American and British forces clashed under the direction of Continental Army General George Washington and British General Sir Henry Clinton. On June 24, Washington had called a council of war to establish a strategy of battle against Clinton; the council agreed to avoid a major confrontation with General Clinton, and instead to send a small number of Patriot troops to harass the enemy's right and left flanks.
When Washington arrived at nearby Englishtown on that morning of June 28, he ordered his generals to attack the British. General Charles Lee, who had been opposed to an all-out engagement with the British, was reluctant to attack, but he and his advance force were drawn into battle by British forces. In the confusion of battle, Lee ordered his troops to retreat. Angered, General Washington, directed Lee and "Mad" Anthony Wayne to fight a delaying action, while he took command of the Continental troops and organized them in a defensive position. For the rest of the day, the two armies clashed in the oppressive heat, finally withdrawing after 5 o' clock from exhaustion. Washington planned to resume the battle on the next day, but General Clinton and his men slipped away, undetected by Washington's army, shortly after midnight. Neither side emerged a clear winner of the battle, but the American forces had proved themselves as a professional fighting force.
Other American heroes also were present at Monmouth. LaFayette and "Mad" Anthony Wayne took part in the battle. Molly Hayes, known today as Molly Pitcher, was at Freehold that unbearably hot day bringing water to her husband and his fellow gunners as they fired their cannon. When she returned from fetching water, she discovered that her husband had fallen in battle. She immediately took his place, serving as a gunner for the remainder of the battle. Legend says that she was presented to General Washington after the battle.
American Account of the late Engagement From the
New Jersey Gazette, July 4, 1779
Trenton, July 1. His exelency General Washington, having early intelligence
of the intended movement of the enemy from Philadelphia, detached a considerable
body of troops, under the command of Major General Lee, in order to support
General Maxwell’s brigade of continental troops, already in this state, and the
militia under Generals Dickenson and Herd. These troops were intended to harass
the enemy on their march through this state to amboy, and retard them them till
General Washington, with the main body, could get up. In the meantime, several
small skirmishes having between the enemy and General Maxwell’s troops, joined
by the militia, but without any considerable execution on either side.
The march of the enemy being by this means impeded, and the main army having
crossed the Delaware at Coryell’s Ferry, on the 20th and 21st
ult. Proceeded by the way of Hopewell, Rockyhill, Kingston, and Cranberry, and
on the 27th overtook the enemy at Monmouth Courthouse, wither they
retired from Allentown on the approach of our troops, leaving their intended
route to Amboy.
It having been previously been determined to attack the enemy on their
march, a suitable disposition was made the same evening. General Lee, with a
detachment of picked men, consisting of about 1,500, and reinforced by a strong
body of Jersey militia, advance to English Town, (about six miles from Monmouth
Courthouse) the militia then proceeded to the meeting house; the main army under
General Washington being about four miles in the rear of English Town. In that
position the whole halted, until advice could be received of the enemy’s
motion. At 3:00 on Sunday morning, their first division under General
Knythaufen, began their march, of which we had intelligence in about two hours,
when General Lee received orders to advance and begin the attack, the main army
at the same time advancing to support him. About a half mile beyond the
courthouse, General Lee began his attack, and drove the enemy for some time;
when they being reinforced, he was obliged to retreat and in turn, till met by
General Washington with the main army, which formed on the first advantageous
ground. In the meantime, two field pieces, covered by two regiments of
detachments, and commanded by Colonels Livingston and Stewart, were advanced to
check the enemy’s approach, which they performed with great spirit and with
considerable loss on both sides. This service being performed, they retired,
with the pieces to the front line, then completely formed, when the several
severst cannonade began, that it is thought ever happened in America. In the
meantime, strong detachments marched and attacked the enemy with small arms with
various success. The enemy were finally obliged to give way, and we took
possession of the field covered with dead and wounded. The intense heat of the
weather, and the proceeding fatigue of the troops, made it necessary to halt
them to rest for some time. The enemy in the meantime presenting a front about
one mile advanced beyond the seat of action. As soon as the troops had
recovered breath, General Washington ordered two brigades to advance upon each
of their flanks, intending to move on in front, at a proper time to support
them, but before they could reach the destination, night came on, and made any
further movements impractical.
