Philippe Hubert Preudhomme de Borre
Encyclopedia
Philippe Hubert, Chevalier de Preudhomme de Borre (born 1717, date of death unknown) joined the French royal army in 1740 and served in the War of the Austrian Succession
. During the American Revolutionary War
he traveled to America where he was presented as a military expert. Promoted to general officer, his career as a Continental Army
officer was undistingished. He resigned under a cloud and returned to France in 1779. He ended his career in obscurity.
De Borre began his military career in the French royal army as a volunteer. He served as a cavalry officer in several campaigns during the War of the Austrian Succession. In 1745 he was seriously wounded. In 1757 he raised a unit from his home town of Liège
in what is now Belgium
but evidently saw no action in the Seven Years' War
. When he arrived in America in 1776, the Second Continental Congress
commissioned him a brigadier general
. George Washington
assigned de Borre to command the 2nd Maryland Brigade in John Sullivan
's division. He led his troops at Staten Island
and Brandywine
. At the latter battle he proved incapable of handling his troops in action. Threatened with a court martial, he resigned and left America in 1779. He was promoted to brigadier general in the French army in 1780 but he was no longer physically capable of active service.
. On 1 May 1740 he joined the Regiment of Champagne as a volunteer. He was commissioned as a sous lieutenant on 26 July 1741 and a lieutenant
on 20 April 1742. He became a captain in the Duc de Bretagne Dragoon Regiment on 6 August 1744. After having fought in Bavaria, Bohemia, and Flanders, de Borre was badly wounded during the passage of the Rhine River in 1745. He suffered four sword strokes to his head and one to his wrist. The latter injury crippled one of his hands for life.
While a lieutenant colonel
in 1757, de Borre raised a unit from the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, the Liègeois d'Orion Regiment. Though the bishopric was not part of France the Prince-Bishop had an agreement with the King of France provide a regiment for the royal army. On 20 June 1757 King Louis XV
made him a Chevalier of the Order of Saint Louis
. There is no record of him being in action during the Seven Years' War
which was then raging. When his regiment was reorganized on 1 January 1762, he was sent to garrison Metz
. Until 1767 his task was to prevent desertion in the area of Liège. On 14 December 1776, then a temporary artillery brigadier general
, he set out with Philippe Charles Tronson de Coudray
and a large group of French officers who were given the government's blessing to assist the American Revolution
. However, the French vessel Amphitrite turned back. De Borre and a fellow officer Thomas Antoine Mauduit du Plessis set sail from Saint-Nazaire
in the Mercure on 5 February 1777. The ship also carried a secret cargo of gunpowder, small arms, and material for uniforms, all bound for the American army.
on 17 March 1777. He made his way to Morristown, New Jersey
where on 17 May George Washington
presented him with a brigadier general's commission back-dated to 1 December 1776. That week, Washington was in the process of forming the main army into ten permanent brigades. There were four from Virginia, three from Pennsylvania, two from Maryland, and one from New Jersey. William Smallwood
was appointed to lead the 1st Maryland Brigade while de Borre was given command of the 2nd Maryland Brigade. At the same time, a Frenchman of Irish heritage, Thomas Conway
received command of another brigade. De Borre's brigade consisted of the 2nd Canadian Regiment
, and the 2nd
, 4th
, and 6th Maryland Regiments
.
In May 1777, de Coudray and his entourage of 18 officers and 10 sergeants reached America. At this time Americans were becoming aware of the problem of accepting foreign adventurers into their ranks. Some foreign officers proved valuable to the American cause, while others were not useful. For example, Matthias Alexis Roche de Fermoy
proved to be a failure as a combat general. Because du Coudray had been promised the rank of major general
, Henry Knox
, Nathanael Greene
, and John Sullivan
vowed to resign if the Frenchman was promoted over their heads. Anxious not to offend France, Congress invented the title Inspector General of Ordnance and Military Manufactories for de Coudray but made sure that he had no authority over the combat generals. The freshly-minted Inspector General promptly began quarreling with other French officers such as the capable engineer Louis Lebègue Duportail and involved himself in intrigues. One Frenchman noted that de Coudray's arrogance offended the Congress and damaged relations between the American colonies and France. De Coudray even managed to anger Gilbert Motier, marquis de La Fayette. Finally, on 16 September 1777 de Coudray stupidly rode his horse onto a Schuylkill River
ferryboat and the skittish animal leaped overboard, drowning its rider.
