Battle of Paoli Part of the American Revolutionary War The location of the Paoli massacre, near Malvern, Pennsylvania (seen in the southwestern sector) Date September 21, 1777 Location Malvern, Pennsylvania Result Decisive British victory Combatants United States Great Britain Commanders Anthony Wayne Charles Grey Strength 3,850 troops 1,300 troops Casualties 53 killed, 113 wounded, 17 captured 4 killed, 5 wounded

Philadelphia campaign 1777–1778 Brandywine – Paoli – Germantown – White Marsh – Matson's Ford – Valley Forge – Crooked Billet – Barren Hill – Monmouth

The Battle of Paoli (also known as the Battle of Paoli Tavern or the Paoli Massacre) was a battle in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War fought on September 21, 1777 in the area surrounding present-day Malvern, Pennsylvania. Following the American retreats at the Battle of Brandywine and the Battle of the Clouds, George Washington left a force under the command of Brigadier General Anthony Wayne behind in order to monitor and harass the British as they prepared to move on the revolutionary capital of Philadelphia. On the evening of September 20, British forces under the command of Major General Charles Grey led a surprise attack on Wayne's encampment near the Paoli Tavern. Although there were relatively few American casualties, claims were made that the British took no prisoners and granted no quarter, and the engagement became known (from an American perspective) as the "Paoli Massacre." Combatants American Revolutionaries French Monarchy Spanish Empire Dutch Republic Oneida and Tuscarora tribes Polish volunteers Prussian volunteers Kingdom of Great Britain Hessian mercenaries Iroquois Confederacy Loyalists Commanders George Washington Nathanael Greene Gilbert de La Fayette Comte de Rochambeau Bernardo de Gálvez Tadeusz KoÅ›ciuszko Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben Sir... Image File history File links PaoliMalvernPA.jpg‎ From Geo Data, US Government Agency, Location of Paoli and Malvern, PA File links The following pages on the English Wikipedia link to this file (pages on other projects are not listed): Chesterbrook, Pennsylvania Malvern, Pennsylvania Paoli, Pennsylvania ... September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years). ... Year 1777 (MDCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... Malvern is the name of a town in Worcestershire, England. ... Official language(s) English, Pennsylvania Dutch Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 280 miles (455 km)  - Length 160 miles (255 km)  - % water 2. ... Anthony Wayne (January 1, 1745 - December 15, 1796), was a United States Army general and statesman. ... Sir Charles Grey, 1st Earl Grey, K.B. (23 October 1729–14 November 1807) was one of the most important British generals of the 18th century. ... Combatants United States Great Britain Commanders George Washington William Howe Henry Clinton The Philadelphia campaign (1777–1778) was a British initiative in the American Revolutionary War. ... Combatants United States Britain Commanders George Washington William Howe Strength 10,600 17,000 Casualties 250 killed, 750 wounded, 400 captured 89 killed, 487 wounded The Battle of Brandywine was a battle of the American Revolutionary War fought on September 11, 1777, near Chadds Ford on Brandywine Creek in Delaware... , Philadelphia, Pennsylvania|Germantown]] || result = inconclusive || combatant1 = Continental Army || combatant2 = Great Britain|Hessian Forces || commander1 = George Washington || commander2 = William Howe || strength1 = 13,000 || strength2 = 8,000 || casualties1 = 152 killed, 521 wounded, 400 captured || casualties2 = 71 killed, 450 wounded, 14 missing |}} |- | |} The Battle of Germantown was a battle in the American Revolutionary... Combatants Continental Army Colonial militia Great Britain German mercenaries Commanders George Washington William Howe Charles Cornwallis W. von Knyphausen Strength 11,000 14,000 Casualties 90 killed or wounded 32 captured 60 killed or wounded Map of the Battle of White Marsh The Battle of White Marsh was a battle... Combatants Pennsylvania militia Great Britain Commanders John Lacey Charles Cornwallis Strength Unknown Unknown Casualties Unknown Unknown The Battle of Matsons Ford was a battle of the American Revolutionary War fought December 11, 1777 in the area surrounding Matsons Ford (present-day Conshohocken and West Conshohocken, Pennsylvania). ... Recreation of a cabin in which soldiers would have lived at Valley Forge Valley Forge, Pennsylvania, was the site of the camp of the American Continental Army over the winter of 1777–1778 in the American Revolutionary War. ... Combatants Pennsylvania militia Great Britain, Commanders John Lacey Lt. ... This article should belong in one or more categories. ... Combatants United States Great Britain Commanders George Washington Henry Clinton Strength 13,462 13,059 Casualties 152 killed, 300 wounded, Total: 452 190 killed, 390 wounded, 576 captured, Total: 1,156 The Battle of Monmouth was an American Revolutionary War battle fought in New Jersey on June 28, 1778, that... Combatants United States Great Britain Commanders George Washington William Howe Henry Clinton The Philadelphia campaign (1777–1778) was a British initiative in the American Revolutionary War. ... Combatants American Revolutionaries French Monarchy Spanish Empire Dutch Republic Oneida and Tuscarora tribes Polish volunteers Prussian volunteers Kingdom of Great Britain Hessian mercenaries Iroquois Confederacy Loyalists Commanders George Washington Nathanael Greene Gilbert de La Fayette Comte de Rochambeau Bernardo de Gálvez Tadeusz KoÅ›ciuszko Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben Sir... September 21 is the 264th day of the year (265th in leap years). ... Year 1777 (MDCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... Location of Malvern in relation to Paoli and Chesterbrook Malvern is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. ... Official language(s) English, Pennsylvania Dutch Capital Harrisburg Largest city Philadelphia Area  Ranked 33rd  - Total 46,055 sq mi (119,283 km²)  - Width 280 miles (455 km)  - Length 160 miles (255 km)  - % water 2. ... Combatants United States Britain Commanders George Washington William Howe Strength 10,600 17,000 Casualties 250 killed, 750 wounded, 400 captured 89 killed, 487 wounded The Battle of Brandywine was a battle of the American Revolutionary War fought on September 11, 1777, near Chadds Ford on Brandywine Creek in Delaware... War for Independence Battle of the Clouds September 16, 1777 The Battle of the Clouds (also known as the Battle of Warren or Whitehorse Tavern or the Battle of Goshen) occurred September 16, 1777. ... George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799)[1] led Americas Continental Army to victory over Britain in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), and was later elected the first president of the United States under the U.S. Constitution. ... Anthony Wayne (January 1, 1745 - December 15, 1796), was a United States Army general and statesman. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Quaker City Motto: Philadelphia maneto (Let brotherly love continue) Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Mayor John F. Street (D) Area    - City 369. ... September 20 is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years). ... Sir Charles Grey, 1st Earl Grey, K.B. (23 October 1729–14 November 1807) was one of the most important British generals of the 18th century. ...

