Battle of Paoli

Battle of Paoli
Part of the American Revolutionary War
A Dreadful scene of havock, a 1782 portrait depicting the Battle of Paoli
Date September 20, 1777 Location Willistown Township and Malvern, Pennsylvania, U.S. Result British victory
Belligerents
United States	Great Britain
Commanders and leaders
Anthony Wayne	Charles Grey
Strength
2,500 men 1,500 regulars 1,000 militia	1,200 men engaged 600 in support 2 miles away
Casualties and losses
201 killed or wounded[1] 71 captured [1]	4 killed,[2] 7 wounded[2]

Paoli Battlefield Site and Parade Grounds
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
The Battle of Paoli monument in present-day Malvern, Pennsylvania
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Location	Roughly bounded by Warren, and Monument Aves. and Sugartown Rd., Malvern, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Coordinates	40°01′47″N 75°31′06″W / 40.02972°N 75.51833°W / 40.02972; -75.51833
Area	62.2 acres (25.2 ha)
Built	1817, 1877
Architect	John T. Windrim, Palmer C. Hughes
Architectural style	Colonial Revival, Late 19th and 20th century Revivals
NRHP reference No.	97001248[3]
Added to NRHP	October 23, 1997

The Battle of Paoli, also known as the Battle of Paoli Tavern or the Paoli Massacre, was a battle in the Philadelphia campaign of the American Revolutionary War fought on September 20, 1777, in the area surrounding present-day Malvern, Pennsylvania. Following the Continental Army's retreat in the Battle of Brandywine and the aborted Battle of the Clouds, George Washington left a force behind under the command of Brigadier General Anthony Wayne to monitor and resist the British as they prepared to attack and occupy the revolutionary capital of Philadelphia.

On the evening of September 20, British forces under Major General Charles Grey led a surprise attack on Wayne's encampment near the Paoli Tavern in present-day Malvern, resulting in many American casualties. With inaccurate later claims that the British took no prisoners and granted no quarter, the engagement came to be known as the "Paoli Massacre."