On 22 August, Sullivan mounted an unsuccessful raid on British positions near New York City
in the Battle of Staten Island
. The Americans captured most of one loyalist battalion but admitted losing 20 wounded and 150 prisoners. The British claimed to have captured 260 Americans while the New Jersey loyalists lost about 140 captured. Meanwhile, the 2nd Canadian and the 2nd Maryland Regiments apparently suffered the heaviest losses on the American side. One of Sullivan's officers subsequently preferred charges against him for botching the operation. Sullivan asked de Borre, whose brigade had participated, to keep quiet until his court martial could take place. Ultimately, Sullivan was exonerated.
On 11 September, the British-Hessian army of Sir William Howe squared off against Washington's 12,000 continentals and 3,000 militiamen at the Battle of Brandywine
. The American left flank at Pyle's Ford was held by John Armstrong, Sr. and 2,000 Pennsylvania militia. Nathanael Greene
's division of 2,500 men in two Virginia brigades and Francis Nash
's 1,500-strong North Carolina brigade held the left center. Anthony Wayne
's 2,000 troops in two Pennsylvania brigades defended Chadds Ford in the center. In reserve were 2,500 troops in the divisions of Adam Stephen
and William Alexander, Lord Stirling. Stephen led two Virginia brigades while Stirling had a New Jersey and a Pennsylvania brigade. While the rest of the army waited on the east bank of Brandywine Creek, William Maxwell's 1,000 light infantry and some militia fought a delaying action on the west bank. See the Brandywine order of battle
for details of both armies.
Sullivan's division held the right flank with the two Maryland brigades. He deployed 1,100 troops and two artillery pieces from both de Borre's and Smallwood's brigades at Brinton's Ford. The 250-man Delaware Regiment from the 1st Brigade was detached to hold Jones's Ford, the next crossing place to the north. Moses Hazen
's 400-strong 2nd Canadian Regiment defended Wister's and Buffington's Fords, which were even more distant. American reconnaissance that day was woefully deficient. Howe divided his 18,000 British and Hessian troops into two wings. He sent the right wing under Wilhelm von Knyphausen
to advance directly on Chadds Ford. Meanwhile, the more powerful left wing under Howe and Lord Charles Cornwallis marched north. About noon, Howe's wing crossed the Brandywine at undefended Jefferis's Ford, which was north of Buffington's. Howe's column veered to the southeast past Strode's Mill toward Osborne's Hill where the footsore troops were permitted to rest. At this location they were finally spotted by American cavalrymen and Theodorick Bland
quickly notified both Washington and Sullivan of the danger.
Washington immediately instructed Stirling and Stephen to march north toward Birmingham Meeting House, a place of Quaker worship. These two divisions had time to deploy on a ridge to the southeast of Birmingham. At 2:30 PM Sullivan received orders to rendezvous with the other two divisions and take command of the right wing. Not only did he need to navigate through difficult terrain, but he had to link up with the Delaware Regiment and Hazen's men. During the maneuver, de Borre asked Sullivan if Hazen's regiment could rejoin his brigade, but the request was denied. De Borre was miffed because this left his brigade with only 350 men.
After Sullivan got his men onto a hill 400 yards (366 m) west of Birmingham he realized that his division was separated from and several hundred yards in front of the other two divisions. Sullivan rode over to confer with Stirling and Stephen. Because Smallwood was on detached duty with the Maryland militia, de Borre was left in charge of the two Maryland brigades. The Frenchman, whose command of English was rudimentary, was not popular with the officers or the rank and file. Sullivan issued orders for the Maryland division to move to the right in order to come in line with the other two divisions. To make room, Stephen and Stirling also had to shift rightward.
Stephen and Stirling moved their divisions without incident, even though their troops were coming under fire from the enemy's light troops. De Borre somehow mismanaged the shift of Sullivan's division. Instead of simply moving to the right, the Frenchman ordered the division to file off to the left and circle back to the northeast. At the end of the bizarre maneuever, the 1st Brigade was in almost the same position it started. Instead of being alongside the 1st Brigade, the 2nd Brigade was behind it. At this moment, the crack Brigade of Guards
supported by two 12-pound cannons attacked. When the sound of gunfire erupted, the confused soldiers of the 2nd Brigade volleyed into the backs of the 1st Brigade. The 1st Maryland Regiment
put up some resistance, suffering 26 casualties, but the entire division soon crumbled. The soldiers headed to the rear pursued by the British Guards. De Borre later stated to Samuel Smith
of the 4th Maryland that a wound on his cheek was caused by the English firing fish hooks. Smith suspected that de Borre misrepresented his injury and that it was caused by riding through some briars. Since it led the column of march, Hazen's regiment apparently did not take part in de Borre's maneuver and instead joined Stirling's left flank.
