Howe with 18,000 men went to the American post at Brandywine Creek. They launched a full scale attack on 11,000 of George Washington's men, with Howe in front and Gen. Cornwallis to the right. The Americans were totally unaware that the British would try to cross the creek in separate places. Washington backtracked to Chester, Pennsylvania. A British pursuit was stopped by a rearguard unit, therefore, Howe could not occupy the abandoned capital until September 26. British deaths totaled to about 600 and American losses were 900 dead and wounded, along with 400 taken prisoner.
The British failure to pursue the fleeing Americans and their decision to go into camp is what ended the battle. Washington gathered his troops, marched northward and camped near Germantown. The British marched on after breaking camp and occupied Philadelphia, which the Americans had been forced to leave virtually undefended.
Of some 11,000 men in the ranks General Greene estimated that Washington lost 1,200 to 1,300 men about 400 of which were prisoners. The Americans also lost 11 guns. Of approximately 12,500 in the ranks, Howe lost 577 killed and wounded and six missing.
After Howe's victory at Brandywine, his army camped at Germantown, Pennsylvania. On October 4, 1777, Washington planned a surprise attack against the redcoats at sunrise. He broke the army into four separate columns for battle. The American soldiers marched to Germantown by two roads, with General Sullivan to the right and General Greene to the left. Washington, along with General "Mad Anthony" Wayne, joined Sulliven and caused the British to fall back.
Wythe County was founded in 1790, from Montgomery County, which was founded from Fincastle County in 1776. Wythe County was settled early in the history of our country, primarily because of the good access to water (the New River and many creeks). The eastern end of the county was settled as early as 1745 and was known as "Mack's Meadows." This is the area now known as Max Meadows. Rough roads were established, near the path of current modern interstate highways. Early settlers in Wythe county were, in a large part, German, and Scot-Irish.
A fort was built before the Revolutionary War and was known as Fort Chiswell. It was used to protect settlers from Indian attacks. The approximate site of this fort can be seen today beside where Interstate 81 & 77 intersect. It is a stone marker in the shape of an arrowhead.
The pioneers in Fincastle (now Wythe) County were early patriots. They wrote and delivered the Fincastle Resolution (which was similar to, but earlier than, the Declaration of Independence), January 20, 1775, to the Continental Congress at Philadelphia. By the time of the Revolutionary War, lead had been found in Austinville and the Shot Tower had been built on the New River, producing ammunition used in the Revolutionary War.
In 1790, Wythe County was formed and named for George Wythe, the first
Virginia signer of the Declaration of Independence. A place near the middle
of the county was chosen as the place for the county seat, and was then
called Evansham, although it eventually became Wytheville.
The next February or March, he volunteered in Capt. Henry Pattons Company, under the command of Col. Preston and marched immediately to the Moravian Towns and from thence down the Reedy Fork of the Haw River, where he had a battle with the British, which battle was called the battle of Whitesells Mills, on the Reedy Fork of the Haw River, our troops being beaten, he retreated and rendezvoused at Gilford C. House N.C. and from thence marched to join Gen. Greene at the Iron Works, which was in May or June of the same year, when he was discharged and returned home.
http://www.ls.net/~newriver/va/walkerrw.htm
Early in 1781 when the prospect of British control in western North Carolina and the invasion of Virginia loomed, Preston called out troops to march to the south without waiting for orders from the Governor. On 13 April 1781 he wrote Thomas Jefferson explaining that on 8 February he "called a number of the Officers together, to consult on a plan for raising a body of men on the Frontiers, for the defence of the country against the Common Enemy; . . . I believed it my duty to order out all the militia I could raise, without waiting any other call than that of the danger to which the country stood exposed. In this I was seconded by every Officer present, and in order to encourage old and young to go, who were fit to bear arms, I not only proposed to go myself, but sent for my son, just turned of sixteen, from a school in another country. I went to the Lead mines, where the militia was to rendezvous, and continued there and in the neighborhood until the 18th., when I marched with about 350 riflemen, mostly on horse-back; with whom I proceeded by long marches, until I joined Genl. Pickens, by Gen. Green's order, at no great distance from Hillsborough, and within three miles of Tarleton's Legion, who had repassed Haw River. The disaffected, and some others whom I had drawn out, deserted. With the remainder we did hard duty, under Genl. Pickens, twelve or fourteen days, on the Enemy's lines, greatly straitened for provisions. Part of the men were in one action, and the whole in the second; in both overpowered by numbers, and in the last broken and dispersed with the loss of their blankets. After which no arguments that could be made use of by myself, or the other officers, could induce the remaining few to continue another week; the time Genl. Green requested. After staying a few days at the Moravian Town, to have the wounded taken care of, Colo. Crocket and myself came home, accompanied by only two or three young men." Jefferson subsequently wrote him in commendation of his course of action: "I am obliged to you for the Narrative of your Proceedings to the Southward. It was certainly not only justifiable but laudable and even indispensably necessary that you should have proceeded as you did to oppose the public Enemy without orders from Government which it would have been fatal to have awaited." On 2 March 1781 Col. Preston's troops joined Greene's army at Guilford in North Carolina. His company with others was left to cover the rear of Pickens' wing and was attacked by British cavalry at Whitsell's Mill on 6 March 1781. In this engagement his horse took fright, dashed through the mill pond and threw its rider. Had not Col. Joseph Cloyd leaped from his horse and helped Preston to mount again, he would probably have been a casualty of the battle. Preston's troops also served at the battle of Guilford Court House on 15 March 1781. Gen. Greene appointed him on 26 Feb. 1781 as one of the commissioners to treat with the Cherokee Indians and on 24 March 1781 the Virginia Council also named him, Col. William Christian, and Maj. Joseph Martin to join with commissioners from North Carolina to make a treaty with the Cherokees, but on 17 April 1781 the Council advised the Governor to withdraw Virginia's appointment since the three were already appointed by Gen. Greene. On 20 July 1781, however, the Council appointed Preston with four others to serve as commissioners for the Western Country to settle the disbursements of public monies and other matters and to meet at the Falls of the Ohio. Preston's health had declined steadily following his return from North Carolina, and he had the premonition of apoplectic seizures a number of times during the two years following. As a result, he resigned as commissioner, and Granville Smith was appointed in his place.
http://members.tripod.com/~labach/preston.htm
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