Colonists may have lost, but Philadelphians win at the Battle of Germantown
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At Clivedon mansion, some wall have holes from musket balls fired during the Battle of Germantown. (Shai Ben-Yaacov/WHYY)
The 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg got plenty of attention this year. But an earlier battle that’s reenacted every year in the very place where it happened is coming up this weekend.
In terms of bodies, the Battle of Germantown, in 1777, can’t compare to the carnage of Gettysburg–and it was a defeat for the Continental Army. But the battle is considered to have turned the tide of the revolution by attracting the alliance of French forces–and ultimately led to a victory for the fledgling nation. Reenacted every year since 1977, the Battle of Germantown has become a major neighborhood event at the Cliveden estate in Northwest Philadelphia, where it took place. NewsWorks Tonight Producer, Shai Ben-Yaacov, took a tour of the mansion where the British held off an American attack.
The reenactments take place Sat., Oct. 5, at 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.
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