Germantown: A Military History of the Battle for Philadelphia, October 4, 1777

by Michael C. Harris

The award–winning author of Brandywine examines a pivotal but overlooked battle of the American Revolution’s Philadelphia Campaign.Today, Germantown is a busy Philadelphia neighborhood. On October 4, 1777, it was a small village on the outskirts of the colonial capital—and the site of one of the American Revolution’s largest battles. Now Michael C. Harris sheds new light on this important action with a captivating historical study.After defeating Washington’s rebel army in the Battle of Brandywine, General Sir William Howe took Philadelphia. But Washington soon returned, launching a surprise attack on the British garrison at Germantown. The recapture of the colonial capital seemed within Washington’s grasp until poor decisions by the American high command led to a clear British victory. With original archival research and a deep knowledge of the terrain, Harris merges the strategic, political, and tactical history of this complex operation into a single compelling account. Complete with original maps, illustrations, and modern photos, and told largely through the words of those who fought there, Germantown is a major contribution to American Revolutionary studies.

Genres: History, American Revolution, American Revolutionary War, Military History, American History

506 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 15, 2020

Reviews

[Breck Baumann · Rating 4 out of 5]

With a welcome return to the Revolutionary War’s military history, Michael C. Harris chooses to break down the events that followed directly after his previous title, Brandywine, surveying all aspects of the Battle of Germantown. Harris begins with an informative ‘Preface’ that touches on his hesitation (and eventual desire) to write another battlefield account, and sets out in both the ‘Introduction’ and opening chapters to describe a chronological timeline of engagements and decisions that proceeded directly after the Battle of Brandywine. Indeed, it’s also through these pages that the reader is given concise backgrounds of what will be the Battle of Germantown’s most decisive winners and losers.

In a chessboard-like approach, Harris sizes up Washington’s army and the general’s decisions with that of William Howe’s—matching the two commanders’ expectations and maneuvers in a fascinating show of veteran foresight and awe-inspiring frustration. Those familiar with Harris’s previous work will be delighted that subchapters are once again featured throughout each chapter, noting important dates and insight in bold for the accompanying text that follows. Upon moving through the chapters, the setting, landscapes, and geography of each and every skirmish leading up to the Battle of Germantown are described artistically in a welcome approach that places the reader amongst both the ranks of those marching ahead and—most significantly—the local populace.

Following the aftermath of the Battle of the Clouds, Harris brings the confusion, fright, and panic of an approaching enemy to the forefront with his telling of the Continental Congress’s flight from Philadelphia. This leads up to a harrowing narrative of the Paoli Massacre, where the likes of Anthony Wayne, William Smallwood, Mordecai Gist and the brave Marylanders under their command (among countless others) are ruthlessly bayoneted and routed in a devastating defeat for the Continental army. Packed with every minute detail of the events surrounding the Battle of Germantown, Harris’s work at times feels dry and overstretched—with perhaps too much attention and focus placed on a given officer or regiment’s position and conflict prior to the Battle itself.

That’s not to say this is unwelcome for the student looking to gain expert knowledge surrounding the Battle of Germantown, where Harris includes valuable descriptions on such matters as Washington’s personal staff, the average soldier taking up arms, the training and experiences that they held prior to the skrimage, and the very muskets and ammunition typically identified in 1777 (the .75 caliber “Brown Bess” and the French Charleville .69 being extremely popular). Respectively, this treatment is given to Howe’s army and staff as well—where Harris goes so far as to prove that only one company of jaegers who fought in the battle itself happened to be true Hessians. As Washington’s army moved in on Germantown with hopes for a surprise attack, Harris notes that most of Howe’s army were quite actually aware of the approaching enemy—a fact he points out with the exception of the unfortunate 2nd Light Infantry Battalion:

Lieutenant Hunter of the 52nd of Foot had a hard time believing what he was witnessing. “This was the first time we had ever retreated from the Americans,” he confessed, “and it was with great difficulty that we could prevail on the men to obey our orders.” It was about this time that General Howe “had come up” somewhere between Mount Pleasant and Cliveden, continued Hunter, “and seeing the battalion all broke, he got into a great passion, for We were always his favourites.” Like the lieutenant, Howe was shocked that his men were being driven from the field. “For shame, Light Infantry! I never saw you retreat before. Form! Form! It is only a scouting party!” shouted Howe to no avail.

