Retreat?
The Battle of Monmouth 28 June 1778
On this hill, an angry George Washington, Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Armies, met his second-in-command, Major-General Charles Lee, and demanded “What is all this? What all that confusion was for, and retreat?”
Washington had sent Lee with twelve cannon and 5,000 men to stage a hit-and-run attack on the rear of the British Army. However, the British had counter-attacked with 10,000 men – forcing Lee to retreat.
As Washington led the main body of the Army towards the Spotswood Middle Brook bridge, he encountered a disorganized retreat. The frustrated officers leading the withdrawing battalions had no idea why they were retreating. There had been little fighting, merely a skirmish and some artillery fire. One complained, “By God! They are flying from a shadow.” The failed attack on the British rear was turning into a political disaster.
With the British only fifteen minutes away, Washington acted decisively. He sent Brigadier General Anthony Wayne to fight a delaying action and asked Lee to further slow the enemy advance. Then Washington rode back across the bridge to organize the main army on the Perrine Farm.
Marker can be reached from Wemrock Road south of Freehold-Englishtown Road (County Route 522), on the right when traveling north.
Courtesy hmdb.org
