battle of Brandywine, the largest battle of the Revolution, was fought between the American Continental Army of General George Washington and the British Army of General Sir William Howe and General Charles Cornwallis on September 11, 1777. This battle involved over 30,000 men between the two armies and was fought across farms and fields, rivers and meeting houses, for over 11 hours in ninety degree heat! The two British generals launched a full scale attack on the Patriot outpost at Brandywine Creek in Pennsylvania, on the road linking Baltimore and Philadelphia. They had split their 18,000 British troops into two separate divisions, attacking from the front and the right flank. The morning had provided the British troops with cover from a dense fog so General Washington was unaware the British had split into two divisions and was caught off guard. Although the Americans were able to slow the advancing British, they were soon faced with the possibility of being surrounded so Washington ordered his men to abandon their posts and retreat. Unfortunately this allowed the British Army to capture Philadelphia which was the nation's capital at the time. This was definitely not a great day for the Continental Army!

We toured the Benjamin Ring House where Washington established his headquarters.

On September 9th General Washington held a council of war with his generals to plan his strategy.

Had to take a picture of the creepy doll.

The house of Gideon Gilpin, a prosperous Quaker farmer who was heavily affected by the Battle of Brandywine. Although his family and house survived, his crops were destroyed and the British took all his bacon, hay, wheat, cows, sheep, pigs, and oxen.

What a beautiful spot!

This enormous sycamore tree is certified by the National Arborist Association as well as the International Society of Arboriculture to having lived here at the time of the signing of our Constitution!

After touring both homes we headed back to the museum to check out the exhibit and learn some more about this battle.

I love the Brandywine flag! It was a banner carried by a company in the 7th Pennsylvania Regiment and received its name after it was used in the battle.

Dressing up like Lafayette!

La Foudre, "The Thunderer". This gun is one of four given to Pennsylvania after the Revolutionary War. The guns were kept in Harrisburg as trophies and were acknowledged by Lafayette in 1824 as having been part of the Yorktown campaign.

After the museum, we drove around to other important spots of the battle. The Birmingham Friends Meetinghouse was near the center of fighting on the afternoon of the battle. It was used as a hospital first for the Americans, and after the battle, for the British officers.

Ready to mount a horse and ride off to battle!

During the battle the Americans used the walls of this Quaker burial ground in their first line of defense. After the battle, dead British and American soldiers shared a common grave in the cemetery. The area is now a Peace Garden; there is a sign designating it as a spot to contemplate a world without war.

I loved reading the quotes on the stones placed throughout the garden.

A common grave memorial stone honoring the fallen from both sides.

We entered the Birmingham-Lafayette Cemetery from the Peace Garden.

There are three massive monuments in the cemetery that commemorate Lafayette, Pulaski, and a pair of locally prominent men. For both Pulaski and Lafayette, this was their first American battle experience.

We walked a bit of the footpath at Birmingham Hill where the most significant fighting took place. General Howe's army took a break for tea, to rest and refresh after marching 17 miles in 9 hours. This allowed General Washington to reposition many of his troops and set up a defensive line near this area.

Sandy Hollow, the second American defense.

"The high ground of Sandy Hollow marks the 'sunset stand' as slowly the Colonials were driven back by overwhelming forces and firepower, dusk closing in, ammunition was low, and many of the three and four pounder cannons had been lost. Both sides were exhausted...and the Continental left flank finally gave way."

You can always count on Noah for a light moment.

There were substantial casualties in this battle but, although the battle was a significant loss for General Washington's army, it was a turning point in the war. This defeat fostered a strong resolve among the Continental Army to carry on their fight for freedom.

One last marker - the spot where they believe Lafayette was wounded in his left thigh as he rallied the troops there.

Such a fun day with my little history lovin' buddy!