The Battle of GermantownOn October 4, 1777, the British and Continental Armies met up at Germantown to battle. After the British victory in Philadelphia, General William Howe decided to camp 9,000 of his troops in Germantown. George Washington, wanting to boost his troops’ morale after their loss, devised an attack on the camped troops. Washington's plan was well designed, but it proved difficult for a relatively untrained army to execute. |
"These are the times that try men's souls." Important AmericansThere were four main roads leading into Germantown, so Washington divided his troops into four groups that would each attack from a different side. Out of the four groups of Continental soldiers, only two of them were able to complete their mission the way Washington planned. One of the groups got lost in the smoke and chaos that ensued once the battle began. Another reached their position but only fired at the British camp and did not charge at it. Two of the groups, led by John Sullivan and Nathanael Greene, were able to successfully attack the British camp but were unable to see clearly due to all of the smoke from the gunfire and began to fire on each other. By the time they figured out their mistake, the British had gained control of the battle and were able to force the Americans out of the British camp. In addition to regaining control of their land, the British army only suffered 500 casualties in comparison to the Americans’ 1,000.
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The Battle of Germantown was supposed to be an easily won surprise attack and the loss significantly lowered the morale of the Americans. The disorganization of the battle also caused a small group of American leaders to lose faith in George Washington’s leadership. In New York, another Continental general, Horatio Gates, had been repeatedly beating the British forces. The same group that doubted Washington’s leadership began trying to make the case that Gates would be a better leader of the Continental Army than Washington. However, the American performance at Germantown was not completely terrible; it was much better than it had been at the start of the war, a fact that gave many Americans hope for the future.
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Important British William Howe
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