306 HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY. [1777. 



tice Marshall in his Life of Washington, with the addition of a 

 few details, properly omitted by that author, but which it may 

 be well to preserve in a strictly local history of that event. 



" The armies were now within seven miles of each other, with 

 only the Brandywine between them, which opposed no serious 

 obstacle to a general engagement. This was sought by Howe, 

 and not avoided by Washington. 



"In the morning of the 11th, soon after day, information was 

 received that the whole British army was in motion, advancing 

 on the direct road leading to Chadds' Ford. The Americans 

 were immediately under arms, and placed in order of battle for 

 the purpose of contesting the passage of the stream. Skirmish- 

 ing soon commenced between the advanced parties; and by ten 

 o'clock Maxwell's corps, with little loss on either side, was 

 driven over the Brandywine, below the ford. Knyphausen, 

 who commanded this column, paraded on the heights, reconnoi- 

 tred the American army, and appeared to be making dispositions 

 to force the passage of the creek. A skirt of woods, with the 

 stream, divided him from Maxwell's corps, small parties of whom 

 occasionally crossed over, and kept up a scattering fire, by which 

 not much execution was done. At length one of these parties, 

 led by Captains Waggoner and Porterfield, engaged the British 

 flank guard very closely, killed a captain with ten or fifteen pri- 

 vates, drove them out of the wood, and were on the point of 

 taking a field-piece. The sharpness of the skirmish, soon drew 

 a large body of the British to that quarter, and the Americans 

 were again driven over the Brandywine."^ 



About eleven in the morning information reached General 

 Washington, that a large column of the enemy, with many field- 

 pieces, had taken a road leading from Kennet Square, directly 

 up the country, and was marching to fords higher up on the 

 Brandywine. This information was given by Col. Ross, of 

 Pennsylvania, who was in their rear, and estimated their num- 

 bers at .'"),000 men. 



On receiving this information, Washington is said to have de- 

 termined to detach Gen. Sullivan and Lord Stirling to engage 

 the left division of the British army, and with the residue of his 

 troops to cross Chadds' Ford in person, and attack Knyphausen. 

 Before this plan could be executed, counter intelligence was re- 

 ceived, inducing an opinion that the movement of the British on 

 their left was a feint, and that the column of Lord Cornwallis, 

 after making demonstrations of crossing the Brandywine above 

 its forks, had marched down the western side of that stream to 

 unite itself again with Knyphausen. 



Various and contradictory reports were, from time to time, 



' Chief JuHticc Marshall was an eye witness to this skirmish. 



