An undaunted Washington watched for an opportunity to turn the tables on the British. One soon appeared. Howe found Philadelphia a hard prize to hold. He had to detach 3,000 troops from his army to garrison the city, along with thousands more to guard his line of communications and reduce the enemy forts that prevented British ships from supplying him via the Delaware River. These reductions left Howe with a field force of 7,000 men, which he stationed at Germantown, a village five miles northwest of Philadelphia. At the same time, reinforcements from New York, New Jersey and Maryland increased Washington's numbers to 8,000 Continentals and 3,000 militia. The American commander decided to launch a four-pronged attack against Germantown.

The Battle of Germantown began at 5:30 on the foggy morning of October 4, 1777, as Washington's Continentals crashed into the British picket line two miles north of Howe's camp. The British 2nd Battalion of Light Infantry and 40th Regiment of Foot resisted fiercely, but the weight of superior numbers forced them to give ground. Thinking quickly, Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Musgrave ordered 120 men from his 40th Foot to take refuge in a large stone mansion called Cliveden. Instead of immediately pressing on and throwing his full weight at Howe, Washington attempted to seize Musgrave's stronghold. First four guns from the 4th Continental Artillery pounded Cliveden. Then the 1st and 3rd New Jersey Regiments stormed the house. Colonel Elias Dayton led his 3rd New Jersey from horseback until British bullets killed the beast just three yards from Cliveden's northwest corner. Emulating their colonel's reckless courage, some Jerseymen fought their way through the mansion's front entrance, only to be shot or bayoneted in the main hall. Others fell on the front lawn.

Musgrave's two-hour stand won Howe enough time to deploy his army and drive Washington from the field. Nevertheless, Washington's ability to rebound so quickly from Brandywine and mount an offensive gave France another reason to enter the Revolutionary War on the American side.

(Click here to go back)