Under the direction of Sullivan, the divisions of Stirling and Stephen resisted the British attack stoutly for an hour. Stirling's command was forced to retreat first, though Conway acquitted himself well. Finally, Stephen's division was overwhelmed and compelled to withdraw. Washington averted a disaster when he brought up George Weedon
's brigade of Greene's division at 6:00 PM to slow the British pursuit.
De Borre reported to Congress that his division ran away without having suffered any casualties. He urged Washington to pull the entire army back into Philadelphia and call up 50,000 militia to annoy the British, but this suggestion was ignored. Charged with mismanagement and told that a court of inquiry would be convened, de Borre sent in his resignation on 14 September and Congress accepted it. The next day he explained that he had resigned because he led "nothing but bad troops" and he refused to be dishonored. Historian Mark M. Boatner III remarked that the war record of the 2nd Maryland Brigade argued that it was made up of fine regiments. Sullivan, who was often at the center of controversy, was also blamed for the defeat. A story arose at the time that he insisted on his division being assigned to hold the post of honor on the right flank, but historian Thomas J. McGuire disproved this myth. Congress demanded that Sullivan be recalled, but Washington declined to remove him because it would have left the Maryland division leaderless.
on 20 January 1779, de Borre took dispatches to Charles Hector, comte d'Estaing
whose French fleet was then at Cap-François in Haiti
. From there, he had an eventful voyage home to France on the Andromaque. En route, the warship sank the British privateer Tartar on 15 May and arrived at Brest, France
on 5 July. He was promoted to brigadier general in the French royal army as of 1 March 1780, but a little over one month later the retirement process was begun due to his physical disability. The date of his death was not given. His unpublished manuscript, Journal des campagnes de 1777 et 1778 au service des colonies unies de l'Amérique, is in the French Archives historiques de la Guerre.
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession – including King George's War in North America, the Anglo-Spanish War of Jenkins' Ear, and two of the three Silesian wars – involved most of the powers of Europe over the question of Maria Theresa's succession to the realms of the House of Habsburg.The...
. During the American Revolutionary War
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War , the American War of Independence, or simply the Revolutionary War, began as a war between the Kingdom of Great Britain and thirteen British colonies in North America, and ended in a global war between several European great powers.The war was the result of the...
he traveled to America where he was presented as a military expert. Promoted to general officer, his career as a Continental Army
Continental Army
The Continental Army was formed after the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War by the colonies that became the United States of America. Established by a resolution of the Continental Congress on June 14, 1775, it was created to coordinate the military efforts of the Thirteen Colonies in...
officer was undistingished. He resigned under a cloud and returned to France in 1779. He ended his career in obscurity.
De Borre began his military career in the French royal army as a volunteer. He served as a cavalry officer in several campaigns during the War of the Austrian Succession. In 1745 he was seriously wounded. In 1757 he raised a unit from his home town of Liège
Liège
Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....
in what is now Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
but evidently saw no action in the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
. When he arrived in America in 1776, the Second Continental Congress
Second Continental Congress
The Second Continental Congress was a convention of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies that started meeting on May 10, 1775, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, soon after warfare in the American Revolutionary War had begun. It succeeded the First Continental Congress, which met briefly during 1774,...
commissioned him a brigadier general
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
. George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
assigned de Borre to command the 2nd Maryland Brigade in John Sullivan
John Sullivan
John Sullivan was the third son of Irish immigrants, a United States general in the Revolutionary War, a delegate in the Continental Congress and a United States federal judge....
's division. He led his troops at Staten Island
Battle of Staten Island
The Battle of Staten Island was a raid by Continental Army troops under Major General John Sullivan against British forces on Staten Island on August 22, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War...
and Brandywine
Battle of Brandywine
The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of the Brandywine or the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American army of Major General George Washington and the British-Hessian army of General Sir William Howe on September 11, 1777. The British defeated the Americans and...
. At the latter battle he proved incapable of handling his troops in action. Threatened with a court martial, he resigned and left America in 1779. He was promoted to brigadier general in the French army in 1780 but he was no longer physically capable of active service.
