George Washington

September 3, 1777 marks the only day that a Revolutionary War battle was fought
in Delaware. The Battle of Cooch’s Bridge engaged elements of British-Hessian forces
under General Cornwallis with Continental Light Infantry Corps under the command of
Brigadier General Willam Maxwell. The objective of the American effort was to
obstruct and harass British troops in order to prevent an invasion of Philadelphia.
British troops travelled from Glasgow up what is now Route 896 to just south of Newark.
American troops opened fire at British positions near Cooch’s Bridge, named after
a family which had emigrated to Delaware from England in 1746. The battle
led to the deaths of as many as 40 Americans and about 20 British troops.
Partly as a result of the resistance they faced, the British left Delaware for Kennett Square, PA,
while General Washington’s forces fortified positions along the Brandywine River
at Chadds Ford. These positions subsequently led to the Battle of the Brandywine.

Source: SAR Magazine, Fall 2003
Posted by: Dr. Sam Hoff, Delaware State University