[SAMWolf]

That very same day, October 4, 1777, General Washington force-marched his troops 25 miles back to where they had started the night before, again without food or sleep. At least seventy-five Americans were killed at Cliveden. The British lost only three. In the overall Battle of Germantown American losses were over 1100, while the British suffered over 500.



Yet, the Battle of Germantown was an American victory of sorts. The British allowed Washington to escape and even to spend the winter of 1777-78 at Valley Forge, where he regrouped and brought in Baron Wilhelm von Steuben and his Prussians from Germany for support. France admired the American plan that failed at Germantown. They were also pleased with the English defeat at Saratoga, New York, several days later. These two battles helped bring the French into the Revolution on America's side. General Washington himself later gained immortal fame. In retrospect, the Battle of Germantown may have been the end of his rough beginning and the beginning of the end of British power in America.

[SAMWolf]

'We fight, get beat, rise, and fight again.'

-- General Nathanael Greene

[E.G.C.]

BTTT!!!!!!

[Pippin]

GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY!

[lavaroise]

It was the beginning of the end of the British empire too, because like most actual empires that segregate economicaly through taxes and disarmed selectively the segregated ghettos - thus adding incentive for the creation of ghetto havens and gangs because of insecurity, there is little incentive for the individual to support the empire but very much motivation to become nationalist and fragmented. The genius of the Founding Fathers was in doing what the British could not do, regroup the fragments into an effective force to be reckoned with through an emphasis on the inalienable and sacred statuses and statutes of men - as opposed to whether such and such state or people were trustworty in social engineering fashion, and to discuss the status, statutes and courses of actions in through genuine thinking processes, thesis (British taxes and dispatching of troops), antithesis (refuse unrepresentative export taxes and shootback the British) and synthesis (make a new nation), IMO.

[manna]

Present!

[firewalk]

Thanks for the ping SamWolf

hope everyone's having a good day (-:

[afraidfortherepublic]

Thanks for the history lesson. Very timely, considering the splash A & E is making this week with their bio docu-drama of Benedict Arnold. Seeing the picture of the younger Gen. George Washington in your post, Kelsey Grammer does not look quite as out of place in the role as he seemed to at first glance.

[f.Christian]

Although surprised, the attackers made use of their superior numbers and pushed through to the northern edge of Germantown. Howe attempted to rally his troops, castigating them for fleeing from "a few rebels," when American grapeshot dropped parts of trees on him. This convinced Howe that this was a full fledged attack, and he hastily withdrew to prepare to meet the American forces.

[ruoflaw]

Thank you sir....You made my day! I can't help but wonder what Wayne did to the men under him that panicked.

[facedown]

Good afternoon SAM.

I grew up in (Mad Anthony) Wayne, PA, a few minutes drive from Valley Forge. We used to go there frequently when I was a kid. As young boys are wont to do we used to play "army" in the park. Back then you could still go into the "star fort" earthen embankments and run around the periphery - up and down, up and down - great fun. We would crawl up on the cannons and "fire" them. We were even allowed to play in the little log huts that the men quartered in!

It was some years later that we visited the park in the dead of winter when the horror of the place struck me. The abject misery that those men endured is unimaginable. Countless died and thousands were damaged for life. To think that the Americans not only survived the ordeal but then mounted a full assault across the river is astounding!

"Naked and starving as they are we cannot enough admire incomparable patience and fidelity of the soldiery"

Washington at Valley Forge February 16, 1778

[Scorpian]

please take me off this list

[Brian_Baldwin]

Thank you for these posts, it gives me shivers to think of our Fore Fathers whom I love so much. I know that many have family members of past generations who died for freedom, that freedom is not free, and we should all be ready to join with George Washington if he calls us again. Washington is one of my greatest heroes of all time, I wish that if there is a heaven I can see him some day - and I want to see him as he was at that time, leading our troops.

[conservativemusician]

Thanks Sam.

Been real busy lately and I'm trying to catch up.
I am a huge fan of Revolutionary War history and this is a great post.

[samuel_adams_us]

Good Old George, he surveyed our family home back in Strasburg back in the 1740's. Good Old Millhouser farms.

[TonyTheTigger]

You are welcome....... and thanks for loving the souls of all men