Background

Following the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777, Brigadier General "Mad" Anthony Wayne was forced to retreat with his troops to Chester, Pennsylvania, in Delaware County. Combatants United States Britain Commanders George Washington William Howe Strength 10,600 17,000 Casualties 250 killed, 750 wounded, 400 captured 89 killed, 487 wounded The Battle of Brandywine was a battle of the American Revolutionary War fought on September 11, 1777, near Chadds Ford on Brandywine Creek in Delaware... September 11 is the 254th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (255th in leap years). ... Year 1777 (MDCCLXXVII) was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... Anthony Wayne (January 1, 1745 - December 15, 1796), was a United States Army general and statesman. ... Chester is a city in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, population 36,854 at the 2000 census. ... Delaware County is a county located in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. ...

In the following days, the British forces continued to advance on Philadelphia, and Wayne's Pennsylvania Division, attempted to harass the enemy. Wayne assumed that their presence was undetected and camped close to the British lines in Paoli, Pennsylvania. Wayne's division consisted of the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 10th and 11th Pennsylvania Regiments, plus Hartley's Regiment, and an attached artillery company and a small force of dragoons. All told, it was probably about 3,300 strong. Camped nearby was Smallwood's Maryland Militia, probably another 500 troops.[1] Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Cradle of Liberty, the City That Loves You Back, the Quaker City, The Birthplace of America Motto: Philadelphia maneto - Let brotherly love continue Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701 Government... Paoli is a census-designated place located in Chester County, Pennsylvania. ...

Battle

At 10 p.m. on September 20, British commander Major General Charles Grey set out to launch a surprise attack on Wayne's Camp, near the General Paoli Tavern, from which the battle takes its name, located near Malvern, Pennsylvania. Grey's troops consisted of the 2nd Light Infantry, a composite battalion formed from the light companies of 13 regiments, plus the 42nd and 44th Foot. Altogether, his brigade comprised some 1,300 men. September 20 is the 263rd day of the year (264th in leap years). ... Sir Charles Grey, 1st Earl Grey, K.B. (23 October 1729–14 November 1807) was one of the most important British generals of the 18th century. ... Location of Malvern in relation to Paoli and Chesterbrook Malvern is a borough in Chester County, Pennsylvania, United States. ... The 42nd (Royal Highland) Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment of the British Army. ... The 44th Regiment of Foot was an infantry regiment in British Army. ...

To ensure that the Americans were not alerted, Grey had the flints removed from his troop's muskets, earning him the nickname "No Flint" Grey.

The British, led by a local blacksmith forced to act as guide, approached the camp from a wood and were able to achieve complete surprise. They stormed the camp in three waves—the 2nd Light Infantry in the lead followed by the 44th and the 42nd. Completely unprepared, Wayne's troops fled from the camp and were pursued. Near the White Horse Tavern the British encountered Smallwood's force and routed it as well.

With nine casualties, four of them being fatalities, the British had routed an entire American division, killing 53, wounding 113, and capturing 17.[2]

Aftermath

An official inquiry found that Wayne was not guilty of misconduct but had made a tactical error. Wayne was enraged and demanded a full court-martial. On November 1, a board of 13 officers declared that Wayne had acted with honor. A court-martial (plural courts-martial) is a military court that determines punishments for members of the military subject to military law. ... November 1 is the 305th day of the year (306th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 60 days remaining. ...

The incident gained some notoriety with rumors that the British had stabbed or burned Americans who tried to surrender, making martyrs out of the casualties. Some of Wayne's troops swore revenge. To show their defiance, the Light Companies of the 46th and 49th Foot, who were both part of the 2nd Light Infantry, dyed their hat feathers red so the Americans would be able to identify them. The Royal Berkshire Regiment, which carries on the traditions of the 49th Foot, still wears a red backing behind their cap badges to commemorate this. The Royal Berkshire Regiment (Princess Charlotte of Waless) was an infantry regiment of the line in the British Army, formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 49th (Princess Charlotte of Waless) (Hertfordshire) Regiment of Foot and the 66th (Berkshire) Regiment of Foot. ...