Post #2 in our “A Patriot’s Story” series
By September of 1777, General William Howe had landed his British army at the head of the Chesapeake and set his sights on Philadelphia, the seat of the Continental Congress. To defend the capital, George Washington moved his army into the rolling Pennsylvania countryside along a creek called the Brandywine.
Among the soldiers waiting in those fields was a young Virginian who would one day make his home on Drake’s Creek in Sumner County. Henry Bradford—the man whose house still stands today as the Bradford-Berry House—was about to face the largest land battle of the entire Revolution.
Henry served in the 3rd Virginia Regiment, part of the Continental Line under Washington’s direct command. On the morning of September 11, 1777, Washington positioned his forces to guard the fords along the Brandywine, expecting Howe to attempt a direct crossing. But Howe, a seasoned commander, divided his army. While part of his force remained at Chadds Ford, the bulk of the British and Hessian troops marched in a long, looping flank to strike the American right.
The 3rd Virginia held a position south of the Chester Road as the battle developed. The fighting was fierce and the day was long. Washington’s army, outmaneuvered but unbroken, fought to slow the British advance and cover an orderly retreat. The men stood under fire, gave ground grudgingly, and bought Washington time to pull the army out in order.
It was here, on this Pennsylvania field, that Henry Bradford was wounded. He survived, and was promoted to Sergeant. A teenage apprentice from Fauquier County had become a non-commissioned officer of the Continental Army.
Brandywine was, by the cold measure of tactics, an American defeat. Philadelphia fell to the British weeks later. And yet the army came out intact, regrouped, and fought on through the brutal winter at Valley Forge and beyond. Defeat on the field did not mean defeat in the war, and the men who held the line that day, Henry Bradford among them, are the reason why.
The Bradford-Berry House was built by a man who bled at Brandywine so that a nation might be born. That is worth remembering every time you drive past it, more than two centuries later.
As September approaches and we mark the anniversary of the battle, we ask you to carry Henry’s story forward. Tell it to your children. Share it with the veterans and history-lovers in your life. And join us in preserving the house he built, so that the memory of what he endured is never allowed to fade. He helped earn us a country. Remembering is the least we owe him.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened at the Battle of Brandywine?
On September 11, 1777, General Howe outflanked Washington’s army near Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania, in the largest land battle of the Revolution. The British won and soon took Philadelphia, but Washington’s army escaped intact.
Was Henry Bradford wounded at Brandywine?
Yes. Fighting with the 3rd Virginia Regiment south of the Chester Road, he was wounded and afterward promoted to Sergeant.
Why was the Battle of Brandywine important?
It was the largest single-day battle of the Revolutionary War and opened the road to Philadelphia, yet Washington preserved his army to fight on.
