The official British casualty list detailed 587 casualties: 93 killed (eight officers, seven sergeants and 78 rank and file); 488 wounded (49 officers, 40 sergeants, four drummers and 395 rank and file); and six rank and file missing unaccounted for Only 40 of the British Army's casualties were Hessians. They were marching through the extreme southeastern corner of Pennsylvania and heading toward fledgling America's capital at Philadelphia. Thank you for your very informative article. Most accounts of the American loss were from the British side. The center of these three divisions was in the vicinity the Chads House not far from Washington’s headquarters in the Ring House. He is not included as one of the forty causalities for this reason. On September 11, 1777, the hamlet of Chadds Ford played host to one of the largest and deadliest battles of the American Revolutionary War, today called the Battle of Brandywine. The Battle of Brandywine displayed Washington’s generalship at its worst and at its best. Your paper corroborates the 9th PA Regiment muster that lists Peter Miller and Benjamin Morris as KIA on September 11, 1777. [38] Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783, roll 83. A detachment of 50 waldeck infantry emerged from the town, accompanied by a small light dragoons, whose orders were to clear the area of rebel activity but were attacked be the New Jersey militia near Springfield. Trussell outlines the creation, expansion, contraction, reorganization and reduction of twenty-seven different regimental-sized units between 1775 and 1783. [11] Conway, an Irish Catholic, had served in the French Army gaining combat experience against Frederick the Great prior to traveling to North America to serve with American forces in the Revolution. [8] Trussell’s work fails to capture casualty figures that support the accounts of the intensity of combat the 9th endured as reported by those present on the Brandywine battlefield. A name-by-name comparison of the company rosters over the fifteen month period between May 1777 and July 1778 proves interesting. An early morning fog burned off with the dawn, and revealed two long columns of scarlet and blue clad troops. Table 2: Brandywine Killed in Action by Company. In late July 1777, a British armada of more than 260 ships carrying 17,000 British troops under the command of General William Howe landed on the northern end of the Chesapeake Bay, approximately 45 miles southwest of Philadelphia. From my perspective, the most important information came in the form of anecdotes of individual experiences. [43] One is left to wonder if these men were captured and given a choice of enlisting as Loyalists or life in a prison cell as treasonists, or if they were opportunists seeking the best option for their personal survival in a brutal civil war. [13] Sullivan, Letters and Papers of Major-General John Sullivan, 577. Having conducted similar research into the unit I represent as a reenactor, I found your article quite interesting. Heitman’s data on officers is valuable as a starting point, but contains many errors, specifically with the officer of the 9th Pennsylvania, and must be verified against the muster data and other sources. [36]  Montgomery, Pennsylvania Archives, Series 5, Volume 3, 393-394. [40] Ibid; Todd W. Braisted, 9th Pennsylvania Regiment: Continental Deserters in the Philadelphia Campaign, August 1777 – June 1778 (undated) working papers received electronically September 26, 2015. [17] Washington assigned General Sullivan as the overall wing commander of this three-division force made up of six brigades containing about 4,000 soldiers. By modern standards this percentage of losses would render a unit combat ineffective. Most men reported as missing have no further record in the regiment; their names simply disappear from the unit musters. Exhausted from the day’s fight and the long flanking march, the British Army remained on the field and did not pursue the retreating Americans. [16] Sullivan, Letters and Papers of Major-General John Sullivan, 549. Sullivan’s division, minus two regiments, occupied the ground east of Brandywine Creek between Chad’s and Brinton’s Fords. [12] Conway was not well liked by his officers possibly because he trained and regularly drilled the brigade, turning it into one of the best disciplined units in the Continental Army. 0 likes. [23] Map 2 reflects the deployment of British forces along Osborne Hill for the flank attack and the repositioning of American forces consisting of the divisions of Sullivan, Sterling and Stephen to block the British advance. [49]. After defeating the Continental Army at the Battle of Brandywine on … This position is often referred to as Battle Hill, high ground covered with trees, an excellent defensive