History of Monmouth County, New Jersey. Pt. 1, Part 33

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co.
Number of Pages: 974

USA > New Jersey > Monmouth County > History of Monmouth County, New Jersey. Pt. 1 > Part 33

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

There was difficulty in obtaining guides,2 and repeated halts ensued on that account. General Maxwell said he advanced along a morass from the meeting-house, but crossed the hill finally occupied by General Stirling. The small creek emptying into a pond fills the con- ditions of his statement. He was informed that there was a second road to the north, lead- ing to Englishtown by Craig's Mill, and fears were expressed that the British would seek to

1 The same which crosses the road a few rods north- .wardly from the gas-works of the village of Freehold.

? David Forman (father of Dr. Samuel Forman, of Free- hold) and Peter Wikoff acted as guides to the com- mander-in-chief in his operations in Monmouth County.

171

MONMOUTH COUNTY IN THE REVOLUTION.

gain the American rear by means of that road, but they did not attempt it, and the entire re- treat was finally made over the causeways at the middle and west morasses.

The great conflict of the 28th of June, 1778, was preceded, or, more properly, opened, in the morning of that day, by a series of skirmishes which took place at several points at the west, northwest and northeast of the village of Freehold ; one of them at least being in full view of the old court-house of Monmouth, and not more than four hundred yards from it,-the location, as nearly as can now be determined, being on and immediately around the spot, which has, on that account, been selected as the site of the monument commemorating the battle.

General Dickinson, with his force of about eight hundred men, held a position on the right and two and a half miles in advance of English- town. He was posted there to watch the Brit- ish closely and instantly report the forward movement of their force. Discovering indica- tions that they were about to move forward, he sent a messenger to communicate the intelligence to Washington and Lee. This was done at a little before five o'clock in the morning. About two and a half hours later, Dickinson encoun- tered a small flanking-party of the enemy, and became engaged in a sharp skirmish with them, erroneously supposing that the British had turned back after setting out on the march, and that the force with which he was skirmishing was their advance-guard. This was the first skirmish of the day. It took place on a rise of ground a little east of the west ravine, or morass, behind which, in the afternoon of that memorable day, Washington formed the two divisions of Greene and Stirling to check the British advance.

At about three o'clock in the morning, Colo- nel Grayson had received orders "to put Scott's and Varnum's brigades in readiness to march, and to give notice when they are ready." He moved with his command to Englishtown, and there, having reported to General Lee, "was ordered to advance and halt three miles from the enemy, and send repeated intelligence of · their movements." He marched as directed,

and, " at a distance of two and a half miles from Englishtown, was ordered to march slow ; shortly afterwards, to advance." Under these orders he moved rapidly to the causeway over the west ravine. As he approached he saw fir- ing, and a party of militia retreating from the enemy. The militia referred to were the forces of General Dickinson, who was retir- ing before what he supposed to be the advance- guard of the British main body. Colonel Gray- son crossed the causeway and bridge with one of his regiments and one piece of Oswald's artil- lery, and on ascending the hill beyond, the Brit- ish skirmishing party at once retreated. Gen- eral Lee arrived on the ground soon after, and was told by Dickinson that the British were returning from the court-house. Concerning this, there was much difference of opinion among the officers present, as no reconnoissance in force had been made to ascertain the truth, but General Lee remained firm in his opinion (which proved to be correct) that the British army was on its way towards Middletown, and that it was merely a light covering party that had skirmished with Dickinson and caused him to fall back.

To this point, the high ground east of the west ravine, where the first skirmish of the day had been opened by General Dickinson, the other troops of Lee's command came up successively and were halted. Soon afterwards Lee sent Colonels Butler and Jackson forward, each with two hundred men, and then followed in person, to reconnoitre the British position. As soon as General Lafayette arrived at the west ravine the troops crossed, and soon after nine o'clock the whole division advanced towards the court-house, it having then been definitely ascertained that the British left wing had left the Allentown road and was on the march towards Middletown, and so the oppor- tunity for striking it on the left flank while it was so greatly extended had been lost.

