About four o'clock in the afternoon, Lord Corn wallis encountered the American right; this divi sion was defeated after a brisk engagement, but Washington checked the pursuit by a movement from the centre. Knyphausen now made a real at tack for the purpose of gaining Chadd's Ford, upon which Wayne effected an orderly retreat, having learned the ill success of the first conflict. Thus terminated the battle of Brandywine. The continental army arrived next day unmolested at Philadelphia, having lost three hundred killed, six hundred wounded (including General La Fayette) and between three and four hundred prisoners. The British loss was officially stated at one hun dred killed and four hundred wounded. The im mediate causes of the check sustained by the Ame ricans on this occasion, arc found in the inexpe rience of the troops engaged, and the great defi ciency in their lire-arms, which were of unequal calibres, and therefore badly fitted by the car tridges; but in every event, the formidable supe riorit• in numbers on the side of the British, could have left no hope of a positive victory. The results of the battle were treated by Congress and the army as far from decisive. The former passed vigorous resolutions, and evinced no intention of quitting their place of session. The latter re crossed the Schuylkill, after a short repose, and marched along the Lancaster road, for the purpose of inviting another contest with their elated ad versaries.
The advanced parties of the two armies met on the 16th of September, in the neighbourhood of the Warren Tavern, about twenty-three miles from the city; upon which a sharp skirmish was carried on, until the combatants were separated by a heavy storm. The American troops were never exposed to greater peril than that to which they were brought on this occasion, by the power of the ele ments and their deficiency in the common tools of warfare. Their cart•idge-boxes were so badly made as to afford no sufficient cover to the ammu nition, and the gun-locks being ill secured, became wholly unfit for service. As no alternative was now left to soldiers unprovided with bayonets, Washington was compelled to order a retreat to the Yellow Springs, and to abandon reluctantly his plan of battle. A farther retreat to Warwick Furnace, on the south branch of French creek, was afterwards found necessary; for, by a general in spection of arms, the unfortunate truth was ascer tained, that scarcely one musket in a whole regi ment was capable of being discharged, and the car tridges were in a condition equally alarming. The British army halted during two days, in conse quence of the extreme severity of the weather. It was about this time that General Wayne, detached by Washington for the purpose of harassing the enemy's rear, was surprised by General Gray, and obliged to fall back with considerable loss. A
court-martial, assembled at \Vayne's request to in quire into the circumstances of his disaster, unani mously acquitted him of all blame, declaring "that he had done every thing to be expected from an ac tive, brave and vigilant officer." Sir William Howe advanced to the Schuylkill and fixed his camp in front of the Americans, ex tending from French Creek to the Fatland Ford. From this point he reconnoitred the strong position assumed by Washington, which deterred him from his original plan of attack, and changed his movement into a march upon Philadelphia. Popular clamour, which has so often conquered the better judgment of generals, now loudly required that a great battle should be fought for the defence of the American metropolis : the commander-in chief—with that generous intrepidity which formed one of his noblest characteristics—resolved to with stand the tot-rent by declining a conflict that could only terminate in the destruction of the cause of his country. Congress removed from the city and immediately reassembled at Lancaster. On the twenty-sixth of September, Philadelphia fell into the hands of Sir William Howe: but the precautions of the American general saved the public property, by a timely removal of the military stores up the river Delaware.
The expected reinforcements of regulars and militia having generally reached the American camp, Washington with his army of eleven thou sand men, gradually approached the city, for the double purpose of observing the enemy and select ing the proper moment for attack. He found a strong body of the British forces encamped at Germantown, a village of a single street, beginning about five miles From Philadelphia, and extending along the road about two miles more. Lord Corn wallis occupied the city with another division, and a numerous detachment had marched to Chester, as an escort for a convoy of provisions. A fair opportunity for assailing the enemy in detail was thus offered to the enterprise of the American com mander, and he was not slow in perceiving its ad vantages. He accordingly chose for his point of assault the advanced camp at Germantown, and made masterly arrangements for surrounding and destroying that exposed division of the enemy, be fore reinforcements could arrive from Philadelphia. Sullivan and Wayne were charged with the attack of the village in front, by the main street from the side of Chesnut hill. General Armstrong with the Pennsylvania militia was to move upon the rear, along the line of the Ridge-road, turning the enemy's left flank; the same movement was to be effected on their right by Generals Smallwood and Forman, down the Old York road. Another column under Greene and Stephens was to attack the right wing in the centre of the town, and the command of the reserve was entrusted to Lord Stirling.