position. This was His Majesty's Royal Army, commanded by General Sir William Howe. The commanding officer, Lt. Col. George Nagel, received a promotion to colonel and served as commanding officer of the 10th Pennsylvania Regiment from February 7, 1778 to July 1, 1778. [22]  Sullivan, Letters and Papers of Major-General John Sullivan, 462-464; Harris, Brandywine, 271-272. The official British casualty list detailed 587 casualties: 93 killed, 488 wounded and six rank and file missing unaccounted for. Thank you for confirming my thoughts on the value of a visit to the textual records section of the National Archives to research the pension files of the men of the 9th PA. [3] Howard Henry Peckman, The Toll of Independence: Engagements & Battle Casualties of the American Revolution (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1974), 130. Although the regimental headquarters experienced significant personnel turnover, the regimental senior leadership did not abandon the revolutionary cause nor did they leave their leadership positions because they were ineffective. Anthony Wayne’s division also fought a delaying action in the vicinity of Chad’s Ford. The nearest thing to a hard figure from the American side was by Major General Nathanael Greene, who estimated that Washington's army had lost between 1,200 and 1,300 men. [49] Heitman, Historical Register, 505-6; State of Pennsylvania, Minutes of the Supreme Executive Council of the State of Pennsylvania, Vol. The forces met near Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, as Howe moved to take Philadelphia, then the American capital. Leave a roster for posterity! [34]  The seventy-two percent present and fit for duty is slightly higher than previously published research addressing the May to December 1777 time period for both Conway’s Brigade and the 9th Pennsylvania Regiment. [24], Sterling’s and Stephens’ divisions succeeded in forming a line of battle. Even more problematic is the challenge of identifying individual casualties by name. is the U.S. 1 Description 2 General Information 3 Notes 4 Units 5 History After landing from his transport ships in the American Coast, Major General Sir William Howe led the British troops eastwards, with the intent of capturing Philadelphia. Gen. Thomas Conway’s 3rd Pennsylvania Brigade in Maj. Gen. Alexander’s (Lord Sterling) Division. Unloading the ships proved to be a logistical proble… Table 2 presents their names and companies. The estimated effective strength is based on seventy-two percent of the men on the payroll present and effective for duty. Battle of Brandywine Aftermath . The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of Brandywine Creek, ... No casualty return for the American army at Brandywine survives and no figures, official or otherwise, were ever released. The primary staff consisted of four men: William Thompson, adjutant; John Tate, paymaster; Thomas Craig, quartermaster; David Love, surgeon. [33] Samuel Hazard, ed., Pennsylvania Archives; Series 1, Volume 3 (Philadelphia, PA: Joseph Severns and Company, 1853), 522-523. The battle was inevitable as both camps had been planning for the battle beforehand. This could account for the lack of KIA or WIA as well as correlating with General Conway’s letter of August 15, 1777 complaining about the weakness of the Pennsylvania regiments, but in reducing the number of men available it would increase the casualty percentages of the portion of the regiment engaged. Most of the division disintegrated upon initial contact with the advancing British already deployed for the attack and prepared to assault Sterling’s and Stephen’s divisions. [25]  Sullivan, Letters and Papers of Major-General John Sullivan, 465; Harris, Brandywine, 272, 278. Otis G. Hammond (Concord, NH: New Hampshire Historical Society, 1930), 1:458, 474, 563. The 9th Pennsylvania provides a model upon which to gage the degree of turbulence experienced by most regimental-sized units in the Continental Line. Lt. Col. George Nagel served as commanding officer; Maj. Matthew Smith was his regimental major serving as second in command. [4] A study of this unit sheds new light on the unit strength, leadership, roles in key battles, and most importantly casualties suffered, specifically at the Battle of Brandywine, the unit’s first major engagement. On September 11, 1777, General George Washington was determined to prevent the British from capturing the American seat of government, Philadelphia. The forty casualties the unit experienced involved eight, or twenty percent, KIA, sixteen or forty percent WIA and sixteen or forty percent MIA. [32] Revolutionary War Rolls, 1775-1783, roll 83. Washington, unimpressed with Conway’s leadership in sustaining the initial success at Germantown and for his part