Battle of Paoli
The Battle of Paoli took place on September 20th, 1777, in Paoli, Pennsylvania. What happened was the British, led by General Charles Grey, invaded the enemies’ camp during the American Revolutionary War against General Anthony Wayne. This was a surprise attack against the American army and the British took great advantage of them being out of position and not ready to fight back. This led to a ton of injuries and casualties for the Americans. This battle was also known as the Paoli Massacre. The painting of the Battle of Paoli was created by Xavier Della Gatta and was made in the year 1782. This painting was made to give the people a visual understanding of what went down that night in Paoli. This painting was made because a British solider wanted the painting, [1] “George of the light infantry company of the British army’s Fifty-Second Regiment, commissioned Italian artist Xavier Della Gatta to paint a gouache scene of the Battle of Paoli.”
The American Revolution all started because the British had full control over the American Colonies. The American Colonies did not want to be a part of the British government and decided to fight against them for their own freedom. By doing this it caused many issues, and a lot of battles began to break out. This lasted just over seven years, the ongoing back and forth between the British and the Colonies. The Battle of Paoli was apart of this American Revolution and was just one of many important battles that occurred between the two.
This painting was created just before the American Revolutionary War was about to end. The painting of the battle shows how violent this time period was. It also shows how to two sides, British and the Colonies, were willing to do anything to either keep their control or gain new freedom. Living in America during those seven, eight years must of be terrifying not knowing if they will gain their own freedom or be stuck under the British Government.
Taking a deeper look into the painting of the Battle of Paoli, it gives great visual details about what really happened that night in Paoli. It shows the British taking full control over this land and over the Colonists military. The destruction that was caused by the British to the Colonist camps. Written in the source by William Shepard, it states, [2] “To maintain the element of surprise, the British captured any passersby, including a blacksmith they forced to serve as a guide.” This is not portrayed in the painting itself, but it a great detail to know how the British were able to surprise attack and find the Colonists. The Colonist stood no chance in winning this battle against the surprise attack of the British. [3] “Wayne lost 53 killed, 113 wounded and 71 captured to Grey’s four killed and seven wounded.” The British were able to walk away from this battle victorious by taking minimal damage compared to the Colonists, who are now going to have to find a new group of people for their military and treat over a hundred men. Xavier Della Gatta is a famous Italian painter who created not only the painting of The Battle of Paoli, but he also painted The Battle of Germantown. Although he made these paintings for the British, [4] “He never actually stepped foot in America.” Xavier Della Gatta was able to provide the message in this painting without using any words. The ones who take a look at this image are able to see how powerful the British military was and the destruction they were able to do at any moment.
Sources
Della Gatta, Xavier. “Battle of Paoli.” Image. 1782. https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/treasures-of-the-american-revolution/revolutionary-war-paintings/
Knoblauch, Mark. 2000. “Battle of Paoli.” Booklist, July 1. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=sso&db=edsgao&AN=edsgcl.63786633&site=eds-live.
Knox, William, AM (Publisher), and Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. 1777. Account of the Campaign of September and October 1777 Including a Report on the Battle of Paoli, 16 September – 16 October 1777. http://www.americanhistory.amdigital.co.uk/Documents/Details/GLC02437.00654.
Shepherd, William. 2020. “Hallowed Ground: Paoli Battlefield, Pennsylvania.” Military History 37 (1): 76–77. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=sso&db=aph&AN=141833792&site=eds-live.
[1] Della Gatta, Xavier. “Battle of Paoli.” Image. 1782. https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/treasures-of-the-american-revolution/revolutionary-war-paintings/
[2] Shepherd, William. 2020. “Hallowed Ground: Paoli Battlefield, Pennsylvania.” Military History 37 (1): 76–77. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=sso&db=aph&AN=141833792&site=eds-live.
[3] Shepherd, William. 2020. “Hallowed Ground: Paoli Battlefield, Pennsylvania.” Military History 37 (1): 76–77. https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&AuthType=sso&db=aph&AN=141833792&site=eds-live.
[4] Della Gatta, Xavier. “Battle of Paoli.” Image. 1782. https://www.americanrevolutioninstitute.org/treasures-of-the-american-revolution/revolutionary-war-paintings/