Editing Battle of Brandywine (section)

===British advance===
[[File:Battle_of_Brandywine_1777.jpg|thumb|right|Map of the Brandywine battlefield (1830 engraving)]]
[[File:Battle of Brandywine.USMA.edu.history.gif|thumb|left|The Battle of Brandywine, September 11, 1777]]

September 11 began with a heavy fog, which provided cover for the British troops. Washington received contradictory reports about the British troop movements and continued to believe that the main force was moving to attack at Chadds Ford.

'''Knyphausen's Column'''

At 5:30&nbsp;a.m. the British and [[Hessian (soldier)|Hessian]] troops began marching east along the "Great Road" (now Route 1) from Kennett Square, advancing on the American troops positioned where the road crossed Brandywine Creek. The first shots of the battle took place about 4 miles west of Chadds Ford, at Welch's Tavern.  Elements of Maxwell's continental light infantry skirmished with the British vanguard (primarily the Queen's Rangers – a battalion of loyalists). The British continued to advance and encountered a greater force of continentals behind the stone walls on the [[Old Kennett Meetinghouse]] grounds. The battle was fought at mid-morning around the meeting house while the pacifist Quakers continued to hold their midweek service. One of the Quakers later wrote, "While there was much noise and confusion without, all was quiet and peaceful within."<ref>{{Cite book|title = Brandywine|last = Harris|first = Michael|publisher = Savas Beatie|year = 2014|isbn = 978-1-61121-162-7|location = El Dorado Hills, CA|page = 226}}</ref>

From the Meetinghouse grounds, the battle continued for three miles to the Brandywine Creek, at Chadds Ford. Eventually the British pushed the Americans back but not before suffering heavy losses.

'''Cornwallis's Column'''

The main British column under General Cornwallis (and accompanied by General Howe) set out from Kennett Square at 5:00&nbsp;a.m..  Local loyalist sources had provided Howe with knowledge of two unguarded fords, above the forks of the Brandywine.  The 17-mile flank march took approximately 9 hours to complete. The British appeared on the Americans' right flank at around 2&nbsp;p.m. and took a much-needed rest on Osbourne's Hill, a commanding position north of the Continental army.  Having received intelligence from Colonel Bland's scouts, Washington ordered Sullivan to take overall command of Stirling and Stephen's divisions (in addition to his own) and quickly march north to meet the British flank attack.  As they were forming their lines north of Dilworth, Howe launched his attack.  Having taken overall command of the right wing of the army, Sullivan left his division to confer with the other generals.  His own division he left under the command of Preudhomme de Borre, with orders to shift to the right in order to link up with Stirling and Stephen's divisions (from left to right the divisions were arranged as Sullivan, Stirling, Stephen).  As the British lines advanced, the Hessian Jaegers threatened to flank the American right forcing Stephen and Stirling to shift right. Howe was slow to attack, which bought time for the Americans to position some of their men on high ground near [[Birmingham Friends Meetinghouse|Birmingham Meetinghouse]], about a mile (1.6&nbsp;km) north of Chadds Ford.<ref>Birmingham Meetinghouse is located at {{Coord|39|54|20|N|75|35|42|W|name=Birmingham Friends Meetinghouse and School}}</ref> By 4&nbsp;p.m., the British attacked.  The British Brigade of Guards caught de Borre by surprise on the American left, before de Borre had time to fully form, and immediately sent them in to disarray, causing the entire division to rout.  Initially,  Stephen's and Stirling's divisions held firm, aided by a battery of artillery on a knoll between their divisions.  However, the British light infantry battalions, aided by the Jaegers, eventually caused Stephen's division to fall back.  A bayonet charge by the British grenadier battalions, in the center, similarly forced Stirling to retreat.  The [[Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette|Marquis de Lafayette]] had only just arrived, joining Stirling's division, when he received a wound while trying to rally the retreating troops.