Labeled a battle, what occurred along the Delaware River in the late afternoon on November 25, 1777 was actually a forty-five-minute skirmish; albeit the British force suffered a larger than usual number of casualties for a minor clash of arms. Considered an American victory, militarily, it was not significant. But politically, it proved worth noting …
Just two days after the birth of the Continental Army, Congress approved the position of Quartermaster General and Assistant Quartermaster General on June 16, 1775. The major duties of the Quartermaster General in Washington’s Army were in transportation, forage, camps and the movement of troops. Additional duties encompassed distributing rations, clothing, ammunition within the regiments, …
Ill-armed, still worse clothed, mostly unshod, scantily fed, discipline lacking, and poorly officered; these and more were accurate descriptions of the American Army that fled to the outskirts of Philadelphia in the fall of 1777 after their disastrous defeat at Brandywine Creek, Maryland. However, many saw evidence of hope among all this despair, especially those …