Early career
De Borre was born in 1717 at LiègeLiège
Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....
. On 1 May 1740 he joined the Regiment of Champagne as a volunteer. He was commissioned as a sous lieutenant on 26 July 1741 and a lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
on 20 April 1742. He became a captain in the Duc de Bretagne Dragoon Regiment on 6 August 1744. After having fought in Bavaria, Bohemia, and Flanders, de Borre was badly wounded during the passage of the Rhine River in 1745. He suffered four sword strokes to his head and one to his wrist. The latter injury crippled one of his hands for life.
While a lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
in 1757, de Borre raised a unit from the Prince-Bishopric of Liège, the Liègeois d'Orion Regiment. Though the bishopric was not part of France the Prince-Bishop had an agreement with the King of France provide a regiment for the royal army. On 20 June 1757 King Louis XV
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
made him a Chevalier of the Order of Saint Louis
Order of Saint Louis
The Royal and Military Order of Saint Louis was a military Order of Chivalry founded on 5 April 1693 by Louis XIV and named after Saint Louis . It was intended as a reward for exceptional officers, and is notable as the first decoration that could be granted to non-nobles...
. There is no record of him being in action during the Seven Years' War
Seven Years' War
The Seven Years' War was a global military war between 1756 and 1763, involving most of the great powers of the time and affecting Europe, North America, Central America, the West African coast, India, and the Philippines...
which was then raging. When his regiment was reorganized on 1 January 1762, he was sent to garrison Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
. Until 1767 his task was to prevent desertion in the area of Liège. On 14 December 1776, then a temporary artillery brigadier general
Brigadier General
Brigadier general is a senior rank in the armed forces. It is the lowest ranking general officer in some countries, usually sitting between the ranks of colonel and major general. When appointed to a field command, a brigadier general is typically in command of a brigade consisting of around 4,000...
, he set out with Philippe Charles Tronson de Coudray
Philippe Charles Tronson de Coudray
Philippe Charles Tronson du Coudray was a French army officer who volunteered for service in the Continental Army during the American War of Independence. Born in Reims, France, du Coudray entered the French military and trained as an artillery specialist...
and a large group of French officers who were given the government's blessing to assist the American Revolution
American Revolution
The American Revolution was the political upheaval during the last half of the 18th century in which thirteen colonies in North America joined together to break free from the British Empire, combining to become the United States of America...
. However, the French vessel Amphitrite turned back. De Borre and a fellow officer Thomas Antoine Mauduit du Plessis set sail from Saint-Nazaire
Saint-Nazaire
Saint-Nazaire , is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France.The town has a major harbour, on the right bank of the Loire River estuary, near the Atlantic Ocean. The town is at the south of the second-largest swamp in France, called "la Brière"...
in the Mercure on 5 February 1777. The ship also carried a secret cargo of gunpowder, small arms, and material for uniforms, all bound for the American army.
American Revolutionary War
De Borre disembarked from the Mercure at Portsmouth, New HampshirePortsmouth, New Hampshire
Portsmouth is a city in Rockingham County, New Hampshire in the United States. It is the largest city but only the fourth-largest community in the county, with a population of 21,233 at the 2010 census...
on 17 March 1777. He made his way to Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown, New Jersey
Morristown is a town in Morris County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town population was 18,411. It is the county seat of Morris County. Morristown became characterized as "the military capital of the American Revolution" because of its strategic role in the...
where on 17 May George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
presented him with a brigadier general's commission back-dated to 1 December 1776. That week, Washington was in the process of forming the main army into ten permanent brigades. There were four from Virginia, three from Pennsylvania, two from Maryland, and one from New Jersey. William Smallwood
William Smallwood
William Smallwood was an American planter, soldier and politician from Charles County, Maryland. He served in the American Revolutionary War, rising to the rank of major general...
was appointed to lead the 1st Maryland Brigade while de Borre was given command of the 2nd Maryland Brigade. At the same time, a Frenchman of Irish heritage, Thomas Conway
Thomas Conway
Thomas Conway was a French soldier from Ireland who served as a major general in the American Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He became involved with the alleged Conway Cabal. He later served with Émigré forces during the French Revolutionary War.-Early life:Conway was born...
received command of another brigade. De Borre's brigade consisted of the 2nd Canadian Regiment
2nd Canadian Regiment
The 2nd Canadian Regiment, also known as Congress' Own or Hazen's Regiment, was authorized on January 20, 1776, and raised in the province of Quebec for service with the Continental Army under the command of Colonel Moses Hazen. All or part of the regiment saw action at the Staten Island,...
