The Battle of Germantown is a major engagement in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War.

It is fought on October 4, 1777, at Germantown, Pennsylvania, between the British Army led by Sir William Howe, and the American Continental Army, with the 2nd Canadian Regiment, under George Washington.

After defeating the Continental Army at the Battle of Brandywine on September 11, and the Battle of Paoli on September 20, Howe outmaneuvers Washington, seizing Philadelphia, the capital of the United States, on September 26.

Howe leaves a garrison of some 3,000 troops in Philadelphia, while moving the bulk of his force to Germantown, at this time an outlying community to the city.

Learning of the division, Washington determines to engage the British.

His plan calls for four separate columns to converge on the British position at Germantown. The two flanking columns were composed of three thousand militia, while the center-left, under Nathanael Greene, the center-right under John Sullivan, and the reserve under Lord Stirling are made up of regular troops.

The ambition behind the plan is to surprise and destroy the British force, much in the same way as Washington had surprised and decisively defeated the Hessians at Trenton.

In Germantown, Howe has his light infantry and the 40th Foot spread across his front as pickets.

In the main camp, Wilhelm von Knyphausen commands the British left, while Howe himself personally leads the British right.

A heavy fog causes a great deal of confusion among the approaching Americans.

After a sharp contest, Sullivan's column routs the British pickets.

Unseen in the fog, around one hundred and twenty men of the British 40th Foot barricade the Chew Mansion.

When the American reserve moves forward, Washington makes the erroneous decision to launch repeated assaults on the position, all of which fail with heavy casualties.

Penetrating several hundred yards beyond the mansion, Sullivan's wing becoames dispirited, running low on ammunition and hearing cannon fire behind them.

As they withdrew, Anthony Wayne's division collidea with part of Greene's late-arriving wing in the fog.

Mistaking each other for the enemy, they open  fire, and both units retreat.

Meanwhile, Greene's left-center column throws back the British right.

With Sullivan's column repulsed, the British left outflanks Greene's column.

The two militia columns have only succeeded in diverting the attention of the British, and make no progress before they withdraw.

Despite the defeat, France, already impressed by the American success at Saratoga, decides to lend greater aid to the Americans.

Howe does not vigorously pursue the defeated Americans, instead turning his attention to clearing the Delaware River of obstacles at Red Bank and Fort Mifflin.

After unsuccessfully attempting to draw Washington into combat at White Marsh, Howe withdraws to Philadelphia.

Washington, his army intact, withdraws to Valley Forge, where he winters and re-trains his forces.