Campaign of 1777: Battle of Paoli
The Battle of Brandywine was not the end of the American Revolution in Chester County. The Continental Army led by General George Washington and the British forces led by General William Howe clashed two more times before General Howe left the county on September 22nd and advanced into Philadelphia and General Washington made his way to Valley Forge where the army camped for the winter.
The Battle of the Clouds took place on September 16, 1777 less than a week after the Battle of Brandywine. The two full armies of 26,000 met and engaged briefly before a violent storm pre-empted the battle. Outnumbered and very short on dry munitions, Washington retreated in the night toward Yellow Springs and then continued north to protect Reading Furnace.
The Battle of Paoli, also called the "Paoli Massacre," was a small, vicious battle that occurred at midnight on September 20-21, 1777 when Major General Charles Grey led a surprise attack on Brigadier General Anthony Wayne's encampment.
Interactive Map
The interactive maps for the Battles of Brandywine, Paoli, and Clouds are based upon work assisted by a grant from the Department of the Interior, National Park Service. View Map
Patriots Path
Patriots Path is a proposed multi-municipal trail network to connect Revolutionary War Heritage Sites related to the northern portion of the British Philadelphia Campaign of 1777. Specifically, it would connect Battle of the Clouds Park, Paoli Battlefield and Paoli Memorial Grounds, and Valley Forge National Historic Park, and provides heritage interpretation opportunities for Sites in between. The trail will be a combination of paved paths, sidewalks, and other pathways depending on location. Parts of the County's Chester Valley Trail are part of the Patriot's Path.
Portions of the trail are parallel to, or coincide with, 18th Century, Revolutionary War movements by General Washington's American Army and British General Howe's troops, following the Battle of Brandywine in September 1777. In addition to being a recreational resource, a function of the Patriots Path is to commemorate elements of the Revolutionary War that occurred right here in Chester County, connecting Heritage Sites for visitation and providing educational information through signage and sites to see along the Network.
Technical Report and Maps
- Battle of Paoli Technical Report
- Appendix A: Overview Battle Map
- Appendix B: Detail Battle Map
- Appendix C: Paoli Project Area
- Appendix D: Wall Map
- Appendix E: KOCOA Overall
- Appendix F: KOCOA Physical Topography
- Appendix G: KOCOA Cultural Topography
- Appendix H: KOCOA Fields of Fire
- Appendix I: Archaeological Assessment
- Appendix J: 1777 Trail Loop