Siege+of+Philadelphia

// The Siege of Philadelphia and Fort Mifflin // // wiki by Mikaela Litchfield //  In late July of 1777, British forces decided to invade and take over [|Philadelphia, Pennsylvania]. It was the capital of the the colonies, residing place of many of the men of the [|Continental Congress], and had much needed resources for the British troops. The British devised a plan to sail south to Philadelphia. When General Washington heard this, he to went south to prevent this from happening, and before could Britain could attack the capital, they were stopped because the Americans had set up 56 rows of spikes, called [|chevaux-de-frise], in the bottom of the Delaware Bay that so that it tore apart the bottoms of the British ships.

However, after Washington's defeat in the [|Battle of Brandywine] in September 1777, the British marched into Philadelphia unopposed and captured the city. The city, full of civilians, now had over 18,000 British soldiers to feed and supply. General Sir William Howe could not get these resources into Philadelphia because General Washington's army controlled most of the area north and west of the Capital. The south had already been pillaged by Howe's troops and the east was guarded by the state [|militia].Howe decided to siege Fort Mifflin, which was located on the Delaware River, because it was the only route left open that the British could pass through. The fort was extremely important for the American troops because it effectively denied the [|British Navy] free use of the river.

After the [|Battle of Germantown] in October, 1777, the British laid siege to Fort Mifflin and [|Fort Mercer]. The siege, which lasted until mid-November, destroyed much of Fort Mifflin. Four hundred American soldiers were able to hold off over 2,000 British troops and 250 ships until the British intensified their attack on November 10, 1777, and began a round-the-clock bombardment on the fort. At times, the British were able to fire nearly 1,000 cannonballs in 20 minutes. This fierce attack on Fort Mifflin continued for a week, but on November 17, the Americans evacuated the fort, their flag still flying. Out of the 400 soldiers that defended the fort during the siege, 250 were dead. The following day, [|Lord Charles Cornwallis] landed his 2,000 British troops on the New Jersey shore near Fort Mercer. The American commanders quickly decided to evacuate the [|garrison], torching the structures and all the supplies they could not carry away. This was the only time Fort Mifflin saw action in the American Revolution. The fort still stands today and evidence of the 1777 British bombardment, which is called the greatest bombardment of the American Revolution, can be seen by the pockmarks in the stone walls.

**//Important Figures//**

**General W****illiam** **How****e**  General Howe was one of the British ge nerals in the American Revolution. He lead British troops in the [|Battle of Bunker Hill], where the British took control of Breed's Hill driving the Americans out. He was the illegitimate son of [|King George III]and sympathized with the colonists until he was sent into battle to fight them. General Howe became the regular Commander-in-chief in April of 1776. He was a brilliant military mind and led his troops in taking over New York in 1776. After winning the Battle of Long Island along with the Battle of White Plains, Howe went on to capture Fort Washington. Finally, the Howe captured [|Fort Lee]across from New York. The British had control over all of New York. Howe's fame in North America was marked by the successful capture of both [|New York City] and [|Philadelphia]. However, poor British campaign planning for 1777 contributed to the failure of [|John Burgoyne's Saratoga campaign], which played a major role in the entry of [|France into the war.]

**Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis**

Lieutenant General Lord Charles Cornwallis was the first son, with five older sisters, born to Charles, He was a member of the English ruling class, with the [|pedigree] to prove it. His title was //"Lord Brame"//. Like so many of the British nobility he attended Eton in the shadow of the Royal Residence at [|Windsor Castle]. Eton, an exclusive private school, was then as it is now, a favorite of the British aristocracy. In New York, Cornwallis took part in the Battle of New York and the fall of[| Fort Washington], under the command of Lieutenant General Sir William Howe. His leadership helped force George Washington's army from New York. Cornwallis took control of [|Fort Lee], which was abandoned by [|American Major General Nathaniel Greene] and from there organized the pursuit of Washington's army across New Jersey. Having successfully defeated the American army around New York City, then driving them across New Jersey, Cornwallis was of the opinion that the defeated American army was finished. It was just a matter of waiting for spring to round up the survivors. He was so certain of this that he ordered his personal baggage to be placed aboard a ship bound for England, as he was confident that his services would no longer be required in the New World. General Cornwallis was the most famous British officer in the Revolution and won many prominent battles.

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