Battle of Monmouth

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Battle of Monmouth Part of the American Revolutionary War Washington Rallying the Troops at Monmouth by Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze Date June 28, 1778 Location Monmouth Court House, New Jersey Result Strategic American Victory [1] Tactically Indecisive [2] Belligerents United States Great Britain Commanders George Washington Sir Henry Clinton Strength 11,000 10,000 Casualties and losses 69 killed, 37 died of heat-stroke 160 wounded 95 missing Total: 361 65 killed 59 died of heat-stroke 170 wounded 50 captured 14 missing Total: 358

v • d • e Philadelphia campaign 1777–1778 Brandywine – Paoli – Germantown – White Marsh – Matson's Ford – Valley Forge – Crooked Billet – Barren Hill – Monmouth

The Battle of Monmouth (prounounced Mon-meth) was an American Revolutionary War battle fought on June 28, 1778] in New Jersey. The main Continental Army under George Washington attacked the rear of the British Army's column led by Sir Henry Clinton as they left Freehold Court-House (modern Freehold Borough).

Contents 1 Battle 2 Aftermath 3 Archive 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Battle

The Continental Army moved on northeast from Valley Forge to attack. General Charles Lee was handed the command, and elements of his command - General Wayne's brigade supported by General Knox's artillery, attacked the British column's flank. When the British turned to attack him, Lee ordered a general retreat, and his soldiers soon became disorganized. Washington sent the dejected Lee to the rear, then personally rallied the troops and repelled two counterattacks referred to as "Washington's Advance". The battle was a standoff. With a high of over 100 degrees F. both sides lost almost as many men to heat stroke as to the enemy. Both sides retired at nightfall.

Eventually exhaustion forced Clinton to call off the attack. Washington tried to organize a counterattack, but the daylight had begun to fade and his exhausted troops could fight on no longer. By about six in the evening the fighting was over. Clinton was happy that his main objective of the day, to cover his retreat, had been achieved. The next morning the Americans woke to find the British had slipped away during the night. The rest of the march to Sandy Hook went without incident, and on July 1 the British army reached the safety of New York City, from where they were evacuated to New York.

This battle was the first test of Steuben's re-trained Continental troops. They withstood the trial well given the conditions due to Steuben's knowledge of Prussian Army training programs. The battle was technically a tactical draw, as it had no particular benefit for either side, but the Americans were left on the field, with the British having withdrawn.

[edit] Aftermath

The battle was the last major engagement of the northern theater, and the largest one-day battle of the war when measured in terms of participants. Lee was later court-martialed for his actions at the Village Inn located in the center of Englishtown.^[3] Monmouth is considered the second of only two major battles over the course of the war in which Washington's army faced British Regulars on straightforward terms in a set-piece field battle and were not tactically defeated (See also Battle of Princeton).

The legend of "Molly Pitcher" is usually associated with this battle. According to one story, she was a housewife who came to battle with her husband and took his place at the cannon after he fell. Based on a true incident, the story idea is embellished and has become a legend over the years. Two places on the battlefield are marked as sites of the Molly Pitcher Spring.^[4]

Although never accorded formal preservation, Monmouth Battlefield is one of the best preserved of the Revolutionary War battlefields.^[4] Each year during the last weekend in June, the Battle of Monmouth is reenacted at Monmouth Battlefield State Park in modern Freehold Township and Manalapan.

[edit] Archive

The Monmouth County Historical Association at 70 Court Street in Freehold, New Jersey houses a collection of documents which includes personal accounts, journals, pension applications, letters, and miscellaneous printed material. It is a subject collection acquired through various donors.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

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• New Jersey during the Revolution: The battle of Monmouth
• Monmouth Battlefield: Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings
• Battle of Monmouth
• Monmouth County Historical Association: Coll. 72 Battle of Monmouth Collection
• 2nd New Jersey Regt.
• Department of Military Science - Battle of Monmouth

v • d • e New Jersey in the American Revolutionary War 1776 Fort Lee - Washington's crossing of the Delaware - First Trenton 1777 Second Trenton - Princeton - Millstone - Short Hills - Forage War - Bound Brook - Middlebrook encampment 1778 Monmouth - Molly Pitcher - Baylor Massacre - Little Egg Harbor massacre - Chestnut Neck 1779 Paulus Hook 1780 Connecticut Farms - Springfield 1783 U.S. Capital at Princeton