Washington Journal., 1942-09-18
SIDE G H OF HISTORY
Steuben, the Man
By EDWIN EMERSON

MOuulOulu, JlIS DlilCdlluS OHdO 0AluJOu , III
mate objective was eastward to Sandy Hook,
not %northward through New Brunswick and
Elizabethtown to Staten Island. Having
made sure of that important fact, Steuben
from Hightstown early in the afternoon sent
back separate c%ouriers to carry the news to
General Washington and other American
troop leaders they might encounter march
ing eastward from Hopewell. Having re-
ceived Steuben's information the American
columns, h~urrying in forced marches, accord
ingly shaped their course toward Hightstown.
Two days later Steuben and his aides
halted at a farmhouse near Monmouth Court
house, where they could observe the march
of the British troops without being seen them
selves. From there, within pistol shot of
Hessian outposts, Steuben sent Washington
q detailed report with a sketch-map plainly
showing the distribution Of the nearest Brit
ish forces near Freehold. He closed his re
port at noon of the 9th, saying he would
follow the nearest British force toward
Middletown so soon as it moved from Free
hold. This despatch with the sketch-map,
brought to Washington by one of Steuben's
gallopers, was of the utmost value to the
commander-in-chie Promptly he sent orders
to General Lee to move with his vanguard
to attack the British left flank between Free
hold and Middletown near Monmouth Court
house next morning, while Washington with
his main force would be hurrying eastward
by way of Kingston and Englishtown so as
to come up behind Lee in good time to push
home his flank attack in order to cut the long
British column in two.
A Narrow Escape
After having sent his despatch rearward,
General Won Steuben rode forth on further
reconnaissance with his aides. They were
l;caox,0moI ~ oVo Doro;a, Jrn ~ 49, NIL
whom there was an exchange of pistol shots.
The dragons charged and Steuben's out
numbered party scattered in flight. Wheel
ing his horse, the Baron discharged both his
pistols at the nearest dragon and then leaped
a fence, losing his hat as he did so. The
Dragons at his heels were baked by the
high fence. They did not fire after him, but
merely hallooed, while he got out of their
sight behind a field Of high tassled corn and
galloped off toward Monmouth Courthouse
alone.
There the Baron luckily ran into an adj
vanced troop of American cavalry and found
means Of sending another despatch to head
quarters. While he was thus engaged, his
two aides, Laurens and Walker with their
orderlies, whom he had given up for lost,
rode up on their lathered horses. The Baron
greeted them joyfully:
"How is this? | feared you had been shot
or taken prisoners"
'sOh, no., said Captain Walker. It was
you they were after; so they gave us the
go by"
"Have you brought my hat?''
"No, there wasn't time. Looking back, /
saw one Of the Hessians dismount and pick
ii up"
Presently some American troopers brought
iii two Hessian dragons, just caught. Gen
eral Won Steuben proceeded to question them
in German. One Of the prisoners, addressing
him respectfully as "Exzellenz'', said: 81
had the honor of riding after you this
morning and hoped to get a better prize than
your hat"
"Why didn't you shoot me when / fred
at you?'
owe had orders not to do so. Our General
Won ~Knyphausen through his spy classes had
recognized Your Excellency by the star on
your breast and told us to catch you alive,
but not to harm you"
Charles Lees Task
During Friday night Lafayette's troops re-
illforced Lees vanguard near Englishtown,
bringing a report that Washington's main
column was following close on their heels.
Lee was summoned to headquarters at
Hightstown and received last orders from
Washington to attack on the morrow.
Sunday, June %, 1778, the Battle of Mon
mouth was fought, not as planned by Wash
ington. Instead Of being begun by Lee, it
was opened by a spirited attack from the
British, who, because of the intense heat had
rested near Monmouth Courthouse in lieu of
resuming their laborious march toward the
coast.
The Americans, h~urrying along their paral-
lei route so as to overtake the long British
column, also had suffered severity under the
blistering sun, many Of the soldiers succumb-