As the second half of the book is almost entirely devoted to the Battle of Germantown, Harris catches each retreat, rout, engagement, and perceived victory with chronological expertise and judgement. Each and every chapter finishes with a multitude of well-researched endnotes, allowing for a selection of primary (and secondary) source material to choose from before moving on to the next events of the battlefield. As the Continental army’s surprise attack inevitably unfolds from a hopeful victory to a regrettable defeat, Harris navigates the harrowing standoff between Continental units under General Sullivan and British soldiers led by Colonel Musgrave at Cliveden (a home the latter was presently occupying and barricading). It’s this monumental debacle that would prove the highlight of the Battle of Germantown itself, as the likes of Washington and Henry Knox are lambasted for wasting valuable time and artillery on an “impregnable castle” at the rear of their march, instead of advancing ahead with momentum and opportunity.

With the finale of battle finding the British with the upper hand and the Continentals fleeing the field (surprisingly, with an uninspired British pursuit), Harris exhausts each and every journal and primary source at hand—including a highly informative first hand account from John André. Indeed, he manages to steer away from what could be a rather dry read by adding interesting lore such as the comical surprise “capture” of General Howe’s dog in the aftermath of battle, to which General Washington honorably returned the pooch and was genuinely thanked via letter. Concluding with an ‘Epilogue’ that summarizes the importance of the Battle of Germantown in retrospect with the War of Independence, Harris has once again triumphed in establishing a definitive military history of a lone Revolutionary War battle. Three helpful appendices are included, as well as maps and photography scattered throughout each chapter.

[Joseph Ficklen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thrilling story with which I was almost entirely unfamiliar about Washington’s counter-attack against Howe just weeks after the Battle of Brandywine. The audacity of the plan is one thing, but the intrepidity with which the attack was carried out is another! An American army nearly put to flight the main British army in North America, almost concurrently with Gates’ and Arnold’s victory at Saratoga. How different might have been the outcome of the war if it were to end five years sooner! But weather, coordination, drunken officers, and a stone house all conspired against them. But the men of the Continental army were wiser than most historians by ascribing their defeat snatched from the jaws of victory not to any material cause, but to providence. Michael Harris has done an amazing job bringing this much neglected battle to light, as good as his book on Brandywine! I hope to see a book on Monmouth in the coming years.

[Lloyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very thorough and informative, yet readable history of this important battle in the American Revolutionary War. Germantown was a small city on the outskirts of Philadelphia and the American Army attacked here in an attempt to retake the colonial capital, Philadelphia, from the British. While the battle itself was a tactical defeat of the Americans, more importantly it was the first time General Washington launched an assault against the primary British Army in America. The Rebels were on the offensive and they initially drove back the enemy and they experienced much success, gaining confidence in themselves as soldiers and as an army. Plus, they started to place doubts in the minds of the British. The Brits were finally beginning to understand that this rag-tag American Army could not be so easily dismissed and defeated. Now, in conjunction with the American forces victory over the British at Saratoga at this same time, France could see that the Americans were capable of ultimate victory and it greatly influenced France’s decision to ally themselves with the Americans, which was critically important to achieving American independence.

[W Charles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book continues Mr. Harris’s study of the 1777 Philadelphia Campaign picking up after Brandywine. The book is every bit as good as his first effort on Brandywine. If you read this as a stand-alone it is five stars. If you read it after Brandywine, it is only four stars. The difference are a few chapters in the middle that repeat similar chapters from Brandywine. If you read the first book, you may get bogged down in those chapters or feel the need to skip them. It is my only criticism. Another well done book!

[Ted Savage · Rating 5 out of 5]

My fifth, great-grandfather, William Belote was a Private in the 9th Virginia Regiment under the Left Wing command of Major General Nathanael Greene. William’s entire regiment under Col. George Matthews was captured and imprisoned at Germantown on October 4th, 1777.

[Eric · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will be the definitive single volume history of the battle for decades to come.