in the Conway Cabal, was pleased to see Conway leave the Continental Army, under a cloud of suspicion, while at Valley Forge, but that was in the future. Casualties at the Battle of Brandywine Creek: The British suffered casualties of 550 killed and wounded. You can help with this project by submitting names of persons you have come across in your research. Whichever one he may be. The nearest thing to a hard figure from the American side was by Major General Nathanael Greene, who estimated Washington’s army had lost between 1,200 and 1,300 men. “Kriegsspiel Scenario (KS): Brandywine” is presented by Pub Battles as a scenario for playing the Battle of Brandywine using Kriegsspiel rules (downloadable for free from the Toofatlardies website). Note 2: Loyalist enlistment records courtesy of research by Todd W. Braisted, Table 4: Brandywine Missing in Action by Company and Disposition. [10]  Washington assigned the new 9th Pennsylvania Regiment to Brig. Sterling and Stephen succeeded in deploying and positioning their divisions on reasonably defensible terrain along the crest of the ridge south of Birmingham Meeting House about one mile from the forming British lines. The 100 Best American Revolution Books of All Time, https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/06/02/remarks-president-presentation-medal-honor, New Light on Battle Casualties: The 9th Pennsylvania Regiment at Brandywine, Better to Eat That Apple a Day: Medicine in the Revolutionary Era. The light dragoons had to retreat back to Elizabethtown after their humiliating defeat. The engagement occurred near Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania during … Battle of Eutaw Springs, September 8, 1781 (513) {382 [xi]} About 2,200 Continentals and militia attacked camp of 2,000 British regulars and Loyalists. [32] This data is inconsistent with General Conway’s letter of August 15, 1777 to the Board of War, Supreme Executive Council of Pennsylvania, indicating, “The four Pennsylvania Regiments in Brigade are Very Weak one is two hundred men strong, the three others are upon an average, one hundred and sixty.”[33] General Conway may have intentionally understated the strength of his regiments to dramatize the situation with the political leadership of Pennsylvania or the numbers of men available for duty may have been well below the number accounted for and paid. Journal of the American Revolution is the leading source of knowledge about the American Revolution and Founding Era. The rebel commander in chief grossly underestimated the marching ability of the British and his opponent’s daring. Hopefully one of these days this will be cleared up and corrected so that the right Adam Koch will be honored for his contribution to the Revolution. During the attack at Germantown the brigade drove one of the best trained units in the British Army over a mile from their initial defensive positions. [20] Map 1 provides a graphic representation of General Howe’s flanking march and the initial defensive positions of the American forces through approximately 2:00 p.m. September 11, 1777. According to family accounts, my 5th Great Grandmother was Elizabeth Lewis Bishop,…, JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION © 2018, Pennsylvania Regiment: Continental Deserters in the Philadelphia Campaign, August 1777 – June 1778, Pennsylvania Regiment: Continental Deserters. The forces met near Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, as Howe moved to take Philadelphia, then the American capital. I never tire of hearing about the sacrifices made by our forefathers. It is because of him that I am a member of the Sons of the American Revolution, and proud of his service to our country! Together we can recreate history! The Battle of Brandywine was the largest single day engagement of the American Revolution where nearly 30,000 soldiers (not including civilians, teamsters, servants, and other members of the army) squared off on a ten square mile area of roughly 35,000 acres. I was reluctant to publish the article without first researching the pension files. [35] Assuming seventy-two percent of the men paid for August were present at Brandywine, the 9th Pennsylvania fielded 239 men assigned to eight different companies, as reflected in Table 1 below, with a regimental headquarters of eleven field and staff officers. John Brandt, Drum Maj. John Brown, and Fife Maj. James Johnston.[36]. Loved this article. The estimated effective strength is based on seventy-two percent of the men on the payroll present and effective for duty. [38] Forty total casualties represent a 16.7 percent casualty rate for the regiment based on 239 effectives. [35]  Lesser, The Sinews of Independence, 46, 50, 53, 54. 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