, and the 2nd
2nd Maryland Regiment
For the American Civil War regiment, see 2nd Maryland Infantry.-Summary:The 2nd Maryland Regiment origins were authorized on 14 January 1776 in the Maryland State Troops as seven independent companies.From 7 to 14 March 1776 the companies were organized from various counties from the eastern region...
, 4th
4th Maryland Regiment
The 4th Maryland Regiment was organized on 27 March 1776 with eight companies from Baltimore, Anne Arundel and Somerset counties in the colony of Maryland. It was authorized on 16 September 1776 for service with the Continental Army and assigned to the main on 27 December 1776. It was assigned to...
, and 6th Maryland Regiments
6th Maryland Regiment
The 6th Maryland Regiment was organized on 27 March 1776 composed of eight companies of volunteers from Prince Georges, Queen Anne's, Frederick, Cecil, Harford, and Anne Arundel counties in the colony of Maryland.It was authorized on 16 September 1776 for service with the Continental Army and was...
.
In May 1777, de Coudray and his entourage of 18 officers and 10 sergeants reached America. At this time Americans were becoming aware of the problem of accepting foreign adventurers into their ranks. Some foreign officers proved valuable to the American cause, while others were not useful. For example, Matthias Alexis Roche de Fermoy
Matthias Alexis Roche de Fermoy
Matthias Alexis Roche de Fermoy was a French soldier of fortune who served as a brigadier general in the Continental Army. Born in the West Indies, he was one of several foreigners given command positions in the army in 1776 . Fermoy's tenure as a brigadier general was marked by disgrace...
proved to be a failure as a combat general. Because du Coudray had been promised the rank of major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
, Henry Knox
Henry Knox
Henry Knox was a military officer of the Continental Army and later the United States Army, and also served as the first United States Secretary of War....
, Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United...
, and John Sullivan
John Sullivan
John Sullivan was the third son of Irish immigrants, a United States general in the Revolutionary War, a delegate in the Continental Congress and a United States federal judge....
vowed to resign if the Frenchman was promoted over their heads. Anxious not to offend France, Congress invented the title Inspector General of Ordnance and Military Manufactories for de Coudray but made sure that he had no authority over the combat generals. The freshly-minted Inspector General promptly began quarreling with other French officers such as the capable engineer Louis Lebègue Duportail and involved himself in intrigues. One Frenchman noted that de Coudray's arrogance offended the Congress and damaged relations between the American colonies and France. De Coudray even managed to anger Gilbert Motier, marquis de La Fayette. Finally, on 16 September 1777 de Coudray stupidly rode his horse onto a Schuylkill River
Schuylkill River
The Schuylkill River is a river in Pennsylvania. It is a designated Pennsylvania Scenic River.The river is about long. Its watershed of about lies entirely within the state of Pennsylvania. The source of its eastern branch is in the Appalachian Mountains at Tuscarora Springs, near Tamaqua in...
ferryboat and the skittish animal leaped overboard, drowning its rider.
On 22 August, Sullivan mounted an unsuccessful raid on British positions near New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in the Battle of Staten Island
Battle of Staten Island
The Battle of Staten Island was a raid by Continental Army troops under Major General John Sullivan against British forces on Staten Island on August 22, 1777, during the American Revolutionary War...
. The Americans captured most of one loyalist battalion but admitted losing 20 wounded and 150 prisoners. The British claimed to have captured 260 Americans while the New Jersey loyalists lost about 140 captured. Meanwhile, the 2nd Canadian and the 2nd Maryland Regiments apparently suffered the heaviest losses on the American side. One of Sullivan's officers subsequently preferred charges against him for botching the operation. Sullivan asked de Borre, whose brigade had participated, to keep quiet until his court martial could take place. Ultimately, Sullivan was exonerated.
On 11 September, the British-Hessian army of Sir William Howe squared off against Washington's 12,000 continentals and 3,000 militiamen at the Battle of Brandywine
Battle of Brandywine
The Battle of Brandywine, also known as the Battle of the Brandywine or the Battle of Brandywine Creek, was fought between the American army of Major General George Washington and the British-Hessian army of General Sir William Howe on September 11, 1777. The British defeated the Americans and...
