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Front page account of the battle of Brandywine...
Front page account of the battle of Brandywine...
Item # 687224
March 04, 1778
THE PENNSYLVANIA LEDGER OR THE PHILADELPHIA MARKET-DAY ADVERTISER, March 4, 1778 This was a strongly Tory (pro-British) newspaper that began in 1775 and closed shop in May of 1778 when the British evacuated Philadelphia, so much of the content within is with a pro-British bias.
Rare to find such Tory newspapers in America, and those from Philadelphia would not survive beyond the brief time the British were occupying the city during the Revolutionary War, which began on Sept. 26, 1777 and lasted for about 8 months. During this time Congress evacuated the city setting up in York, Pennsylvania, while the Liberty Bell was secreted to Allentown.
There is much good reading in this issue with the prime content being the great report on the battle of Brandywine. The text begins on the front page where almost the entire page is taken up with a report taken from the "London Gazette Extraordinary" which has the actual: "...letter from General Sir William Howe to Lord George Germaine dated Head Quarters, Germantown, Oct. 10, 1777". What follows is an almost a day-by-day account of General Howe on his military escapades in the Philadelphia area. There is simply too much great content here to relate in this description so the photos show the entirety of this excellent report.
The battle took place on September 11 with General Howe outmaneuvering General Washington. The details can be seen near the middle of the front page. Terrific to have this content in a Philadelphia newspaper.
Reporting carries over to page 2 with subsequent events in the vicinity, including a report of General Wayne's defeat on September 20-21 in what would be called "The Paoli Massacre". General Howe's very detailed account continues to take all of page 2, which includes the lists of the killed, wounded and missing at the Battle of Brandywine, with this lengthy list carrying over to take most of page 3.
Following this, page 3 also has another letter signed: W. Howe, datelined from Philadelphia, 25th October, 1777, which begins: "The enemy having entrenched about 800 men at Red Bank, upon the Jersey shore...' with much more.
A full column on the back page is taken up with reports from the "House of Commons" plus there is a half column "PROCLAMATION" signed by: W. Howe concerning ships & vessels in the harbor of Phila.
Included is a smaller-size, single sheet "Supplement' issue of the same date, filled with advertisements.
Six pages in total, numeric notations in margins next to ads (this was the editor's copy), very nice condition.
A doubly historic issue and not surprisingly, being a Tory newspaper, the masthead features an engraving of the royal coat-of-arms.
Category: Revolutionary War
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