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Cooch's Bridge

{{Use American English|date=January 2025}}

{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}

{{Infobox NRHP

| name = Cooch's Bridge Historic District

| nrhp_type = hd

| nocat = yes

| image =

| caption =

| nearest_city = Newark, Delaware

| coordinates = {{coord|39.640073|-75.736409|display=inline,title}}

| locmapin = Delaware#USA

| area =

| built = 1726

| architecture = Greek Revival, Second Empire, Georgian

| added = April 11, 1973{{NRISref|2009a}}

| decrease = December 12, 1999

| refnum = 73000528

| decrease_refnum = 97000790

}}

Cooch's Bridge is a historic district located at Old Baltimore Pike, Newark, Delaware, and is the site of the 1777 Battle of Cooch's Bridge. While there are several modern bridges near the site of the battle, the original bridge was in poor shape in 1777, and did not survive the American Revolution.{{cite web|title=Cooch's Bridge Historic District, NRHP Nomination, amendments|url={{NRHP url|id=97000790}}|work=NRHP Focus|publisher=U.S. Park Service|accessdate=August 9, 2013|author=Edward F. Heite|author2=Joan M. Norton |author3=Rosemary Troy |author4=Carol A. Benenson |author5=Mark Bower }}

Battle of Cooch's Bridge

{{main|Battle of Cooch's Bridge}}

Fought on September 3, 1777, the Battle of Cooch's Bridge has two principal distinctions. It was the only battle of the American Revolutionary War fought on Delaware soil, and has been called the first time that the Stars and Stripes was flown in battle. This second claim is based on circumstantial evidence and has since been called into question.{{cite book |last1=Cooch |first1=Edward Wilkins |title=The Battle of Cooch's Bridge |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=cG8BAAAAMAAJ&q=flag |date=1940 |publisher=W.N. Cann |location=Newark, DE |page=60 |access-date=January 19, 2024}}

The battle was fought between British and Hessian troops under Generals Cornwallis, Howe, and Knyphausen and the Colonial troops under General Washington.

The engagement began August 30, about two miles (3 km) south of the bridge. The Americans harried the lead forces of the British Army using guerrilla techniques learned from the Native Americans. However, the roughly 700 Colonials were greatly outmanned and outgunned, and were driven back by the advancing British.

By September 3 the Colonials had dropped back to Cooch's Bridge. A handpicked regiment of 100 marksmen under General William Maxwell laid an ambush in the surrounding cover. Over the ensuing battle, several British and Hessian charges were repelled, but the Americans soon depleted their ammunition and called a retreat.

The property was taken by the British and several buildings were burned. General Cornwallis used the Cooch house as his headquarters for the next week as the British regrouped. American casualties numbered around 30.

Shortly after General Howe moved his troops out. On September 11 he defeated the Colonials in the Battle of Brandywine and subsequently captured the Colonial capital of Philadelphia.

Signage

There are two sets of monuments/signs:

  • in the Pencader Heritage Museum parking lot: {{Coord|39.63966|-75.72999}}
  • across the railroad tracks on Dayett Mills Road, just south of the Old Baltimore Pike: {{Coord|39.64103|-75.73234}}

See also

  • {{Portal-inline|Transport}}
  • {{Portal-inline|Engineering}}

References

{{Reflist}}

External links

{{commons category|Coochs Bridge, Delaware}}

  • http://www.classbrain.com/artmonument/publish/coochs_bridge_battlefield_history.shtml
  • https://web.archive.org/web/20050907131301/http://www.revolutionaryday.com/usroute202/coochs/default.htm

{{National Register of Historic Places in Delaware}}

Category:Buildings and structures in Newark, Delaware

Category:Road bridges on the National Register of Historic Places in Delaware

Category:Bridges in New Castle County, Delaware

Category:Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Delaware

Category:National Register of Historic Places in New Castle County, Delaware