American Revolution: Greene Holds at Springfield

June 23, 1780 - American forces hold the British at the Battle of Springfield. Marching into northern New Jersey, British and Hessian forces under Lt. Gen. Wilhelm von Knyphausen sought to bring the American army to battle with the goal of breaking through to their encampment at Morristown. Badly outnumbered, Gen. George Washington was caught with his forces divided as he moved to resupply West Point. To meet the British thrust, Maj. Gen. Nathanael Greene (right) advanced to Springfield and assumed a defensive position. Attacked on June 23, American troops were pushed back several times but never broke. While the British paused in the town of Springfield, Greene reformed his lines on the heights to the west. Surveying the American position, von Knyphausen elected to withdraw rather than mount a costly attack. Often overlooked, the fighting at Springfield was the last major battle of the war to take place in the North.

Photograph Source: Public Domain