1777: The Year of the Hangman is an operational study of the campaign for Philadelphia. Between September 1st and December 19th two armies contended for the American capital, seat of the rebellion, home to the Congress, and from where independence from Great Britain had been declared only the year before. In this contest battles were fought in Delaware, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Today roadside placards mark these places: Cooch's Bridge, the banks of the Brandywine, The Battle of the Clouds, and Germantown. For 225 years a solemn, common grave has marked the site of the Paoli Massacre. Glory attends the name of Red Bank where the hated Hessian was sent packing, and the fight for Fort Mercer where the Royal Navy suffered its worst defeat of the entire war. Fort Mifflin stands in mute testament to the patriot's naked valor; while Valley Forge remains a shrine to his devotion.