On October 28, 1776, General George Washington’s Continental Army faced British and Hessian forces at the Battle of White Plains, New York. After setbacks in the campaign for New York City, Washington moved his troops into Westchester County, seeking defensible ground and using the modest farmhouse of the Miller family as his headquarters.
British troops under General Sir William Howe drove American defenders from Chatterton’s Hill, but the fighting did not destroy Washington’s army. Howe delayed renewing his attack, and wet weather further disrupted British plans, giving the Americans time to withdraw to stronger positions. Though a battlefield defeat, White Plains left Washington able to continue the struggle for independence.
The Miller House remained part of that larger story. Washington used the house on three occasions—in 1776, 1778, and 1781—linking the rural homestead to several years of the Revolutionary War. Its survival offers a tangible connection to the uncertainty and endurance of the revolutionary era.
The echoes of Westchester lie not in an easy victory, but in an army’s survival. White Plains reminds us that the fight for independence depended not only on winning battles, but also on preserving the ability to fight another day.
