10/04/2026
Big losses for the patriots and the British at the Battle of Germantown.
On Oct. 4, 1777, a key part of the Battle of Germantown unfolded at Cliveden, the country home of Pennsylvania Chief Justice Benjamin Chew. A British regiment occupied Cliveden and defended it from full assault by the Continental Army, under George Washington. During the battle, British troops occupied the Chew House and held off American attacks on the mansion. The failed efforts to take the Chew House, along with other problems during the battle, forced the Americans to retreat. Although the battle was an American defeat, Washington's strategy helped to win French aid for the cause of independence. This State -preserved lantern slide depicts the fighting at the Chew House. , , Historic Germantown