A detailed study of the turning point in one of the most important
battles in American history
The Battle of Brandywine, fought on September 11, 1777, along its
namesake creek in the bucolic Pennsylvania countryside, was one of the
largest engagements of the Revolutionary War. To those who participated
in this massive battle, spread out over ten square miles and lasting
from late afternoon until dark, it was unforgettable. Soon after the
action, Major Joseph Bloomfield of the 3rd New Jersey recorded that it
was "the grandest scene I ever saw, a sight beyond description."
Brandywine was the first major battle for the recently reorganized
Continental Army. Units had fought in small engagements, but not until
Brandywine did the army fight as a whole against the British. As the two
armies clashed, a ferocious and desperate action developed on a hill at
the heart of the battlefield, and it was here where the battle's outcome
was determined.
Despite its size and significance--Brandywine was the third bloodiest
engagement of the war, with 1,300 American and 581 British
casualties--the battle has been the subject of very few studies. In
Decision at Brandywine: The Battle on Birmingham Hill, historian
Robert M. Dunkerly analyzes the fighting near the Birmingham Meeting
House where the battle turned. By dissecting the struggle on Birmingham
Hill in detail, he offers a case study in weapons, tactics, and terrain
analysis critical to a holistic understanding of the entire battle and
what it would mean for the future of the Continental Army. In the
process he not only explains how the Continental Army's lack of
uniformed training and inexperience in large open-field battles played a
major role in their defeat, but also provides important information
about Revolutionary War combat in general.
