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Today episode 170 the Battle of White Marsh.

For the last few weeks, I've been neglecting Washington's army

as we've finished off Saratoga,

then spent a couple of weeks with the British clearing the Delaware, and then last week catching up with the Continental Congress at York.

We last left Washington, retreating from his attack at Germantown on October 4th, 1777, way back in episode 163.

After the retreat from Germantown, Washington and his men marched to Landstale, Pennsylvania, about 20 miles northwest of

Germantown.

In the couple of weeks following the battle at Germantown, Washington spent most of his time trying to consolidate his

army in case there was a British counterattack. Also trying to explain to

Congress what had happened and seeking food and supplies for his increasingly

desperate soldiers. After about two weeks he moved the Continental Army a

little bit closer to Philadelphia setting his headquarters at the home of Peter Wens, about 12 miles from Germantown.

A few weeks after that, on November 2nd, he moved his Army to White Marsh, only about 8 miles from Germantown.

By creeping closer to the British, Washington hoped to draw British attention away from the Delaware

River defenses and keep focus on his army.

If he could keep the British from seizing the forts on the Delaware River, perhaps he could

keep General Howe's army isolated and without supply lines over the winter as the Delaware

river froze. But as we saw a couple of weeks ago that did not work. The British leveled the forts along the Delaware and the British Navy swept

aside its river defenses and reached Philadelphia by late November. At this point Washington's

generals were divided on next steps.

Some wanted a second attack on Philadelphia.

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