Valley+Forge

By September 26, 1777 Howe had reached Philadelphia and began taking possession of the city. On the Delaware River, Forts Mercer and Mifflin fell by November 21, 1777 giving Howe control of the city and the river. The final major action of the Philadelphia campaign occurred on October 4, 1777, when Washington launched approximately 11,000 troops in an elaborate four pronged attack designed to retake Philadelphia. Aimed at Germantown, the initial American advance was delayed at the Benjamin Chew House, known as Cliveden, on Germantown Pike. The Americans were pushed back with estimated losses of 152 killed, 500 wounded and 438 captured. These heavy casualties may have been the result of confusion among the Americans, lack of familiarity with the area, and heavy fog on the morning of the attack. The British casualties were 401 killed and wounded. The Americans retreated to Whitemarsh, Pennsylvania and spent about a month camped there. Washington may have debated a second attack on Philadelphia as well as considered possible locations for his winter quarters. On the 5 th of December the British came out of Philadelphia intending to surprise Washington at Whitemarsh. Washington having been warned of the British action confronted Howe with prepared lines. The British simply tested the American lines and then withdrew to Philadelphia. After some additional maneuvering outside Philadelphia, Washington moved his army to Gulph Mills. On the 19 th of December he moved his army to Valley Forge. Defended by its terrain which forms a natural triangular fort, Valley Forge was eighteen miles from Philadelphia. This distance placed the Americans close enough to hamper British foraging activities yet far enough to be out of reach of a surprise attack. Washington’s situation at Valley Forge was difficult because of problems with disease and breakdowns in the supply system. But Howe had not achieved what he had hoped by taking Philadelphia. The city was the capitol, but it was no longer the seat of Congress. Instead, Congress was holding business as usual in York, Pennsylvania. Most of the military supplies in Philadelphia had been removed and the anticipated heavy Loyalist support had not appeared. Also, Howe did not have control of western Pennsylvania and could not count on local forage. The loss of Philadelphia was a blow to American morale, but its impact was lessened by Burgoyne’s surrender at Saratoga in October and the fact that the American army remained intact in Pennsylvania. Howe had failed at the very thing he felt would end the war. As he explained // “…as my opinion has always been, that the defeat of the // rebel regular army is the surest road to peace….”

[|NPS Valley Forge Site]
 * This was taken from the Valley Forge National Park website!**