. The American left flank at Pyle's Ford was held by John Armstrong, Sr. and 2,000 Pennsylvania militia. Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene
Nathanael Greene was a major general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. When the war began, Greene was a militia private, the lowest rank possible; he emerged from the war with a reputation as George Washington's most gifted and dependable officer. Many places in the United...
's division of 2,500 men in two Virginia brigades and Francis Nash
Francis Nash
Francis Nash was a brigadier general killed in the American Revolutionary War.Nash was born in Prince Edward County, Virginia. At an early age he became prominent as a North Carolina merchant, attorney, and justice of the peace; experiences which eventually led to a seat in the North Carolina...
's 1,500-strong North Carolina brigade held the left center. Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne
Anthony Wayne was a United States Army general and statesman. Wayne adopted a military career at the outset of the American Revolutionary War, where his military exploits and fiery personality quickly earned him a promotion to the rank of brigadier general and the sobriquet of Mad Anthony.-Early...
's 2,000 troops in two Pennsylvania brigades defended Chadds Ford in the center. In reserve were 2,500 troops in the divisions of Adam Stephen
Adam Stephen
Adam Stephen was a Scottish-born doctor and military officer. He came to North America, where he served in the Virginia colonial militia under George Washington during the French and Indian War. He served under Washington again in the American Revolutionary War, rising to lead a division of the...
and William Alexander, Lord Stirling. Stephen led two Virginia brigades while Stirling had a New Jersey and a Pennsylvania brigade. While the rest of the army waited on the east bank of Brandywine Creek, William Maxwell's 1,000 light infantry and some militia fought a delaying action on the west bank. See the Brandywine order of battle
Brandywine order of battle
The Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777 saw a colonial American army led by Major General George Washington fight a British-Hessian army commanded by General William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe. Washington drew up his troops in a defensive position behind Brandywine Creek...
for details of both armies.
Sullivan's division held the right flank with the two Maryland brigades. He deployed 1,100 troops and two artillery pieces from both de Borre's and Smallwood's brigades at Brinton's Ford. The 250-man Delaware Regiment from the 1st Brigade was detached to hold Jones's Ford, the next crossing place to the north. Moses Hazen
Moses Hazen
Moses Hazen was a Brigadier General in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. Born in the Province of Massachusetts Bay, he saw action in the French and Indian War with Rogers' Rangers. His service included particularly brutal raids during the Expulsion of the Acadians and...
's 400-strong 2nd Canadian Regiment defended Wister's and Buffington's Fords, which were even more distant. American reconnaissance that day was woefully deficient. Howe divided his 18,000 British and Hessian troops into two wings. He sent the right wing under Wilhelm von Knyphausen
Wilhelm von Knyphausen
Wilhelm Reichsfreiherr zu Innhausen und Knyphausen was a general from Hesse-Cassel. He fought in the American Revolutionary War, during which he led Hessian mercenaries on behalf of the British Empire.-Biography:His father was colonel in a German regiment under the Duke of Marlborough...
to advance directly on Chadds Ford. Meanwhile, the more powerful left wing under Howe and Lord Charles Cornwallis marched north. About noon, Howe's wing crossed the Brandywine at undefended Jefferis's Ford, which was north of Buffington's. Howe's column veered to the southeast past Strode's Mill toward Osborne's Hill where the footsore troops were permitted to rest. At this location they were finally spotted by American cavalrymen and Theodorick Bland
Theodorick Bland (congressman)
Theodorick Bland , also known as Theodorick Bland, Jr., was a physician, soldier, and statesman from Prince George County, Virginia...
quickly notified both Washington and Sullivan of the danger.
Washington immediately instructed Stirling and Stephen to march north toward Birmingham Meeting House, a place of Quaker worship. These two divisions had time to deploy on a ridge to the southeast of Birmingham. At 2:30 PM Sullivan received orders to rendezvous with the other two divisions and take command of the right wing. Not only did he need to navigate through difficult terrain, but he had to link up with the Delaware Regiment and Hazen's men. During the maneuver, de Borre asked Sullivan if Hazen's regiment could rejoin his brigade, but the request was denied. De Borre was miffed because this left his brigade with only 350 men.
After Sullivan got his men onto a hill 400 yards (366 m) west of Birmingham he realized that his division was separated from and several hundred yards in front of the other two divisions. Sullivan rode over to confer with Stirling and Stephen. Because Smallwood was on detached duty with the Maryland militia, de Borre was left in charge of the two Maryland brigades. The Frenchman, whose command of English was rudimentary, was not popular with the officers or the rank and file. Sullivan issued orders for the Maryland division to move to the right in order to come in line with the other two divisions. To make room, Stephen and Stirling also had to shift rightward.