The second fight of the day (amounting only to a slight skirmish) was made by Colonel But- ler against a detachment of the Queen's Ran- gers, who were found a short distance northwest of the court-house, on the ground which now forms the Monument Park. Butler, under or-

172

HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

ders from General Anthony Wayne, attacked them and drove them past the court-house through the little village that then clustered | about it. General Lafayette also, with some of the light horsemen of Maxwell's brigade, passed beyond the court-house to the east to reconnoi tre, and found that the rear-guard of the Brit- ish army was then "a mile in advance." As soon as the Queen's Rangers had been driven through the village, Wayne sent Colonel But- ler across the east ravine, or morass (northerly "from the present gas-works of Freehold), where he placed his detachment, with two artillery pieces, on a small eminence in the plain, the other brigades of Lee's command coming up, following the general lead of those in advance, until they formed an irregular line, extending to Briar Hill.

The movement of the troops of General Lee's command up to this time, including the skirmish at the court-house, were thus detailed by General Wayne: Early in the morning he " received orders to prepare and march [from Englishtown]. Having marched about a mile with a detachment there was a halt made in front. Half an hour after received a message by one of General Lee's aids to leave my de- tachment and come to the front and take com- mand of. the troops in front ; that it was a post of honor. . When I arrived there I found about. six hundred rank and file, with two pieces of artillery, from Scott's and Woodford's brigades, and General Varnum's brigade drawn up, Scott's advanced up a morass, the other in the rear of it.

" Upon notice that the enemy were advanc- ing from the court-house,1 General Lee directed that the troops be formed so as to cover two roads that were in the woods, where the troops had advanced and formed. Colonel Butler, with his detachment, and Colonel Jackson, with his detachment, were ordered to the front. Colonel Butler formed the advance-guard and marched on. The troops took up again the line of march and followed him. When we

arrived near the edge of some open ground in view of the court-house we observed a body of the enemy's horse drawn up on the northwest side, between us and the court-house. General Lee ordered the troops to halt, and by wheeling them to the right they were reduced to a proper front to the enemy's horse, though then under cover of the woods. General Lee and myself were advancing to reconnoitre the enemy. In advancing a piece forward, General Lee re- ceived some message which stopped him. I went on to a place where I had a fair prospect, from my glass, of the enemy. Their horse seemed so much advanced from the foot that I could hardly perceive the movement of the foot, which induced me to send for Colonel Butler's detachment and Colonel Jackson's detachment, in order to drive their horse back. I then de tached part of Butler's people, who drove the horse into the village." This affair was the second skirmish of the day (as before men- tioned), in which Butler attacked the Queen's Rangers and drove them beyond the court- house to the east, Lafayette following imme- diately after with some of Maxwell's light horse.

" I could perceive," continued Wayne, " that the enemy were moving from us in very great disorder and confusion. In about ten or fifteen minutes the enemy made a halt and appeared to be forming in some order. This intelligence I sent by one of my volunteer aids to General Lee, and requested that the troops might be pushed on. It was General Lee's orders that I should advance with Colonel Butler's detach- ment and Colonel Jackson's detachment. Upon advancing, the enemy took up their line of march and began to move on. I crossed the morass about three-quarters of a mile east [northeast] of the court-house, near to the edge of a road leading to Middletown, near the road where the enemy were marching upon. The whole of the enemy then in view halted. I advanced a piece [meaning a short distance] in front of the troops, upon a little eminence, to have a view of their position and of their movements. Our troops were advancing and had arrived at the edge of a morass, rather east of the court-house." The morass here men-

I The notice sent by Dickinson when he encountered the British flanking-party between seven and eight o'clock, and supposed them to be the advance of the British army.

173

MONMOUTH COUNTY IN THE REVOLUTION.

tioned is the low ground along the little stream that runs northeastwardly from near the gas- works. Wayne's account thus far includes most of the movements of the morning to the time when, as before mentioned, the troops of Lee's command had ranged themselves in an irregular line reaching beyond the eastern mo- rass to the vicinity of Briar Hill, where Col- onel Butler, holding an advanced position, was suddenly and briskly attacked by the British light horse, whom he successfully repulsed. "The enemy," said Wayne, "then advanced their horse, -about three hundred,-and about two hundred foot to cover them. The horse then made a full charge on Colonel Butler's de- tachment, and seemed determined upon gaining their right flank, in order to throw themselves in between us and our main body, which had halted at the morass. He broke their horse by a well-directed fire, which ran the horse among their foot, broke them and carried them off likewise." This, the third skirmish of the day, occurred at about half-past ten o'clock in the forenoon (as stated by Captain Stewart, of the artillery, in the subsequent trial of Lee), and while the troops were moving from the woods near the Amboy road to the plain beyond the east ravine, under the general direction of General Wayne.

