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The Battle of Germantown was a major engagement in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War.It was fought on October 4, 1777, at Germantown, Pennsylvania, between the British Army led by Sir William Howe, and the American Continental Army under George Washington.
The Battle of Germantown on 4 October 1777 pitted a 9,000-man British army under General William Howe against an 11,000-strong American army commanded by General George Washington. After an initial advance, the American reserve allowed itself to be diverted by 120 British troops holding out in the Benjamin Chew House .
The regiment participated in the Battle of Brandywine and the Battle of Germantown. At Germantown, under the command of Colonel George Mathews, the unit penetrated so deeply into the British lines that it was isolated from the remainder of General Nathanael Greene's division and over 400 men were taken prisoner by the British. [1]
The regiment's first action was at the Battle of Germantown on 4 October 1777, serving in William Smallwood's 1,500-strong left flank column, which was composed mostly of Maryland and New Jersey militia. [6] Forman, who held a brigadier general's commission in the militia, commanded all 600 New Jersey militia troops that were present. [7]
The regiment would see action at the Battle of Brandywine, Battle of Germantown (after which it wintered at Valley Forge [1]), Battle of Monmouth and the Siege of Charleston. Most of the regiment was captured at Charlestown, South Carolina, on May 12, 1780, by the British and the regiment was formally disbanded on January 1, 1783.
Brigadier-General James Tanner Agnew, of Howlish Hall, Co Durham (1719 – 4 October 1777) was a British Army officer reportedly killed by a sniper in the Battle of Germantown during the American Revolutionary War.
Sullivan's column, with the Continental troops of his own division and others, was to advance down Germantown Road against Howe's center. [21] The regiment was part of the platoon of the advance party that first entered Germantown before the battle became general. Unbeknownst to Washington, the columns of Greene and Smallwood got lost.
On Jan 1, 1777 the new 8th Regiment, "Connecticut Line" was formed for the new "Continental Line," and it was placed under the command of Colonel John Chandler, and saw action in the Battle of Germantown, the Siege of Fort Mifflin, and the Battle of Monmouth.