The ______________________________________ ____________________________ September—October 2017 Vol. MMXVII No. 5 ______________________________________ ____________________________ Two hundred and forty years ago, Samuel and Hannah Panne- Upcoming Events & Exhibits becker along with their four children and his mother, witnessed the Revolutionary Army of 8,000 men encamped on their prop- New Exhibit: erty for four days in September 1777, only to see the army re- “War Comes to the Mills” turn in defeat, and spend another four days in October. To rec- Fri., Sept. 15—Sun., Oct. 15 ognize this anniversary, Pennypacker Mills is holding an exhibit FREE from September 15 through October 15, 2017. It will be in what later generations of the Pennypacker family referred to as the Craft Marketplace Washington Bedroom. Sat., September 16 9:30 am to 3:00 pm FREE There are certain dates in regard to the Revolutionary War that everyone remembers, such as “ the shot heard round the world ” for the Battles of Lexington and Concord on April 19, 1775, the Revolutionary War signing of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 and Encampment Talk Washington crossing the Delaware River on Christmas night Sun., October 1 1776. One of the dates most people do not recognize is that of 1:00 to 2:00 pm FREE September 26, 1777. Samuel W. Pennypacker in his historical address “ The High-water Mark of the British Invasion of the All Hallow’s Eve Fall Festival Northern Colonies During the Revolution ” wrote Philadelphia was Sat., October 21 then the metropolis and capital city of the country, the center of 1:00 to 4:00 pm FREE literature, science and cultivation, as well as of its trade and wealth. In that city had met the preliminary Congress of 1774, Exhibit: and there, in the most memorable of American buildings, the state “Stitch to Learn, Learn to Stitch” house of the Province, the Continental Congress had in 1776 is- sued the fateful Declaration of Independence, and in 1777 were Thru Weds., January 31, 2018 holding their daily sessions. The purpose of the campaign of 1777, FREE with its many battles and its long and rapid marches, was upon the part of Howe to capture, and upon the part of Washington to What’s Happening in November? protect, the city of Philadelphia. Both of the contestants were of the opinion that the outcome of this campaign would in all proba- Holiday Tours bility determine the result of the war. On the one side it was be- Tues., November 21 thru lieved, and on the other it was feared, that the fall of Philadelphia Sun., January 7, 2018 would lead to a cessation of hostilities and the FREE restoration of British control over the colonies. continues on Page 2 Friend us on FACEBOOK/PennypackerMills Page 2 Mark your calendars to attend the Craft Marketplace at historic Pennypacker Mills! With over 50 high quality crafters in attendance, you’ll Lind gifts and unique Linds for every occa- sion...and perhaps a few for yourself! Our crafters sell handmade crafts and one-of-a-kind gifts. You’ll Lind everything from jewelry to vintage items, from artwork to handmade wooden toys and birdhouses! There is something for everyone! For a list of the crafters, see www.friendsPPM.org. Stop by the Pennypacker mansion for a guided tour and see the new exhibit, “War Comes to the Mills,” a special exhibit highlighting the encampment of General Washington and his soldiers which happened at the Mills in 1777. continued from page 1 ick Antes from September 23-26, 1777. With the defeat at Brandywine there was the fear of Philadel- The Campaign of 1777 was to defend Philadelphia phia falling to the British. Congress moved to Lan- and got off to a late start in the campaign season. caster which was the largest inland city at that time, British General William Howe took his army from and then on to York. Church bells and supplies were New Jersey to New York City and sailed south into shipped out of Philadelphia to Bethlehem. On Sep- the Chesapeake Bay, landing his troops at the mouth tember 23 rd , 700 wagons arrived in Bethlehem with of the Elk River in Maryland on August 25th. each wagon having four horses and a total of 2000 men. Bethlehem had 80 houses with 600 residents. Battle of Brandywine Many of the wagon drivers were farmers from the The Battle of Brandywine took place on September outlying areas of Philadelphia County. The effects of 11, 1777. The British had heavier losses, but drove the war had very quickly spread across eastern the Americans from the Lield. American casualties Pennsylvania. included more than 200 killed, around 750 wounded, and 400 prisoners taken. The September 26, 1777 wounded were sent to Reading and Bethlehem. Samuel W. Pennypacker wrote in his