At the time when Butler repulsed the charge of the British horsemen near the Middletown road, a mile northeast of the court-house, as above described, Colonel Grayson was in ad- vance, with an orchard at his left; Jackson about a hundred yards in his rear ; then Scott, somewhat detached from the other commands ; and Maxwell's force on the edge of the eastern morass. The last-named officer gave the follow- ing account of the movements of his brigade during the morning, from the time when he marched from his camp of the previous night, at Englishtown, until he reached the position above named, which was near the northeast end of the present town of Freehold.

" Received orders after five o'clock (A.M.) to put my brigade in readiness to march imme- diately. Ordered the brigade to be ready to march ; went and waited on General Lee. He *seemed surprised I was not marched, and [said ?]

that I must stay until the last, and fall in the rear. . I ordered my brigade to the ground I understood I was to march by, and found my- self to be before General Wayne and General Scott, and halted my brigade to fall in the rear. . . . Came back to my former position ; waited a considerable time before General Wayne and General Scott got past me; then I marched in the rear. There were three pretty large halts before I got up within a mile of the Court- House. The Marquis de Lafayette informed me that it was General Lee's wish that we should keep to the woods as much as possible ; that as I had a small party of militia horse, he desired I should keep these horse1 pretty well out upon my right. It was thereabout that I heard some firing of cannon and small-arms." This firing was that of the British horsemen's charge on Butler and a few shots from the enemy's artillery. "We had not advanced above two hundred yards," said General Wayne, -referring to the movement of his troops just at that time when Butler repelled the charge,- " before they began to open three or four pieces of artillery upon us. They inclined first to our right, in order to gain a piece of high ground to the right of where I lay, nearly in front of the court-house.2 I sent off Major Biles to desire our troops that were in view, and in front of the morass, to advance. Our artillery [Oswald's] began to answer theirs from about a half a mile in the rear of Butler's de- tachment. .. . " Wayne's messenger carried orders from the general to Colonel Grayson, to hold his ground, as the enemy was retiring -- which Wayne at that time fully believed to be the case. On receipt of that order, Grayson "hallooed to Jackson to come and form upon the hill [Briar Hill] upon his left," but Jackson disregarded the request, because he had no artillery. Scott was then a little to the rear and right of Jackson. Maxwell, who was then

1 This party of horsemen marched under Lafayette through the village of Monmouth Court-House and to the open lands east of it, as before mentioned.

2 From this description by " Mad Anthony " it appears most likely that he was at that time occupying the ground where the Freehold and New York Railroad station and freight houses now stand.

174

HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

farther to the rear, expected Scott to move to the right, join on Wayne's troops, and let him [Maxwell] into the line. Wayne meanwhile held the regiments of Wesson, Stewart and Liv- ingston to the left of Varnum, to cover Butler, with whom he advanced still further into the open ground, and also to cover Oswald's artil lery, which had drawn two additional guns from Varnum's brigade, and was exchanging shots with the enemy's artillery.

Until this time Sir Henry Clinton had ex- pected to be able to take off his trains in safety, and pursue his retreat to Middletown Heights without being compelled to risk a general en- gagement. But now that Lee's entire force was crowding close upon his rear and flank, at a time when Knyphausen's column was en- tering upon part of the route which was exceed- ingly perilous for the safety of the miles of wagon-trains which that column was guarding, and which he (Clinton) believed the movement of the American force to be especially directed against, he promptly resolved to turn and give battle; and the course thus quickly adopted was as promptly acted upon. His artillery pieces were placed in position and opened fire on the Americans, and by half-past eleven o'clock his rear division-the elite of the British army-had been halted in its retreat to Middle- town, and formed with an oblique front to the rear, in'a line facing towards the west, and ex- tending from Briar Hill, on its right, nearly to a little ravine-then much deeper and more clearly defined than now -- which crossed the main street of the village below the site of the old Academy building. This line was strength- ened and supported by the rest of Clinton's own division and by as many of Knyphausen's troops as could be spared from guarding the trains. The troops ordered back from Knyp- hausen's own division were the Seventeenth Light Dragoons.

