Paoli massacre

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Paoli massacre
Part of the American Revolutionary War
The location of the Paoli massacre, near Malvern, Pennsylvania (seen in the southwestern sector)
Date September 21, 1777 Location Malvern, Pennsylvania Result British victory
Combatants
United States	Britain
Commanders
Anthony Wayne	Charles Grey
Strength
3,850 troops	1,300 troops
Casualties
53 killed 113 wounded 17 captured	4 killed 5 wounded

Philadelphia campaign 1777–1778
Brandywine – Paoli – Germantown – White Marsh – Matson's Ford – Valley Forge – Crooked Billet – Barren Hill – Monmouth

The Paoli Massacre is the name Americans have bestowed upon a battle during the American Revolutionary War. It was fought between British and American forces.

[edit] Background

Following the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777, Brigadier General "Mad" Anthony Wayne was forced to retreat with his troops to Chester, Pennsylvania, in Delaware County.

In the following days, the British forces continued to advance on Philadelphia, and Wayne's Pennsylvania Division, attempted to harass the enemy. Wayne assumed that their presence was undetected and camped close to the British lines in Paoli, Pennsylvania. Wayne's division consisted of the 1st, 2nd, 4th, 5th, 7th, 8th, 10th and 11th Pennsylvania Regiments, plus Hartley's Regiment, and an attached artillery company and a small force of dragoons. All told, it was probably about 3,300 strong. Camped nearby was Smallwood's Maryland Militia, probably another 500 troops.[1]

[edit] Battle

At 10 p.m. on September 20, British commander Major General Charles Grey set out to launch a surprise attack on Wayne's Camp, near the General Paoli Tavern, from which the battle takes its name, located near Malvern, Pennsylvania. Grey's troops consited of the 2nd Light Infantry, a composite battalion formed from the light companies of 13 regiments, plus the 42nd and 44th Foot. Altogether, his brigade comprised some 1300 men.

To ensure that the Americans were not alerted, Grey had the flints removed from his troop's muskets, earning him the nickname "No Flint" Grey.

The British, led by a local blacksmith forced to act as guide, approached the camp from a wood and were able to achieve complete surprise. They stormed the camp in three waves—the 2nd Light Infantry in the lead followed by the 44th and the 42nd. Completely unprepared, Wayne's troops fled from the camp and were pursued. Near the White Horse Tavern the British encountered Smallwood's force and routed it as well.

With a loss of 4 dead and 5 wounded, the British had routed an entire divsion, killing 53, wounding 113, and capturing 17.[2]

[edit] Aftermath

An official inquiry found that Wayne was not guilty of misconduct but had made a tactical error. Wayne was enraged and demanded a full court-martial. On November 1, a board of 13 officers declared that Wayne had acted with honor.

The incident gained some notoriety with rumors that the British had stabbed or burned Americans who tried to surrender, making martyrs out of the casualties. Some of Wayne's troops swore revenge. To show their defiance, the Light Companies of the 46th and 49th Foot, who were both part of the 2nd Light Infantry, dyed their hat feathers red so the Americans would be able to identify them. The Royal Berkshire Regiment, which carries on the traditions of the 49th Foot, still wears a red backing behind their cap badges to commemorate this.