Battle of Brandywine Soldiers

The open yard just west of the organ loft stairway is believed to be the resting place of eighteen Patriots from the Battle of Brandywine, fought on September 11, 1777. This battle, part of the Philadelphia Campaign, resulted in a British victory allowing them to capture Philadelphia, the U.S. capital.

The graves are thought to be of soldiers who were sick or wounded in battle and died at local farmhouses as Washington’s army passed through the area.

“Legend tells us that the remains of Revolutionary War soldiers from the Battle of the Brandywine, September 11, 1777 lie here in unmarked graves.”

The Nation Makers, by Howard Pyle (detail)