Although General Lee, when afterwards placed on trial by court-martial, said that he in- tended to fight Clinton, and that the retreat be- fore the advancing British was commenced without his orders, it was well known that he believed the British veterans to be invincible, -" the finest troops in the world,"-and that

his division could not successfully resist their advance, even had he wished to do so, which has been rendered improbable (to say the least) by testimony obtained many years afterwards. Whatever may have been his feelings and in- tentions, it is sure that when the British com- mander-in-chief wheeled his rear division and prepared to advance on the American line, the brigades of Lee's command began to retreat, all the subordinate commanders believing that they were doing so under Lee's orders, as it still seems probable that they were.

Wayne's first knowledge that a retreat was in- tended was received from his aid-de-camp, Major Biles, whom he had sent out with orders for the troops that were in view, and in front of the morass, to advance. " Major Biles re- turned and informed me [Wayne] that the troops were ordered to repass the morass, and they were then retiring over it. I galloped up- to the Marquis de Lafayette, who was in the rear of Livingston's or Stewart's regiment, who said he was ordered to recross the morass,1 and form near the court-house, from that to the woods. I again sent to General Lee, asking that troops might be brought up. Major Biles or Major Fishbourne returned and informed me that the troops had been ordered to retire from the court-house, and that they were then retiring. About the same time one of General Lee's aids told me that it was not General Lee's intention to attack them in front, but that he intended to take them, and was preparing a detachment to throw upon their left. I then crossed the ravine myself, and went with Gen- eral Scott to the court-house. After viewing the ground about the court-house, sent off one off my aids to General Lee to request him that the troops might again be returned to the place they had left. At this time the enemy did not appear to be above two thousand, about a mile distant in front, moving on to gain the hill before mentioned. A fire was kept up by cannon between us and the enemy at this time. Major Fishbourne returned and informed me that the troops were still retreating, and that

I At or near where now stands the farm-house belonging to the Schanck estate, and occupied by Mr. Edward Hance.

175

MONMOUTHI COUNTY IN THE REVOLUTION.

General Lee would see me himself. After- wards I perceived the enemy begin to move rapidly in column towards the court-house. I again sent Major Lenox and Major Fishbourne to General Lee, requesting him at least to halt the troops to cover General Scott, and that the enemy were advancing ; and also sent an order to Colonel Butler to fall back, as he was in danger of being surrounded and taken."

With reference to the position and retirement of General Scott's command, General Maxwell said : " I did expect that General Scott would have moved to the right, as there was a vacancy between him and the other troops ; but while I was riding up to him I saw his troops turn about and form' in column, and General Scott coming to meet me. He told me our troops were retreating on the right, and we must get out of that place; that he desired his cannon to go along with me, as there was only one place to get over that morass [the one northeast of the Schanck farm-house], and he would get out of that if he could. Iordered my brigade to march back."

Colonel Jackson, in describing how he retired from his advanced position near Briar Hill, said: "I asked Lieutenant-Colonel Smith if he did not think it best for me to cross the morass, and post myself on the height that crowned it. He asked if I had any orders! I answered no. He made reply, 'For God's sake don't move without you have orders !' I desired him, or he offered, to go and see if there was any person to give me orders ; he returned in a few minutes, and told me there was no person there. I told him I'll risk it, and cross the morass."

General David Forman said, "I rode forward to discover the number and situation of the en- emy shortly after the enemy's horse had charged Colonel Butler's detachment; then rode in quest of General Lee and offered to take a de- tachment, and by taking a road upon our left, to double their right flank. General Lee's an- swer was, 'I know my business.' A few minutes afterwards I saw the Marquis de La- fayette direct Colonel Livingston's and Colonel Stewart's regiments to march towards the enemy's left, and I was informed by the Mar-

quis that he was directed by General Lee to gain the enemy's left flank. In this time there was a cannonading from both parties, but princi- pally on the part of the enemy. The Marquis did not gain the enemy's left flank ; as I sup- posed, it was occasioned by a retreat that had been ordered to the village, I presume by Gen- eral Lee, as he was present, and did not contra- dict it."

