Hometown Heroes: The Revolutionary War

Hometown Heroes: The Revolutionary War. , Squire Thomas Cheyney may have changed the course of the Revolution. He warned General Washington about enemy movements at the Brandywine River. Though Americans lost the Battle of the Brandywine, without that information, the whole war might have been lost, too., Mary "Polly" and Persifor Frazer , The British captured Persifor Frazer at Brandywine, and tried to storm his home to take supplies. His wife Mary defended her home and her husband's reputation as a Patriot. Throughout the war, she took supplies to troops at Valley Forge and even "spied"-she smuggled information from her jailed husband to General Washington., Anne and Joseph Hemphill , Anne Hemphill's husband Joseph was fighting for the Patriots when British soldiers invaded their home (today's Sweetwater Farm). They forced Anne to stay up all night cooking for them. The next day, they tried to drive away with all her food - but Anne climbed onto their wagon. She told them they would have to take her too., The soldiers left the food behind., [Illustration captions, clockwise from top left, read] , . Hessian soldiers en route to the Battle of the Brandywine, down "Ye Olde Road to Nottingham," - passing the Barnes-Brinton house which still stands on today's US Route #1, 1976, Barclay Rubincam (1920-1978) Oil on board., . Profile of Mary "Polly" Frazer, nee Taylor., . Interior of the Frazer home, ca. 1893., . The Frazer home, ca. 1893, . Learn more about the Frazer's home at Thornbury Township's Bonner Park., [Timeline] , 1754-1763 French and Indian War , 1773 Americans rebel against Tea Act with Boston Tea Party. , 1776 Declaration of Independence is issued. , 1777 American troops fight the Battle of the Brandywine , 1784 First daily newspaper is published in Philadelphia. , 1789 George Washington becomes the nation's first President. , 1793 Eli Whitney invents cotton gin. , 1795 The nation's first hard-surfaced road opens between Philadelphia and Lancaster.