They left on the field the Honorable Colonel Monckton, with several other
officers, and a great number of privates, which cannot yet be ascertained with
precision. About 12:00 on Sunday night, they moved off with great precipitation
towards Middletown, leaving at the courthouse five wounded officers, and about
40 privates. They began the attack with their veteran grenadiers and light
infantry, which renders their loss still more important. On our side,
Lieutenant Colonel Bonner, of Pennsylvania, and Major Dickinson, of Virginia,
are slain. Colonel Bather of this state is wounded by a musket ball, which
passed through the right of his body, but is hoped will not prove mortal. Our
troops behaved with the greatest bravery, and opposed the flower of the British
Army. Our artillery was well served and did amazing execution. Before, during,
and after the action, deserters came over in great numbers, and still continue
so to do. Of the enemy’s dead, many have been found without any wound, but
being heavily clothed, they have sunk under the heat and fatigue.
We are well assured, that the Hessians absolutely refused to engage,
declaring it was too hot. Their line of march from the courthouse was strewn
with dead, with arms, knapsacks, and accoutrements, which they dropped on their
retreat. They had the day before taken 15 prisoners, whom in their battle they
left behind. Had we possessed of a powerful body of calvary on the field, there
is no doubt the success would have been much more complete; but they had been so
much employed in harassing the enemy during the march from Philadelphia, and
were detached, as to give the enemy its great superiority in number, much to
their advantage.
Our success under Heaven, is wholly to be ascribed to the good disposition
made by his Excellency, supported by the firmness and bravery of both officers
and men, who were emulous to distinguish themselves on this occasion. The great
advance of the enemy on their way before us; the possession of the strong
grounds at Middletown, added to the exhausted state of our troops, from the
intense heat, made an immediate pursuit ineligible; and our army now remains
about one mile advanced from the fields of battle, having been since employed
collecting the dead and wounded, and burying the former. Yesterday morning, the
Honorable Major General Arnold took possession of this city, with Colonel
Jackson’s Massachusetts regiment.
MOLLY, Captain, born about
1756; died near West Point, New York, about 1789. She was the wife of a
cannonier, and was at ]Port Clinton when it was captured by the British in
October, 1777. As the enemy sealed the parapet, her husband dropped his
port-fire and fled, but Molly caught it up and discharged the last gun fired by
the Americans on that occasion. She was also conspicuous at the battle of
Monmouth, 28 June, 1778, where she carried water from a neighboring spring to
her husband while he was serving a gun. A shot killed him at his post, and Molly
seized the rammer and filled his place at the gun. After the battle, covered
with dirt and blood, she was presented by General Nathanael Greene to
Washington, who commended her bravery and made her a sergeant. On his
recommendation, her name was placed upon the list of half-pay officers for life.
She continued with the army, and after the war resided at Buttermilk Falls, New
York Mrs. Alexander Hamilton describes her as "a stout,
red-haired,
freckle-faced young Irish woman, with a handsome, piercing eye." She
was a favorite with the army, and generally wore an artilleryman's coat over her
dress, and a cocked hat. She has been erroneously called Molly Pitcher.
Student Paper
Molly Pitcher (1754-1832) was born near Philadelphia
and later moved to Carlisle Pennsylvania. Later on she married William Hays, who
was a young barber. William Hays was also a Gunner in the first Pennsylvania
Artillery in 1775.
In 1822 the Pennsylvania legislature passed on an act
"for the relief of Molly McKolly, for her services during the Revolutionary
War. "She was awarded $40 annually for the rest of her life. But she died
in Carlisle Pennsylvania on January 22, 1832.
Her husband William Hays Fought in the battle of
Monmouth in the Revolutionary War. During the battle her husband fell from heat
stroke, she took his place and helped his crew fire the cannon. After his death
in 1789 she later married George McCauley. By Anyia S. - Gotha
Middle School, Windermere, Florida.
Sources:
Encyclopedia Americana
World Book Encyclopedia
The New Book of Knowledge
New Standard Encyclopedia
