A. Position of British night before battle. B. British detachment moving toward Monmouth, C. British batteries. D. Oswald's American batteries. E. American troops formed near courthouse. F. Lee's first position in retreat. G. Attack by party of British in woods. H. Positions taken by Lee. I. British detachment. K. Last position of retreating troops. M. Army formed by Washington after he met Lee retreating. N. British detachment. 0. American battery. P. Principal action. R. First position of British after action. S. Second position. T. British passed night after battle. 1. Where Washington met Lee retreating. 2. Hedge row. 3. Meeting-house. the field of battle until the last, and brought off the rear of the retreating troops. Meanwhile on the left wing Lord Stirling had effectually stopped the advance of the British. General Greene advantageously posted his troops on the right of Lord Stirling, and when the British attempted to turn the left flank, they were repulsed.† They also *F. V. Greene, Life of Greene, p. 102. † Speaking of this battle, Lafayette says: "Never was General Washington greater in war than in this action. His presence stopped the retreat. His dispositions fixed the victory. His fine appearance on horseback, his calm courage, roused by General Lee, Washington now resolved to attack them, and ordered General William Woodford to move around upon their left and General Enoch Poor to their right; but before the troops could get into position, by the animation produced by the vexation of the morning, gave him the air best calculated to excite enthusiasm." Trevelyan, American Revolution, vol. iv., pp. 379-380. † Stillé, Wayne and the Pennsylvania Line, pp. 147-148, 152-153; Carrington, Battles of the Revolution, pp. 441-443; Stedman, American War, vol ii., pp. 19-24; Gordon, American Revolution, vol. iii., pp. 131-151; Ford's ed. of Washington's Writings, vol. vii., pp. 80-81, 88-89, 94-96; Lossing, Field-Book of the Revolution, pp. 156-157. 118 BRITISH ESCAPE; CONGRESS THANKS WASHINGTON. night had fallen, which prevented vicinity of of the Hudson River. further operations.* These troops remained on the field of action during the night, with the intention of making an attack early next morning, and the main army also slept upon their arms to be ready to support them.† Washington himself, after discussing the events of the battle with Lafayette, slept on his coat under a tree, in the hope of renewing the action the next day. The British, however, did not wish to risk another battle, and in the night marched away in such silence that even General Poor, though he lay very near them, knew nothing of their departure. They left behind them several officers and a number of wounded soldiers who could not be removed, though their other wounded were carried off. They continued on their retreat without further interruption until they had reached Sandy Hook, and on July 6 the entire army was safe in New York. Washington decided that it would be inexpedient to further pursue the British army and soon drew off his troops to the Carrington, p. 444; Lossing, p. 157. † As an instance of the intense heat of the day, it is stated that 59 British soldiers perished without a wound; and several of the American soldiers died from the same cause. Trevelyan, American Revolution, vol. iv., p. 380; Irving, Life of Washington, vol. iii., p. 460. || See Washington's report to Congress quoted in Tower, Marquis de LaFayette, vol. i., pp. 387388. § Brooks, Life of Knox, p. 121. ¶ Jones, New York in the Revolution, vol. i., pp. 264, 273-274; Gordon, American Revolution, vol. iii., p. 154 (ed. 1788); Ford's ed. of Washington's Writings, vol. vii., p. 97. The The loss of the Americans in the battle in killed, wounded, and missing, was about 360, while the British loss, including prisoners, was about 400, although in this battle, as in the majority of those fought in the Revolution, there is great discrepancy in the losses reported by both commanders.* battle had been fought with bravery and skill, and had General Lee acted otherwise, the British forces might have been totally defeated As it was, however, the result of the battle was quite satisfactory to the Americans, for they had compelled the British army to beat a hasty retreat, without committing any of the depredations that marked their march across the same territory toward Philadelphia. Upon receiving news of the battle, Congress resolved" that their thanks be given to General Washington for the activity with which he marched from the camp at Valley Forge in pursuit of the enemy; for his distinguished exertions in forming the line of battle; and for his great good conduct in leading on the attack, and gaining the important victory of Monmouth, over the British grand army, under the command of General Sir Henry Clinton, in their march from Philadelphia to New York." Probably Washington would never again have thought of Lee's conduct See Carrington, Battles of the Revolution, p. 444; Fisher, Struggles for American Independence, vol. ii., p. 186. COURT MARTIAL OF GENERAL LEE. on the field of battle had not Lee himself revived the discussion regarding it. He was highly indignant at the terms used by the commander-inchief during the battle and subsequently wrote him two letters regarding this, couched in very strong terms.* As a result, he was brought before a court-martial, at his own request, to determine whether his conduct had been according to the rules of war, or had been unbecoming an officer and prejudicial to the service. The charges against him were as follows: "1st. Disobedience of orders in not attacking the enemy on the 28th of June according to repeated instructions. 2d. Misbehavior before the enemy on the same day, by making an unnecessary, disorderly and shameful retreat.† 3d. Disrespect to * See New York Historical Society Collections, vol. iii., p. 99 (1873). See also Irving, Life of Washington, vol. iii., p. 464 et seq. Chief Justice Marshall, speaking of Lee's defence before the court, says, "He suggested a variety of reasons in justification of his retreat, which, if they do not absolutely establish its pro priety, give it so questionable a form as to render it probable that a public examination never would have taken place, could his proud spirit have stooped to offer explanation, instead of outrage, to the commander-in-chief." 119 the commander-in-chief in two letters dated the 1st of July and the 28th of June."* The hearing before the court was long and tedious; Lee was finally found guilty and sentenced to be suspended from any command in the armies of the United States for a period of one year; but the second charge was softened by the court which found him guilty of misbehavior before the enemy by making an unnecessary, and in some few instances, a disorderly retreat.† After some hesitation, Congress approved the sentence of the court and Lee thereupon left the army never again to join it. His career closed with his death at Philadelphia, October 2, 1782. * Irving, Life of Washington, vol. iii., p. 467. On the court-martial and Lee's conduct in general, see the proceedings of the trial in vol. iii., of the New York Historical Society Collections, 1873, and the various items, opinions, etc., in vols. ii. and iv. of the same, also in Henry Lee's Memoirs, vol. i.; Gordon's American Revolution, vol. iii. (ed. 1788); Lafayette's Memoirs and Correspondence, vol. i.; John Laurens, Army Correspondence (Bradford Club series no. 7, 1867); George H. Moore, Treason of Charles Lee; Fisher, Struggle for American Independence, vol. ii., pp. 189-197; Trevelyan, American Revolution, vol. iv., pp. 382–383. |