An Army for the War: 1777 Most Continental enlistments expired on 31 December 1776. Congress and Washington hoped to avoid a recurrence of the problems of the previous winter by beginning their preparations for reorganizing the Continental Army during the early fall of 1776. Profiting from that earlier experience, they not only started sooner but…
All posts in 1777-10-04 Germantown
Washington and His Comrades: Chapter V
The Loss of Philadelphia Though the outlook for Washington was brightened by his success in New Jersey, it was still depressing enough. The British had taken New York, they could probably take Philadelphia when they liked, and no place near the seacoast was safe. According to the votes in Parliament, by the spring of 1777…
The Storming of Stony Point
In their ragged regimentals Stood the old Continentals, Yielding not, When the grenadiers were lunging, And like hail fell the plunging Cannon-shot; When the files Of the isles From the smoky night encampment bore the banner of the rampant Unicorn, And grummer, grummer, grummer, rolled the roll of the drummer, Through the morn! Then with…
Battle of Germantown – British Account
From Diary of the American Revolution, Vol I. Compiled by Frank Moore and published in 1859. October 4. –This morning, before daybreak, (the weather being foggy,) the rebels attempted, with all their force, in six columns, to penetrate on the outposts of our army; they began their attack with three of them on the second…
Edward Sherburne
From Diary of the American Revolution, Vol I. Compiled by Frank Moore and published in 1859. October 5. –Died at the American camp, near Pawling’s mill, this evening, Major Edward Sherburne, aide-de-camp to Major-General Sullivan. He received the mortal wound, of which he died, yesterday at the battle of Germantown, after having given the most…