✦ History

Part of American Revolutionary War

Battle of Brandywine

September 11, 1777 · Brandywine Battlefield Park, Chadds Ford, PA

Result British victory

Largest single-day land battle of the American Revolutionary War. Howe outflanked Washington's position along Brandywine Creek; the American defeat opened the way to the British occupation of Philadelphia two weeks later. Lafayette was wounded in his first battle.

On the map Contemporaries

American

British

United States Continental Army under Washington
Great Britain Howe's army, including Hessian troops under Knyphausen
Landgraviate of Hesse-Kassel
George Washington General, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army Alexander Hamilton military commander Nathanael Greene Major General, commanded a division; covered the American retreat Marquis de Lafayette Major General, wounded while rallying troops; his first battle Henry Knox Brigadier General, chief of artillery Anthony Wayne military commander Casimir Pulaski military commander John Sullivan military commander
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William Alexander military commander
William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe General, Commander-in-Chief of British forces; outflanked the American position Charles Cornwallis Major General, commanded the flanking column Wilhelm von Knyphausen military commander

Strength and losses

Strength
14,600
Killed
250
Wounded
600
Captured
400
Strength
15,500
Killed
93
Wounded
488
Missing
6

Units

Continental Army Aaron Burr Lieutenant Colonel Aaron Ogden Abraham Buford Alexander Hamilton General Alexander McDougall Major General Anthony Wayne Artemas Ward Major General Arthur St. Clair Benjamin Lincoln Major General Casimir Pulaski General Christopher Greene Colonel Daniel Morgan General Edward Hand George Clinton George Mathews Green Clay Henry Dearborn General Henry Knox Major General Henry Lee III Horatio Gates Hugh Mercer Brigadier General Israel Putnam General James Clinton Major General James McHenry James Monroe Major James Wilkinson James Winchester James Wood Jean François Hamtramck Colonel Johann de Kalb Major General John Armstrong Jr. General John Brooks Colonel John Francis Mercer Colonel John Glover John Hardin Colonel John Hoskins Stone John Marshall John Stark Major General John Sullivan Major General John Thomas Major General Joseph Bloomfield Joseph Warren Major General Josiah Harmar Josiah Tattnall (politician) Lachlan McIntosh Brigadier General Levin Winder Marquis de Lafayette Morgan Lewis Nathan Hale Colonel Nathanael Greene Major General Peleg Wadsworth General Peter Gansevoort Major General Philip Schuyler General Pierse Long Colonel Richard Butler Robert Magaw Colonel Samuel Smith Seth Warner Colonel Tadeusz Kościuszko Lieutenant General Thomas Knowlton Timothy Pickering General William Barton William Bradford William Darke William Eaton General William Maxwell Brigadier General William Moultrie Major General William Prescott Colonel William Sanford Pennington Major William Whipple William Woodford Brigadier General Benedict Arnold 1775–1780 Charles Lee 1775–1780 George Washington 1775–1783 William Alexander 1775–present 1st Maryland Regiment
British main army in North America West Yorkshire Regiment

Also involved 1