Decision at Brandywine: The Battle on Birmingham Hill

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 t