Stephen and Stirling moved their divisions without incident, even though their troops were coming under fire from the enemy's light troops. De Borre somehow mismanaged the shift of Sullivan's division. Instead of simply moving to the right, the Frenchman ordered the division to file off to the left and circle back to the northeast. At the end of the bizarre maneuever, the 1st Brigade was in almost the same position it started. Instead of being alongside the 1st Brigade, the 2nd Brigade was behind it. At this moment, the crack Brigade of Guards
Brigade of Guards
The Brigade of Guards is a historical elite unit of the British Army, which has existed sporadically since the 17th century....
supported by two 12-pound cannons attacked. When the sound of gunfire erupted, the confused soldiers of the 2nd Brigade volleyed into the backs of the 1st Brigade. The 1st Maryland Regiment
1st Maryland Regiment
The 1st Maryland Regiment originated with the authorization of a Maryland Battalion of the Maryland State Troops on 14 January 1776...
put up some resistance, suffering 26 casualties, but the entire division soon crumbled. The soldiers headed to the rear pursued by the British Guards. De Borre later stated to Samuel Smith
Samuel Smith (Maryland)
Samuel Smith was a United States Senator and Representative from Maryland, a mayor of Baltimore, Maryland, and a general in the Maryland militia. He was the brother of cabinet secretary Robert Smith.-Biography:...
of the 4th Maryland that a wound on his cheek was caused by the English firing fish hooks. Smith suspected that de Borre misrepresented his injury and that it was caused by riding through some briars. Since it led the column of march, Hazen's regiment apparently did not take part in de Borre's maneuver and instead joined Stirling's left flank.
Under the direction of Sullivan, the divisions of Stirling and Stephen resisted the British attack stoutly for an hour. Stirling's command was forced to retreat first, though Conway acquitted himself well. Finally, Stephen's division was overwhelmed and compelled to withdraw. Washington averted a disaster when he brought up George Weedon
George Weedon
George Weedon was an American soldier during the Revolutionary War from Fredericksburg, Virginia.He served as a Brigadier General in the Continental Army and later in the Virginia militia....
's brigade of Greene's division at 6:00 PM to slow the British pursuit.
De Borre reported to Congress that his division ran away without having suffered any casualties. He urged Washington to pull the entire army back into Philadelphia and call up 50,000 militia to annoy the British, but this suggestion was ignored. Charged with mismanagement and told that a court of inquiry would be convened, de Borre sent in his resignation on 14 September and Congress accepted it. The next day he explained that he had resigned because he led "nothing but bad troops" and he refused to be dishonored. Historian Mark M. Boatner III remarked that the war record of the 2nd Maryland Brigade argued that it was made up of fine regiments. Sullivan, who was often at the center of controversy, was also blamed for the defeat. A story arose at the time that he insisted on his division being assigned to hold the post of honor on the right flank, but historian Thomas J. McGuire disproved this myth. Congress demanded that Sullivan be recalled, but Washington declined to remove him because it would have left the Maryland division leaderless.
Later career
Leaving Charleston, South CarolinaCharleston, South Carolina
Charleston is the second largest city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. It was made the county seat of Charleston County in 1901 when Charleston County was founded. The city's original name was Charles Towne in 1670, and it moved to its present location from a location on the west bank of the...
on 20 January 1779, de Borre took dispatches to Charles Hector, comte d'Estaing
Charles Hector, comte d'Estaing
Jean Baptiste Charles Henri Hector, comte d'Estaing was a French general, and admiral. He began his service as a soldier in the War of the Austrian Succession, briefly spending time as a prisoner of war of the British during the Seven Years' War...
whose French fleet was then at Cap-François in Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
. From there, he had an eventful voyage home to France on the Andromaque. En route, the warship sank the British privateer Tartar on 15 May and arrived at Brest, France
Brest, France
Brest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon...
on 5 July. He was promoted to brigadier general in the French royal army as of 1 March 1780, but a little over one month later the retirement process was begun due to his physical disability. The date of his death was not given. His unpublished manuscript, Journal des campagnes de 1777 et 1778 au service des colonies unies de l'Amérique, is in the French Archives historiques de la Guerre.