The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1922-07-05
THE BATTLE OF MONMOUTH

SHS
ago, a year and a half after Wash
ington's brilliant thanking blow a.
gainst the British at Princeton, which
has Just been appropriately COM
memorated, the Battle of Monmouth
was fought, on June %, 1778. In its
%inspiriting moral influence it was as
effective as the Princeton engage
ment.
Under Sir Henry Clinton the Brit
ish forces had evacuated Philadelphia
and started for bases in and around
New York. Washington wa o at
their heels. Near what is now Free
hold, New Jersey, early in the morn
ing of June 2S, 1778, came the first
collision. 1t was between the enemy
and the forces of the American Cen
eral Charles Lee, that soldier of for
tune concerning whose loyalty to the
patriot cause history has raised grave
doubts. He had been sent forward to
harass and hold the enemy in check
until the main army under Washing
ton, then at Englishtown, three or
four miles away, came up. The sound
of the firing brought to the front
Washington, accompanied by Lafay-
cite and others of his staff, at full
GALLON. He saw the Americans in a
disorderly retreat which was fast
degenerating into a rout.
There is now a marker at the place
on the highway where Washington
met Lee. What he said to that officer
is partly matter of history, partly
of tradition. Lafayette, who was
present, said that "His E~xcelency's
face was terrible" Here Washing
ton uttered the Damn" that has
passed into history.
Under W%ashington's firm hand the
retreat was halted, the lines were
reformed, the rest of the army came
up, the enemy vas checked, driven
back, and at night was glad to steal
away to Sandy Hook, leaving some
800 dead, wounded and prisoners
behind. The loss of the American
forces was sixty-nine killed and a
bout 100 wounded.
Such was the Battle of Monmouth,
an engagement rich in dramatic and
picturesque episodes from the Wash
ington-Lee meeting to Molly Pitcher
Carving water on that fearfully hot
day to the American soldiers on the
firing line and Selling the rod from
the hands of a wounded artillerymaa
herself to ram home the charge.
The American officers in the action
included nearly all the great heroic
figures of the Revolution. Nathaniel
Greene of Rhode Island, by many re-
garded as Washington's ablest gen.
eral; Mad Anthony Wayne Of Penn
sylvania, who a year later swept
down on Stony Point and captured
all of the garrison that survived the
rough handling he gave them; big
Henry Knox of Maine, who, with his
wife carrying his sword concealed
under the folds of her cloak, ran the
Gates picket lines at Boston in time
to do valiant service at Bunker Hill;
Lafayette, Aaron Burr and Alexan-
der Hamilton, whom Burr was des-
tined to kill sixteen years later I'M
der the Weehawken cliffs-all these
were on that Monmouth field.
There are two Monmouth battle
monuments. The fine m at Free
hold was dedicated with appropriate
ceremonies a few years ago. The
other is that superb old Colonial Ten
nant Church that %antedates the bat
tie by thirty years. The church look
ed down on the hottest of the fight
ing. 1t was a battle hospital. Wound
ed and dying American soldiers were
laid in it's pews. 1t bears many a bull
let Cleaning white now as
then on it's hill crest, in the cemetery
at it's feet sleep soldiers of the Revo-
luton and of all our vars. 1t is more
than a monument, this old Tenant
Church. 1t is a shrine.