The Battle Of Monmouth by William S. Stryker - There's a Book About It on Waymarking.com

Scottish and Dutch families settled this area in the 1680s, and by 1770 seven well-established farms stood on the site that is now that park.

On June 18, 1778, General Sir Henry Clinton led the main British Army from Philadelphia to march on New York. The next day, General George Washington moved in to harass the British. On the morning of Sunday, June 28, 1778 as the 20,000 militia in the British Army was breaking camp to begin the march, General Charles Lee led his regimen of 5,000 in the Continental Army to attack the British from the rear.

When Lee realized that half of the British soldiers had readied and were coming his way, he led a retreat across Monmouth Battlefield. General Washington instructed Lee to delay action until the main Continental Army, with another 8,500 troops could approach. The battle resumed at 12:30 pm with a bloody clash at the hedgerows. The British advanced, only to find the Continental Army occupying a strong position atop Perrine Hill, behind a line of ten guns. Exhasted from the earlier clash and march, the British attack collapsed.

The British sent light infantry to outflank the Continental Army, but found Lafayette and the Continental Reserves waiting for them. The British positioned ten cannons and howitzers in front of the hedgerow to silence the Continental Artillery. That afternoon, the largest field artillery battle of the American Revolution waged.

General Nathaniel Greene brought a brigade of Virginians and four guns to the top of Comb's Hill, overlooking the British's line at the hedgerow. The British were forced to beak rank and retreat. General Washinton took the opportunity to counterattack. Two battlaions of light infantry advanced to skirmish with the retreating British, while three regiments, under General Anthony Wayne crossed the bridge to attack the British Grenaiers. Waynes men, succumbing to the grenadiers, were forced to retreat to the Parsonage on the site of the battlefield. Again outdone by the Continental Army, the British pulled back and made camp.

Washington moved fresh troops in to resume the attack the next morning but by 11pm, the British had broke camp an retreated to continue their march. This marked the end of the last major battle in the north.

The Battle of Monmouth was a triumph for General Washington and the Continental Army, forcing the British to retreat. The British army suffered two to three times the casualties as the Continental Army.

ISBN Number: 0548107912 Author(s): William S. Stryker

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