Overview and Summary of the Battle of Monmouth
The Battle of Saratoga proved to be the turning point of Revolutionary war and convinced the French of American strength which persuaded the French to support the Americans with military aid. The Battle of Monmouth took place on Sunday, June 28, 1778 at Monmouth, New Jersey. The British, Sir Henry Clinton, the new British commander, retreated from Philadelphia to New York. As Sir Henry Clinton led the British army across the Jerseys, George Washington decided to attack. The American offensive took place at Monmouth. Washington chose the Marquis de Lafayette to lead the attack but Major-General Charles Lee objected and succeeded in taking the command to lead the advance. After the short, initial skirmish, Major-General Charles Lee learned that British reinforcements, under Lord Cornwallis, were drawing near and ordered the retreat of his soldiers. George Washington was furious and relieved of Lee of his command. Washington, with the help of Baron von Steuben, managed to re-form the American ranks and engage the enemy again, but failed to gain a victory. Sir Henry Clinton, the British commander, seized the first moment to continue his march to New York, having received word that a French fleet was on its way to America. George Washington wisely decided not to follow and marched his army northward to rejoin other American forces encamped along the Hudson River. Both the Americans and the British claimed victory at the Battle of Monmouth. Most historians regard this battle as a tactical draw, but it was a long-term victory for the Americans. The legend of "Molly Pitcher" is usually associated with the Battle of Monmouth. According to legend, she was the wife of an American artilleryman who went into battle with her husband, bringing water for swabbing the cannons and for the thirsty soldiers. Charles Lee was found guilty of disobedience and wilful neglect of duty, and was sentenced to a one-year suspension, he was subsequently expelled from the army and retired into obscurity.
