Barren Hill

On May 20, 1778, British Army troops tried to surround a smaller Continental Army detachment led at the time by Marquis de Lafayette, producing what became known as the Battle of Barren Hill, a small-scale clash within the American Revolution. The encircling maneuver did not succeed, allowing the Continental force to slip free of the trap, though British troops ended up holding the ground.

Prelude

Weighing the possibility that British forces might soon abandon Philadelphia, then held as the American revolutionary capital, Washington dispatched Lafayette to Barren Hill. This spot sat roughly midway between Valley Forge and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania, and Lafayette's mission was to scout enemy plans there while cutting off British parties scouring the countryside for provisions.

Lafayette departed the Valley Forge encampment on May 18 with 2,400 men and five artillery pieces. He crossed the Schuylkill River, then turned southward and established his position at Barren Hill, near Matson's Ford. One brigade, along with the artillery, took up ground on elevated terrain by a church, oriented to face south. He stationed another detachment along Ridge Road to the south, while Pennsylvania militia were assigned to watch over the road running west out of White Marsh. Before long, the British became aware of the nearby American presence and resolved to strike.

Late on May 19, 1778, near 10:30 in the evening, Maj. Gen. James Grant set out toward Barren Hill leading 5,000 British troops and 15 artillery pieces. The scheme called for a roundabout march toward the point where White Marsh Road met Ridge Road, sealing off any American escape route. Simultaneously, 2,000 grenadiers and dragoons were to advance against Lafayette's left flank, while a separate contingent maneuvered to threaten the American right. Together these movements aimed to surround the American position from three directions at once, pinning the force against the riverbank. Rather than strike immediately, the British intended to hold off until daylight, when they meant to capture or wipe out the American command entirely.

Battle

The attack began on May 20, 1778, when British forces moved forward. Facing the sight of enemy troops, the militia broke apart immediately, offered no fight, and never sent Lafayette any warning of what was happening. Word of the assault reached the Americans stationed along Ridge Road instead. From there, a small detachment was dispatched to slow the British advance while its commander rushed news of the situation to Lafayette. Once Lafayette received this information, a second patriot arrived to report that enemy forces had also pushed up White Marsh Road.

Fortunately, Lafayette was aware of a lesser known route back toward Matson Ford, one that would let his men slip past the approaching British entirely. This path followed low terrain that hid movement from enemy eyes, and crucially, the British had no knowledge it existed. Lafayette directed his troops to withdraw along this route, while assigning a rear guard to hold the British near the church. Several small units, including Oneida fighters, were pushed forward to trade fire with the enemy, creating the impression that the Americans planned to stand their ground. Behind this screen, Lafayette steadied his withdrawing men and managed to escape, suffering only light losses in the process.

Aftermath

Philadelphia emptied of British troops on June 18, 1778, as Clinton's forces set out for the New Jersey coast, where ships waited to carry them onward to New York. Washington kept pace with the withdrawing army, trailing its movements before finally clashing with it at Monmouth on June 28, 1778, a fight that stands as the northern theater's final major engagement of the war.

No formal tally exists for how many Oneida fell during the fighting, yet burial records kept by Saint Peter's Church in Barren Hill list six men laid to rest there. Among them was Thomas Sinavis, an Oneida sachem who numbered among the dead.