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General Washington prepares to meet General Howe to defend Pennsylvania.
Destination: Philadelphia
General George Washington of the United States Continental Army was in a quandary. His enemy, General William Howe of the British Royal Army, was launching an attack, but Washington did not know its objective. It was vitally important that he know where to send the American army to meet the British onslaught. A mistake could cost the Patriots their freedom and their very lives.
Washington had come a long way from the young, inexperienced officer who surrendered Fort Necessity to the French in 1754. During the French and Indian War, he gained experience by working closely with British officers and observing the strategies used by the French and the Indians. Twenty years ago, the British had been his allies. Now they were the enemy.
How had this come about? The American colonies had matured, no longer viewing themselves as children of the mother country, England. The thirteen colonies resented the taxes that England forced on them and the laws which controlled their commerce. Britain refused to allow the colonies a vote in Parliament, the body of representatives who wrote laws for Britain and her colonies. Peaceful attempts to resolve their conflicts failed, and in April 1775, fighting broke out between the Massachusetts militia and British troops stationed in Boston. A year later, in July of 1776, representatives from each of the thirteen colonies had voted to support a Declaration of Independence, which stated that the colonies were willing to go to war to win their freedom from British rule.
Now it was the summer of 1777, and General Washington, the chosen Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, needed to predict the next move of his opponent, General Howe. Washington knew that Howe had sailed from New York City with thousands of British troops and their mercenary allies the Hessians. But where was Howe headed? To the north—or to the south?
Interestingly enough, certain British officers wanted to know the same thing! Howe was supposed to sail his fleet up the Hudson River to rendezvous at Albany, New York with British Generals Burgoyne and St. Leger. But General Howe—who did not always play well with the other generals—had decided that Burgoyne and St.Leger could handle Albany without him. While the other two generals waited for back-up that would never arrive, Howe undertook a plan to capture Philadelphia, the American capital city!
Philadelphia was the most important city in the American colonies at that time. The Continental Congress, the leaders of the thirteen colonies, had its home there. Philadelphia was surrounded by rich farmlands, mines, and warehouses which supplied the young nation with food, iron, and other vital supplies. The loss of Philadelphia would be a terrible blow to the American cause, and if the members of the Continental Congress were captured, it could mean the end of the entire revolution.
On August 1, Howe’s fleet was spotted in the Delaware Bay, but the ships turned around and headed back out to sea. Puzzled by this behavior, but feeling certain that Howe’s objective was Philadelphia, Washington set up camp at Neshaminy, in Bucks County. It was at Neshaminy that Washington first met a young man who would soon distinguish himself in this country and his own by fighting valiantly for the defense of Philadelphia—the Marquis de Lafayette.
TO BE CONTINUED ...
Source List
Bastalick, Henrietta; Janice B. Taylor and Richard W. Taylor. Kennett Square: Yesterday and Today. KNA Press. Kennett Square, PA. 1982. p.11.
Bromer, Rick. “The Marquis de Lafayette.” Old News. Susquehanna Times & Magazine, Inc. Marietta, PA.
Kent, Donald H. “Anthony Wayne: Man of Action.” Historic Pennsylvania Leaflet No.2. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Harrisburg, PA. 1976.
Knight, James E. The Winter at Valley Forge: Survival and Victory. Troll Associates. Mahwah, New Jersey. 1982.
Lancaster, Bruce. The American Heritage Book of the American Revolution. American Heritage Publishing Co. Inc. New York. 1971. p. 211.
Reynolds, Patrick M. “Pennsylvania Profiles.” Vol. 1-15. The Red Rose Studio. Willow Street, PA. 1977-1991.
Stein, R. Conrad. The Story of Valley Forge. Childrens Press. Chicago. 1985.
Trussell, John B.B., Jr. “The Battle of the Brandywine.” Historic Pennsylvania Leaflet No. 37. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. Harrisburg, PA. 1992.
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