#OnThisDay , 6 October, 1777, two days after the Battle of Germantown began, General George Washington returned the British General, Sir William Howe, his dog after it had gotten lost in the confusion of battle and ended up in Washington’s soldier’s hands.
During the Battle of Germantown, Washington found a small terrier running around the battlefield between British and American lines. It turned out that General Howeâs dog had gotten loose, as it was identified by its collar. Washingtonâs soldiers suggested that the dog be kept as a trophy of the British to weaken the morale of the British General Howe. Instead, Washington took the pup back to his tent where he fed him, brushed him and cleaned him. He then wrote a letter and attached it to the dogâs collar. To everyoneâs surprise, he ordered a cease-fire and had his aide return the terrier under a flag of truce along with the following note, likely written by aide-de-camp, Alexander Hamilton:
âGeneral Washington’s compliments to General Howe. He does himself the pleasure to return him a dog, which accidentally fell into his hands, and by the inscription on the Collar appears to belong to General Howe.â
Did you know that Washington had a soft spot for canines and decided to return Howe’s dog to him during this decisive battle?
#MHSR | RochesterMilitary.com
