ed ▁north west . ▁Since ▁the ▁Sch u yl kill ▁was ▁ford able ▁only ▁far ▁up stream ▁starting ▁at ▁Mat son ' s ▁Ford ▁( present - day ▁Cons h oh ock en ), ▁Washington ▁could ▁protect ▁both ▁the ▁capital ▁and ▁the ▁vital ▁supply ▁areas ▁to ▁the ▁west ▁from ▁behind ▁the ▁river ▁bar rier . ▁Yet ▁he ▁re cons ider ed ▁and ▁rec ross ed ▁the ▁river ▁to ▁face ▁the ▁British , ▁who ▁had ▁moved ▁little ▁since ▁Brand yw ine , ▁ow ing ▁to ▁a ▁short age ▁of ▁w ag ons ▁to ▁carry ▁both ▁their ▁wounded ▁and ▁their ▁b agg age . ▁ ▁Battle ▁of ▁Em ery ▁and ▁Hunter ▁General ▁How e ▁was ▁alert ed ▁that ▁Washington ▁had ▁rec ross ed ▁the ▁Sch u yl kill ▁on ▁the ▁afternoon ▁of ▁September ▁ 1 5 , ▁and ▁by ▁mid night , ▁his ▁troops ▁were ▁on ▁the ▁march ▁toward ▁the ▁major ▁road ▁j unction ▁where ▁the ▁White ▁Hor se ▁Ta vern ▁stood . ▁The ▁going ▁was ▁difficult ▁because ▁the ▁weather ▁had ▁been ▁ra iny ▁and ▁wind y , ▁and ▁the ▁troops ▁and ▁w ag ons ▁turned ▁the ▁roads ▁into ▁mud dy ▁qu ag m ires . ▁The ▁next ▁morning , ▁Washington ' s ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 ▁man ▁army ▁was ▁moving ▁west ▁through ▁the ▁Great ▁Valley , ▁bound ▁by ▁the ▁North ▁and ▁South ▁Valley ▁Hills ▁on ▁either ▁side . ▁He ▁learned ▁from ▁his ▁caval ry , ▁led ▁by ▁General ▁Pul ask i , ▁that ▁the ▁British ▁were ▁adv ancing ▁on ▁him ▁from