who led the first column of the army. The other, which covered the line of march, being now difengaged and free for action, formed a body of troops which could not eafily be equalled, and was under the immediate command of the General. It was compofed of the 3d, 4th, and 5th brigades of British, two battalions of British, and the Heffian grenadiers, a battalion of light infantry, the guards, and the 16th regiment of light dragoons. June 28th. On the morning after this arrangement, General Knyphaufen, with the first divifion, and the carriages, began at the break of day to move, directing their march towards Middletown, which lay ten or twelve miles on their way, in a high and ftrong country. The fecond divifion, under the Commander in Chief, continued for fome hours on their ground in the neighbourhood of Freehold, both to cover the line of march, and to afford time for the chain of carriages to get clear on their way. Having begun to march about eight o'clock, fome parties of the enemy which appeared in the woods on their left flank, were engaged and difperfed by the light troops; but as the rear-guard defcended from the heights above Freehold, into a valley about three miles in length, and one in breadth, several columns of the enemy appeared, Jikewife defcending into the plain, who about ten o'clock began to cannonade the rear. The General at the fame inftant received intelligence, that the enemy were difcovered marching in force on both his flanks. He was immediately ftruck, that an attack on the bag gage was their principal object; and as the carriages were then entangled in defiles which continued forfome miles, it seemed a matter of no small difficulty to obviate the danger. In this critical fituation, the General, with great quicknefs and prefence of mind judged, that a vigorous attack, and fevere preffure, upon that body of the enemy which harraffed his rear, would recall the detachments on his flanks to its affiftance, and feemed to be the only probable means of faving the convoy. For although he had good information, that General Washington was at hand with his whole army, which he heard was cftimated at 20,000 men; yet, as he knew that his main body was feparated from that corps which attacked Lord Cornwallis, in the rear, by two confiderable defiles, he was not apprehenfive that the could pafs a greater body of troops through them, during the execution of the measure which he intended, than what the force along with him was well able to oppose ; whilft on the other hand, even with that divifion of the army, Wafhington's fituation would not be a little critical, if he should chance to come upon him, when he was ftruggling in his paffage through the defiles. Guarding, however, against every poffible refult of the meafure, and to be in preparation for the event of a general engagement, he recalled a brigade of the British Infantry, and the 17th regiment of light dragoons, from Knyphaufen's divifion, and left direction for them to take a pofition which would effectually cover his right flank, being the fide on which he was moft jealous of the defign of the enemy. In the mean time, the Queen's light dragoons, had with their usual spirit attacked and routed the enemy's cavalry, under the Marquis de Fayette, and drove them back in confufion on their own infantry. The General then made difpofitions to attack the enemy in the plain; but before he could advance, they fell unexpectedly back, and took a ftrong pofition on the heights above Monmouth Court-Houfe. The heat of the weather was in that feafon always intenfe; but upon that particular day was fo exceffive, as to be feldom equalled, even in the fultry fummers of that continent; fo that the troops were already greatly fatigued. The fituation of the army, however, rendered the most vigorous exertion neceffary. The British grenadiers, with their left to the village of Freehold, and the guards on their right, began the attack with fuch fpirit, that the enemy foon gave way. But their fecond line preferved a better countenance; and refifted a fierce and eager attack with great obftinacy. They were, however, at length, completely routed; but in this exigency, with a very unusual degree of recollection, as well as refolution, took a third pofition with fo much judgment, that their front was covered by a marshy hollow, which fcarcely admitted the practicability of an attack by that way. Sir Henry Clinton brought up part of the fecond line, and made fome other difpofitions to attack the enemy in this poft, and the light Infantry and Rangers, had already turned their left for that purpofe; but the army in general, was now fo overpowered by hea and fatigue, that upon confideration, he thought it better not to press the affair any farther. He was alfo by this time confident, that the purpose which had induced him to the attack was gained, in the prefervation of the convoy. A bold attempt of the enemy, to cut off the retreat of the light Infantry, rendered fome new movements, notwithstanding the