Battle of Paoli

The Battle of Paoli — or the Paoli Massacre as Patriots called it — was one of the most controversial engagements of the war. British General Charles Grey led a night bayonet attack on Anthony Wayne's American camp at Paoli Tavern, achieving complete surprise by ordering his men to remove their gun flints to prevent any premature firing that might warn the Americans. 'No Flints' Grey, as he became known, earned a lasting reputation for the ruthlessness of his tactics.

Wayne's camp was positioned near Paoli Tavern, and his security was inadequate — British intelligence had provided accurate information about the layout. Grey's men struck in darkness with only bayonets and swords, killing or wounding 53 Americans, many of them while sleeping. The screams of the wounded and the refusal to take prisoners during the assault led Patriot propagandists to label it a massacre.

British officers claimed that some resistance was offered before the one-sided fighting ended, making it a legitimate military operation rather than a massacre. American accounts described soldiers being bayoneted in their beds without opportunity to surrender. Whatever the truth, 'Remember Paoli!' became a battle cry. Wayne demanded a court-martial to clear his name, was acquitted, and went on to distinguish himself at Stony Point, Brandywine, and in the final campaign in the South. Charles Grey would later conduct a similar operation at Baylor's Massacre in New Jersey.