Brandywine

Brandywine. Advance and Retreat. You are facing northwest with Birmingham Hill immediately on the other side of the tree line. Lord Stirling, with the New Jersey Brigade and 3rd Pennsylvania Brigade along with Stephen's 3rd and 4th Virginia Brigades, and the remnants of Sullivan's division of about 450 soldiers withdrew from Birmingham Hill and Sandy Hollow through this area. They retreated along the Forks Road (Birmingham Road) and New Street Road, across the ground around you toward Dilworth., The portion of the British army that remained along Brandywine Creek went into motion at the sound of the cannonade from Birmingham Hill. Lieutenant General Wilhelm Knyphausen moved his forces across Chads' Ford to engage the Continentals under Brigadier Generals Anthony Wayne and William Maxwell. Overwhelmed, the Americans pulled back, abandoning their artillery in the process., With the British in hot pursuit, both armies sniped at one another in a flight of “hill hopping” among the farm fields and wooded surroundings. South of Dilworth at the Brinton House, General Washington met with Major General Nathanael Greene. Washington directed Greene to set up a defensive position south of Dilworth, along modern day Harvey Road. Greene opened his lines to allow the disorganized retreat through. The enemy soon appeared and the Continentals unleashed a deadly fire on two advancing regiments, dropping nearly half the British soldiers. Greene held the enemy for a critical 45 minutes. Despite the loss, Washington's army made it safely to Chester in good spirits while the British army encamped on the battlefield., [begin captions] , This painting has been used to depict the resiliency of the Continental soldier when fighting the superior British soldier. At Brandywine, which is the setting for Howard Pyle's work, the battered Americans on Birmingham Hill showed their bravery and determination., Major General Nathanael Greene had no military experience prior to the start of the American Revolution. At Valley Forge, he served with distinction as the Continental Army's quartermaster general, and later as commander of the Southern Department., The vastly outnumbered Americans on Birmingham Hill held off Cornwallis's forces long enough for the bulk of Washington's army to retreat from Chads' Ford. A final defensive line by General Greene's division south of Dilworth halted the British advance and ended the battle., Brigadier General George Weedon. As part of Greene's division, some accounts state that Weedon's forces acted alone in checking the British and Hessian advanced guard. After the retreat, Weedon was still optimistic about the army's chances, stating, "such another victory would establish the rights of America, and I wish them the honor of the field again tomorrow on the same terms."