Battle of White Marsh

The Battle of White Marsh was Howe's final attempt to destroy the Continental Army before the winter of 1777-78. Washington had positioned his army at White Marsh in a strong defensive position north of Philadelphia after the fall of the river forts. Howe marched out with his full force of about 12,000 men on December 4, hoping to draw Washington into the decisive engagement the British commander had been seeking all year.

For four days the two armies maneuvered and exchanged skirmishes as Howe probed the American position from multiple directions. Washington's defenses were well-constructed and his men fought confidently. Each time Howe's forces tested the American perimeter, they were repulsed by accurate fire. Howe declined to launch a full-scale assault against the American fieldworks.

On December 8, Howe returned to Philadelphia, having accomplished nothing. Washington then moved his army to Valley Forge, where he would spend the winter transforming the Continental Army under Friedrich von Steuben's training program. The Battle of White Marsh was the last significant engagement of the Philadelphia Campaign. Washington had managed to preserve his army through an entire campaign in which every pitched battle resulted in defeat, emerging with his force intact and ready to fight the following year.