Monmouth, morning phase

On 18th June 1778 the British army left Philadelphia and began the laborious march towards New York. Washington detached General Lee with troops to attack the moving British army and followed with the main army in supporting distance. Lee did …

1778-06-28

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On 18th June 1778 the British army left Philadelphia and began the laborious march towards New York. Washington detached General Lee with troops to attack the moving British army and followed with the main army in supporting distance. Lee did nothing to prepare for the upcoming attack. He called a conference and told his officers only that they should be alert for orders on the battlefield. He would make plans as he encountered the British and learned of their situation. On the morning of June 28th Lee’s force caught up with the British rear guard north of Monmouth Court House. Almost immediately Lee lost command of this situation. He issued various orders moving units from one place to another, never developed a clear plan of attack, and his subordinates became confused.

Freehold Borough, New Jersey

The Battle of Monmouth was fought near Monmouth Court House on June 28, 1778, during the American Revolutionary War. It pitted the Continental Army, commanded by General George Washington, against the British Army in North America, commanded by General Sir Henry Clinton. It was the last battle of the Philadelphia campaign, begun the previous year, during which the British had inflicted two major defeats on Washington and occupied Philadelphia. Washington had spent the winter at Valley Forge rebuilding his army and defending his position against political enemies who favored his replacement as commander-in-chief. In February 1778, the Franco-American alliance tilted the strategic balance in favor of the Americans, forcing the British to abandon hopes of a military victory and adopt a defensive strategy. Clinton was ordered to evacuate Philadelphia and consolidate his army. The Continental Army shadowed the British as they marched across New Jersey to Sandy Hook, from where the Royal Navy would ferry them to New York. Washington's senior officers urged varying degrees of caution, but it was politically important for him not to allow the British to withdraw unscathed. Washington detached around a third of his army and sent it ahead under the command of Major General Charles Lee, hoping to land a heavy blow on the British without becoming embroiled in a major engagement. The battle began badly for the Americans when Lee botched an attack on the British rearguard at Monmouth Court House. A counter-attack by the main British column forced Lee to retreat until Washington arrived with the main body. Clinton disengaged when he found Washington in an unassailable defensive position and resumed the march to Sandy Hook.

Wikipedia: Battle of Monmouth

Continental Army

Great Britain