British Establish Germantown Encampment

After occupying Philadelphia, General Howe posted a significant portion of his army at Germantown under the command of Lieutenant General Wilhelm von Knyphausen. The encampment stretched along Germantown Road, with British and Hessian troops billeted in homes and public buildings throughout the town.

Washington's intelligence network monitored the encampment closely, and it was the dispersed nature of the British position that encouraged him to attempt a surprise attack. The British were camped in a long, thin line along the main road — vulnerable to a concentrated assault if it could be delivered with enough speed and coordination.