Identifier: guidebooktohisto01jenk (find matches)
Title: The guide book to historic Germantown
Year: 1902 (1900s)
Authors: Jenkins, Charles Francis, 1865-1951 Site and Relic Society of Germantown (Philadelphia, Pa.)
Subjects:
Publisher: Germantown
Contributing Library: The Library of Congress
Digitizing Sponsor: The Library of Congress

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ituation was by no means a bad one, as there had beeninstances of only a few men defending a house against superiornumbers ; that he had no doubt of their being supported anddelivered by their friends, but in any event they must sell them-selves as dearly as possible. Some of the men climbed out ofthe back windows on to the roof and lying flat, fired over thefront, and all disposed themselves to make a vigorous defense. At the very first shot of the Continental cannon the frontdoors were burst open and some of the men were wounded withpieces of splintered stone. Captain Haines, a brave and intelli-gent officer commanding on the ground floor, ordered tables andchairs and everything available in the way of furniture, piledagainst the doors. The Continental soldiers advanced under cover of the cherrytrees in the lane and crouched behind the trees and marble statuesas they fired at the windows above. One observer says the fir-ing from the house was tremendous. The balls seemed to come 116
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Grave Stone in Upper Burying Ground 117 HISTORIC GERMANTOWN in showers. Several efforts were made to set fire to the house,and Major White, of Sullivans staff, was killed in making theattempt. A bundle of straw was piled against the cellar win-dow, but it failed to ignite the woodwork. All efforts so bravely put forth by the Americans wereunavailing. The house resisted every attack and Colonel Mus-grave maintained his position until relieved by reinforcements.It is said the only man he had killed was in the northwest cham-ber on the second floor. No less than forty-six officers and menwere killed in Maxwells attacking brigade. It was a sorry looking house that remained. The walls andceilings were blackened with smoke and the floor stained withblood. In the front hall many holes are to be seen filled withplaster, plainly showing because not quite of the same color asthe original. Not alone in the hall but everywhere, the plasterhad been broken by cannon and rifle balls, the woodwork wa

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