British Camp at Trudruffrin from the 18th. To 21st. of September 1777. with the Attack made by Major General Grey against the Rebels near White Horse Tavern on the 20th. Of September. Drawn by an Officer on the Spot….
10 x 15 7/8 inches, Excellent condition. Rare. A very precise depiction of an engagement “Drawn by an Officer on the Spot” that occurred just east of Philadelphia in the course of the British army’s march to that city under General William Howe. Popularly known as the Paoli Massacre due to the many Americans who perished in a surprise bayonet attack, this American defeat followed closely after the far more serious setback that occurred at the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, ten days before the action depicted here. The Paoli Massacre was in fact a surprise attack on what was to be a surprise ambush by American troops. After Brandywine, an American force of 1500 led by General Anthony Wayne sought to impede Howe’s march to Philadelphia by setting up an ambush on the Lancaster-Philadelphia road. The British learned of this in advance, and combined British and Hessian troops staged a midnight bayonet charge, killing 150 Americans. The plan shows the lines of march of the various forces, the particular units involved, and the chaotic retreat of the Americans. Trudruffrin was the site of the British encampment, and on the plan the headquarters of both Howe and Knyphausen, the Hessian commander, are shown. Howe went on to take and occupy Philadelphia with ease, but the campaign as a whole was worse than a Pyrrhic victory. Not only was Philadelphia of limited strategic value, but also in deploying a large force in the area, Howe further separated himself from Burgoyne’s arny in New York State, which would eventually suffer the defeat that would be the turning point of the war. Nebenzahl, Atlas of the American Revolution, Map 25; Nebanzahl, Bibliography, no 127.
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