exceffive toil of the day, still neceffary. The army at length returned to that pofition, from whence they had first driven the enemy, after their quitting the plain. The General's opinion with refpect to the defign on the baggage, was juftified in the event; and the propriety of his fubfequent conduct in attacking the enemy on that principle confirmed. Two brigades of the enemy's light troops had paffed the army, one on each flank, in that view, and had actually made the attempt; but by the good difpofitions made by the commanders, the firmness of the 40th regiment, and the ready service of the light Horfe, they were repulfed at the firft on fet, and the engagement in the plain then commenceing, were immediately recalled. Sir Henry Clinton having now fully attained his object, for the Generals Knyphaufen and Grant, with the first divifion and baggage, were arrived at Nut Swamp, near Middletown, could have no inducement for continuing in his prefent fituation. The troops had already gained fufficient honour, in forcing fucceffively, from two ftrong pofitions, a corps of the enemy, which, he was informed, amounted to near 12,000 men ; and the merit of the fervice was much enhanced, by the unequalled circumftances of heat and fatigue under which it was performed. The enemy were much fuperior in force to the divifion immediately under his command; and if the equality had been even nearer, it would still feem imprudent to have hazarded an engagement, at fuch a distance from the rest of his army, in a country, not only entirely hoftile, but which from its nature, must have been ruinous to ftrangers under any circumftance of defeat. And as the heat of the weather rendered marching by day intolerable, fo the moon-light added much to the eligibility of the night for that purpose. Upon fome or all of thefe accounts, the troops having repofed till ten o'clock, the army was again put in motion, and they marched forward to join their fellows. * Such was the detail of the action at Freehold, or Monmouth, as it is otherwife called, as given on our fide. The lofs, in flain, was not confiderable in point of number, but rendered grievous by that of the brave Colonel Mouckton. That gallant officer, who had frequently encountered death in all its forms, had the fortune of being more than once grievoufly wounded, both in the last war, and the prefent; and after the hair-breadth escape of a recovery, when left among the dead on the field, was only referved to be killed on this day, at the head of the second battalion of Grenadiers. This day and action were alfo rendered remarkable by the fingular circumftance, unparalleled in the hiftory of the New World, of 59 foldiers perifhing without receiving a wound, merely through the exceffive heat and fatigue. Se veral of the Americans alfo, inured as they were to the climate, died through the fame cause. The Americans claim great honour to that part of their troops which had an opportunity of being engaged in this action. They likewife claim, though without any apparent ground, the advantage as the affair now ftands; but pretend that they fhould have gained a complete and decifive victory, if it had not been for the misconduct and difobedience of orders of General Lee. That officer, had fome time before, by an exchange, obtained a release from his long confinement at New York; and we have already feen, was appointed to take the command of thofe different bodies of troops, which had been detached to harrafs the British army, and to impede its march. It appears from General Wafhington's account of the matter, that he being well informed, that if the British army once gained the high and strong country near Middletown, no attempt could afterwards be made upon them, with the fmalleft profpect of fuccefs, he accordingly determined to fall upon their rear immediately upon their departure from the ftrong grounds in the neighbourhood of Freehold, on which they had encamped during the night of the 27th. He communicated this intention to General Lee, with orders to make his difpofitions for the attack, and to keep the troops lying upon their arms in conftant preparation; which he alfo practifed himself in the main body. Washington having received an exprefs at five in the morning, that the British army had begun their march, immediately difpatched an order to Lee to attack them; acquainting quainting him at the fame time, that he was marching directly to his fupport, and that for the greater expedition, he should caufe his men todifincumber themselves of that part of their baggage, which (it appears from bence) they carried upon their backs. To his great furprize and mortification, however, when he had marched above five miles, he met the whole advanced corps retreating, which they informed him was by General Lee's orders, with out their making the fmalleft oppofition, excepting the fingle fire of one detachment, to repulfe the British light Horfe. The General found the rear of the retreating corps hard preffed by the enemy; but, by