Due to current coronavirus restrictions the Delaware Public Archives will be presenting its August First Saturday program in an online format only. Titled “Left Newport … Before Daylight and March’d to Chads Ford”: The Landscape of Conflict before the Battle of Brandywine, 1777, the program focuses on archaeology found at the site of the Revolutionary War Battle of Brandywine. Presented by Wade P. Catts, the program will be available on Saturday, August 1, 3:00 p.m. on the Delaware Public Archives website https://archives.delaware.gov/.
Almost 250 years ago, prior to the battle, the American and British armies maneuvered across a landscape familiar to many Delawareans and Pennsylvanians. Today a suburban and rural landscape, in the days before the battle, this portion of New Castle County and neighboring Chester County was a landscape of conflict – a militarized landscape. This illustrated presentation will focus on the movements of both armies from the early morning hours of September 9 to dawn of September 11, 1777, the day of the battle.
Using new information uncovered by a recent study funded by the American Battlefield Protection Program, historical archaeologist Wade P. Catts will explore the movements made by both the American and British forces to see which army would eventually triumph in what would be the largest battle of the American Revolution.
Please be aware that this is an online only presentation. For more information, contact Tom Summers (302) 744-5047 or e-mail thomas.summers@delaware.gov
Wade P. Catts, MA, RPA is the President and Principal for South River Heritage Consulting, LLC. He is an historical archaeologist specializing in history, archaeology, and historic preservation. He holds a graduate degree in American History from the University of Delaware (1988). A Registered Professional Archaeologist (RPA), Wade is a member of Society for Historical Archaeology, the Council for Northeast Historical Archeology, and the Company of Military Historians. He has more than 38 years of experience in the field of cultural resource management. His research interests include the history of farmsteads and agricultural landscapes, military history and archaeology, environmental history, African American studies, and Middle Atlantic regional history and historic preservation.
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