The first disposition of the troops of Lee's command on the ground between the eastern morass and Briar Hill had been made without any general order from Lee, each subordinate commander taking his position and deploying his men according to his own ideas. Colonel Oswald maintained his artillery in position un- til his ammunition was exhausted, and then retired behind the morass, to the high grounds now included in the Schanck farm. There he met General Lee, who ordered him, upon ob- taining ammunition, to continue firing, and this was done over the heads of Butler's advanced detachment, and with great danger of doing injury to them. At this time General Lee sent orders to General Wayne to move toward the right, nearer to the court-house, where the enemy was threatening a movement. The reg- iments of Livingston and Stewart, in Wayne's brigade, were the first to move under these or- ders from Lee. Grayson and Scott, seeing the movement of these regiments, considered it as a general retreat, and that opinion was confirmed by the evident pressure of the British towards the court-house, while their centre and right emerged from the woods into the open ground, thus threatening to sever the American line, already weakened in the centre, and to cut off the regiments which were on the left toward Briar Hill. Grayson, Scott, Jackson and Var- num recrossed the morass, as has already been shown, and, with Maxwell, entered the woods upon the hill west of the Amboy road. There they received orders from General Lee to re- form the line in the woods on the high ground, with the right resting on the village. General Lee stated that he had supposed that the houses around the court-house were of stone, but when he found that they were of wood, and that the village was open (that is, that the

176

HISTORY OF MONMOUTH COUNTY, NEW JERSEY.

houses were scattering), he decided to fall back before the British advance, which was then ap- pearing in the edge of the woods less than a mile distant, and was variously estimated by the American officers at from fifteen hundred to twenty-five hundred men.

The force of Lee at that time disposable for attack or resistance, if properly in hand, was not less than three thousand men, besides Gray- son's detachment. Wayne, during the hour and a half that elapsed while he was in the plain, had sent three times to urge General Lee to advance with the troops, and, as he stated, refrained from pressing the attack, under in- structions, constantly expecting that Lee would carry the left wing around the right of the British column, to cut it off from the main body of the army. Lee himself afterwards stated that such was his purpose, and also that when he notified General Washington, who had sent an aid to learn the situation of affairs,1

1 Lieutenant-Colonel Brooks, acting adjutant-general of Washington's staff, who was with General Lee, said : " Within view of Monmouth court-house there was a halt for an hour, in which interval General Lee reconnoitred the enemy, who put on the appearance of retiring from the court-house somewhat precipitately and in disorder. When they had retreated about a mile, on the Middletown road, they halted, and formed on high ground. General Lee observed that if the body now in view were all or near all that were left to cover the retreat of the main body, instead of pushing their rear, he would have them all prisoners. He marched his main body to gain the enemy's rear, leaving General Wayne with two or three pieces of artillery to amuse the enemy in front, but not to push them, lest his project should be frustrated. After coming into the plain, about a mile below the court-house, I observed the head of General Lee's column filing to the right toward the court-house. A cannonading had now taken place between us and the enemy. When I came in the rear of Scott's detachment I perceived a very great interval between that and the front of Maxwell's brigade. Upon General Max- well seeing me, he asked if I had any orders from General Lee. I told him I had not. . . . General Scott came up about this time and observed that our troops were going off the field toward the court-house. He asked me whether it way the case. I told himu I knew nothing of it if it was so. During this time all the columns except Maxwell's were moving to the right. After having seen several battalions pass [repass] the ravine, I returned to the point where General Maxwell was, and found General Scott and Max- well standing together. General Maxwell again asked me if I had any orders, I told him I had not. . . . I rode to- . ward the [east] ravine to find General Lee, but finding the

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Monmouth County, New Jersey. Pt. 1, Part 33

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885 Publication date: 1885 Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co. Number of Pages: 974

Author: Ellis, Franklin, 1828-1885
Publication date: 1885
Publisher: Philadelphia : R.T. Peck & Co.
Number of Pages: 974