Battle of Matson's Ford

The skirmish at Matson's Ford in December 1777 occurred as Washington's army was moving toward Valley Forge for its famous winter encampment. Cornwallis crossed the Schuylkill River at Matson's Ford with a British force and encountered American troops under General Armstrong on the far bank.

The Americans were pushed back across the river, unable to hold the ford against the stronger British force. The engagement was relatively minor in terms of casualties but demonstrated that the British maintained the initiative in the Philadelphia area even as Washington's army withdrew to winter quarters.

The skirmish at Matson's Ford was the last significant engagement before Valley Forge, after which both armies went into winter quarters and the campaign season ended. The contrast between the comfortable British quarters in Philadelphia and the suffering of Washington's men at Valley Forge became one of the defining images of the Revolutionary War.