Battle of White Marsh

Battle of White Marsh
Part of the American Revolutionary War
View from the British positions at the Battle of White Marsh. Ink on paper, by cartographer Johann Martin Will
Date December 5–8, 1777 Location Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania, Springfield Township, Pennsylvania, Upper Dublin Township, Pennsylvania, Fort Washington, Pennsylvania 40°07′N 75°14′W / 40.12°N 75.23°W / 40.12; -75.23 Result Inconclusive
Belligerents
United States	Great Britain Hesse-Kassel
Commanders and leaders
George Washington	Sir William Howe Lord Cornwallis Wilhelm Knyphausen
Strength
9,500[1]	10,000[2]
Casualties and losses
150 killed and wounded 54 captured[3]	19 killed 60 wounded 33 missing 238 deserted[4][5]

The Battle of White Marsh or Battle of Edge Hill was a battle of the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War fought December 5–8, 1777, in the area surrounding Whitemarsh Township, Pennsylvania. The battle, which took the form of a series of skirmish actions, was the last major engagement of 1777 between British and American forces.

George Washington, commander-in-chief of the American revolutionary forces, spent the weeks after his defeat at the Battle of Germantown encamped with the Continental Army in various locations throughout upper Philadelphia County (now Montgomery County), just north of the British-occupied city. In early November, the Americans established an entrenched position approximately 16 miles (26 km) north of Philadelphia along the Wissahickon Creek and Sandy Run, primarily situated on several hills between Old York Road and Bethlehem Pike. From here, Washington monitored British troop movements in Philadelphia and evaluated his options.

On December 4, Gen. Sir William Howe, the commander-in-chief of British forces in North America, led a sizable contingent of troops out of Philadelphia in one last attempt to destroy Washington and the Continental Army before the onset of winter. After a series of skirmishes, Howe called off the attack and returned to Philadelphia without engaging Washington in a decisive conflict.

With the British back in Philadelphia, Washington was able to march his troops to winter quarters at Valley Forge.