speech on the Lafayette was among the wounded that were sent to “High-water Mark of British Invasion, ” Upon Friday, Bethlehem. Washington engaged the British in bat- the 26 th of September, a cold, rough, windy day, upon th tle at Warren Tavern on the 16 which is commonly ten o’clock in the morning, Pifteen hundred of the Brit- referred to as the Battle of the Clouds, as a storm ish and Hessian grenadiers, under the command of wet the ammunition and both armies separated. Lord Cornwallis, Sir William Erskine and Commissary Washington left General Wayne behind to harass the General Wier, led by Col. Harcourt and his light dra- enemy. Wayne was defeated at Paoli on September goons, with a band of music playing “God Save the th 20 . Washington moved his main army to Frederick King,” marched in triumph into Township and stayed at the home of Colonel Freder- Philadelphia. On the same day, continues on page 4 Reach the site at 610-287-9349 or [email protected] Page 3 As part of the Pennypacker Mills’ history during the Revolu- tionary War, a new temporary exhibit will be included on all tours of the Pennypacker mansion. On display will be arti- facts found on the property including an actual order from General Washington. See musket balls, a clay pipe, a powder horn, 18th century spectacles, buttons and much more. The exhibit is located on the second Lloor of the mansion and is included on all guided tours of the Pennypacker man- sion. Tours take approximately 1 hour. Tour hours: Tuesday thru Saturday: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm; Sunday, 1 to 4 pm. Closed Mondays. Above: Copy of painting of George Washing- ton at Dorchester Heights by Gilbert Stuart. In the fall of 1777, General George Washington and 8,000 of his soldiers arrived at Pennypack- er Mills and encamped from September 26 to October 8. During their stay, they marched into Philadelphia to Light the Battle of Germantown. Come hear the story of Washington and his sol- diers as we walk along the grounds noting where soldiers camped and see the gravesites of where some of them are buried. Above: Grave of Major Edward Sher- burne, Aide de Camp to Major General Stay afterwards for a tour of the Pennypacker Sullivan. mansion and see the new exhibit about the en- campment. Website: www.montcopa.org/pennypackermills Page 4 Continued from Page 2 not liking the odor of the viand came into the room almost at the same instant of time, Washington and picked up the dish carried outside, emptied it, and put the Continental army went into camp at Penny- his foot on the craut. Mrs. P. said if he had given it to packer’s Mills. The campaign which had been be- the soldiers she would not have cared, but that kind of lieved to be fraught with consequences so momen- treatment she did not like. tous had ended with Howe in possession of the city and Washington out upon the hills of the Perkiomen. September 27, 1777 This is another day in history that many have forgot- With Philadelphia cut off, supplies such as clothing and shoes had to come from the surrounding coun- ten as it is the only day that Lancaster, PA served as ties. Washington sent several letters from his Head- our Capitol, as Congress met that day in the Court quarters at Pennybacker’s Mill requesting clothing, House. All of the business that day related to military shoes and more men in order to enlarge the army. matters. Congress moved across the Susquehanna He desired to attack the enemy so they could not River to York the following day. At Pennypacker keep up the advantage of successes. Mills, George Washington was busy dictating letters to a variety of his secretaries or aide-de-camps. Why here? Washington used 32 men throughout the war as aide What was to become Schwenksville only had a few -de-camps or secretaries to write out his orders. Of homes in 1777, mainly that of William Pannebeck- the orders written by Washington from Pennypacker er, a farmer and that of George Schwenk, a black- Mills, some of them were in the handwriting of Lieu- smith. The Skippack Pike led to Berks County tenant-Colonel Alexander Hamilton, Lieutenant- where military supplies were stored. The east side Colonel Tench Tilghman, Lieutenant-Colonel Robert of the Perkiomen Creek had the mill complex with Hanson Harrison, and Captain Caleb Gibbs to name a the grist mill, miller’s house and other outbuildings. few. Hamilton refers to their location as Pennebeck- Up the hill was the farm of Samuel Pannebecker er’s Mill . Tilghman served as Washington’s personal consisting of a more substantial house with a barn, and military secretary, and referred to it as Camp at carpenter’s shop, Llax building and other outbuild- Pennybackers Mill and Camp Pennybackers Mill .