General Orders, 9 September 1777
General Orders
Head Quarters, Burmingham [Pa.]1 Septemr 9th 1777.
Parole: Countersign:
Intelligence having been received, that the enemy, instead of advancing towards Newport, are turned another course, and appeared to have a design of marching northward—this rendered it expedient for the army to quit Newport and march northward also; which occasioned it’s sudden movement this morning.2
Such of the troops as have not been served with Rum to day, are as soon as possible to be served with a gill a man.
The Major and Brigadier Generals of the day, accompanied by the Quarter Mr General, will immediately reconnoitre the environs of the camp; and fix on the proper places for the posting of picquets, for its security.
Varick transcript, DLC:GW.
1. GW on this date established his headquarters nearly a mile east of Chadds Ford, Pa., in the house of Benjamin Ring (c.1737–1804). GW remained there until 11 Sept., but it was not until 7 Feb. 1778 that he paid Ring £22.10 for “30 person[s] eating at 6 different times” (vouchers and receipted accounts, 1776–80, DLC:GW, ser. 5, vol. 29; see also household account book, 11 April 1776–21 Nov. 1780, DLC:GW, ser. 5, vol. 28).
2. Lt. James McMichael of Greene’s division says in his diary entry for this date: “At 4 A.M. we received marching orders and proceeded E.N.E. to the Crooked Billet, on the great road from Wilmington to Lancaster; thence thro’ Kennett township, Chester county [Pa.], crossed the Brandywine and turning S.E. encamped in the township of Birmingham, being extremely fatigued for want of rest and severe marching” ( 149; see also 289). The Continental troops crossed Brandywine Creek at Chadds Ford, Pa., about two miles north of the Delaware state line (see , 1:154). John Chadd (d. 1760), who had operated a ferry at the ford since the 1730s, owned a house and tavern nearby.
British engineer Capt. John Montresor says in his diary entry for this date: “At 2 o’clock P.M. Lt.-General Kniphuysen with the 3rd division and 2 more British Brigades marched for Kennett’s square [Pa.] via New Garden [Pa.] and arrived at his ground at 11. At sunset this evening the 2 other divisions of this Army under Lord Cornwallis and Major-General Grant marched from Head Quarters at Nichols’s House Mill Creek Hundred by a bye road to Hokesson Meeting house [Del.]—Quaker meeting 4 miles distance and encamped. . . . At ½ past 5 this afternoon the Commander in Chief [Howe] received accounts of the rebel army having evacuated Newport and Wilmington and taken post at Chad’s ford on the Brandywine Creek” ( , 448; see also , 30; , 145–46; , 44–45; , 104–6; and , 80).