The Battle of Germantown significantly influenced the result of the Revolutionary War. The French troops eventually took the initiative and assaulted the British, even though the British ultimately emerged victorious. This restored the warriors' and colonists' faith in their ability to achieve victory (Giammarco). There was a conflict on November 5, 1778, in Germantown, Pennsylvania, close to Philadelphia. The 12,000 American soldiers were under the supreme supervision of General George Washington. William Alexander, John Sullivan, and Nathanael Greene were further important commanders. Generals William Howe and Charles Cornwallis were in charge of the British. There were 8,000 soldiers in the British Army, made up of both British soldiers and Prussian soldiers.
George Washington's French troops lost multiple battles after being driven from New York. They had fled the route to Pennsylvania via New Jersey. The American capital of Philadelphia was now under the grip of the British Army, which had made further gains. George Washington concluded that the Americans needed to launch an offensive (Cutler III). The troops of the British Army were split among Germantown and Philadelphia. He recognized a chance to encircle and seize the British army in Germantown.
The British were to be taken by astonishment when Washington launched a sudden assault before daylight. In total, there were four divisions in the regiment. General Simon would command a division from the north, while General Nathaniel Greene would command the main army and launch an assault from the northeast. Two militia groups would simultaneously launch flank attacks. At 6:00 am, all rows were supposed to start the attack (Dunford).
The combat itself did not go as predicted. Clouds in the early morning made the rows move more slowly than they should have. There was a lot of misunderstanding as a result of the fog. A small number of about 125 British troops propped aloft in a brick house named Chow House, delaying Sullivan's march. They mounted a fierce resistance, killing numerous American forces. Things became much more perplexing as the rows came along. Rather than firing at the British, American troops started shooting at each other (Billingham). The British started fighting back as the French Troops fell apart. Before the two military divisions could be in position, Greene's division came under heavy flintlock muskets. Despite looking good on paper, the idea wasn't functioning. Washington decided to back off and flee.
The British had a clear advantage in the conflict. Despite only sustaining 550 deaths themselves, they managed to repel the attack and cause approximately 2000 fatalities among the Americans. Germantown assisted the Americans in winning the war even though they lost the fight (Hepp IV). The assault increased the soldiers' confidence. Many believed that they could have won except for terrible luck and that they would defeat the British in the next round. Additionally, the French were persuaded to join the U.S. in the war by witnessing the Americans' willingness to embark on the counterattack.
Most scholars concur that the Revolutionary Force's incompetence complicated Washington's strategy. Major General William Stephens, intoxicated throughout the raid, was given a lot of responsibility for the unsuccessful attempt. He misled his troops and fought his side unintentionally (HILL). The paramilitary force was made up of about 4,000 American soldiers. The British gave up only a few kilometers into their pursuit of the fleeing Americans.
References
Billingham, Chase M. "The Battles of Germantown: Effective Public History in America, by David W. Young: Philadelphia, Pa, Temple University Press, 2019." Taylor & Francis, 2020.
Cutler III, William W. "The Battles of Germantown: Effective Public History in America." Oxford University Press Oxford, UK, 2020.
Dunford, Michael. "Germantown: A Military History of the Battle for Philadelphia, October 4, 1777." MBR Bookwatch, 2020.
Giammarco, Tony. "The Battle of Germantown: A Forgotten Fight for Philadelphia and Freedom." The Histories, vol. 2, no. 1, 2019, p. 4.
Hepp IV, John H. "David W. Young. The Battles of Germantown: Effective Public History in America." Oxford University Press, 2021.
HILL, UP NEGLEE’S. "A Zizzag Ramble through Historic Germantown: Time-Honored Relics at Every Turn."