PA, USA
Defense of the Chew House
October 4, 1777
Colonel Musgrave's 40th Regiment fortified Benjamin Chew's stone mansion, Cliveden, as the American attack swept past their position. Henry Knox convinced Washington to reduce the strongpoint rather than bypass it, and American troops spent critical time firing cannon at the thick stone walls and attempting to storm the building.
The decision to attack the Chew House remains one of the most debated tactical choices of the war. Military convention held that an enemy strongpoint in your rear should be neutralized, but the delay cost momentum at a moment when the American attack was succeeding elsewhere. Cliveden still stands today, its walls bearing scars from the cannonballs.
People Involved
Planned and led the attack on Germantown, one of the most ambitious tactical operations of the war. The battle plan required four columns to converge simultaneously — a level of coordination that exceeded the Continental Army's capabilities but demonstrated Washington's aggressive instincts.
Former Chief Justice of Pennsylvania whose stone mansion, Cliveden, became a British strongpoint during the battle. About 120 British soldiers fortified the house and repelled repeated American assaults, disrupting Washington's attack plan.
Commander of the British 40th Regiment who fortified the Chew House during the battle and held it against repeated American attacks. His defense of Cliveden became a crucial factor in the American defeat, as it delayed and disrupted Washington's advancing columns.
Commanded American artillery at Germantown and advised Washington to reduce the Chew House rather than bypass it. The decision to assault the fortified mansion with cannon proved costly and time-consuming, contributing to the battle's failure.