forming them anew, under the brave and fpirited exertions of their officers, (as he fays) he foon checked the advance of the British forces; and, having by this means gained time to plant fome batteries of cannon, and to bring up fresh forces, the engagement hung in an equal poize. In this fituation, (he continues) the enemy finding themfelves warmly oppofed in front, made an attempt to turn his left flank; but were bravely repulfed and driven back by fome detached parties of Infantry. A fimilar attempt on the right, was repelled by General Green; who afterwards, in conjunction with General Wayne, took fuch pofitions, and kept up fo fevere and well directed a fire, as compelled the British forces to retire behind that defile, where the first stand had been made in the beginning of the action. In that fituation, in which their flanks were fecured by thick woods and moraffes, and their front only affailable through a narrow defile, VOL. XXI. he notwithstanding made difpofitions (he fays) for attacking them; but the darkness came on fo faft, as not to afford time for their furmounting the impediments in their way. The main body, however, lay all night upon their arms on the place of action, as the detached parties did in the feveral pofitions which they had been ordered to take, under a full determination of attacking the British army when the day appeared; but they retreated in fuch profound filence in the night, that the most advanced pofts, and thofe very near them, knew nothing of their departure until morning. Washington represents the number of British buried by the Americans, to be about four times greater, than the lofs acknowledged by our Gazette; and his own, as much under that state. He fays, they carried off their wounded, excepting four officers, and about forty foldiers. He gives high and unufual praife, and expreffès himself under the greateft obligation to the zeal, bravery, and conduct of his officers; and fays, the behaviour of the troops in general, after they had recovered from the far prize, occafioned by the retreat of the advanced corps, was fuch as could not be furpaffed. The public acknowledgements of the Congrefs, were very flattering to the army, but particularly fo to the General and to his officers; in which they affected to confider this action as a battle, and the refult as a great and important victory, obtained over the grand British army, under the immediate command of their General. Washington took care to inform the Congrefs, that the nature of [P] the 74 guns each; and the fquadron was faid to have no lefs than eleven thousand men on board. On the other fide, the British fleet under Lord Howe, confifted of fix fixtyfour gun fhips, three of fifty, and two of forty guns, with fome frigates and floops. Most of the former had been long on fervice, were accordingly in bad condition, and were alfo wretchedly manned. If any thing, however, could remedy fuch effential defects, it might have been hoped for, from the fuperior abilities of their Commander, and the excellency of his Officers. They had, however, the advantage of being in poffeffion of that port or harbour which is formed by Sandy Hook; the entrance of which is covered by a bar, and from whence the inlet paffes to New York. The expected, and avowed object of D'Estaing, was to force that paffage, and to attack the English fquadron in the harbour. Notwithstanding the utmost exertions of preparation made by Lord Howe, that the time could poffibly admit; yet, from contrary winds, and other unavoidable incidents, the fhips were not completely arrived in their refpective fituations of defence, nor had there been time to chöfe thofe situations with the judgment which was afterwards exercifed, when D'Eftaing appeared without the Hook. Under thefe circumstances, which, with respect to the effect, might be confidered, in fome degree, as affording the advantages of a furprife, if he had pushed on directly to pass the bar and force the paffage, it would feem, that neither the advantage of fituation, nor any eminence of ability or vir tue on the other fide, could be capable of counteracting the vast fuperiority of his force. The conflict would have been undoubtedly dreadful and perhaps, in that refpect, might have exceeded any thing known in naval history but the greateft portion of human fpirit, muft require fome adequate degree of ftrength, to render its exertions effective... A diverfity of opinion feems to prevail, on the practicability of the great hips of the French fleet paffing in force through the ftrait, and over the bar. Some are of opinion that it might have been attempted with prudence. If fo, it may be confidered as a happinefs on all fides, that D'Etaing was not poffeffed of that fpirit of enterprize which would have been equal to fo arduous an attempt; that the terror of the British flag was yet in no degree weakened; and that the name of the noble Commander who oppofed him, added fome weight to that effect. D'Eftaing accordingly calt anchor on the Jerfey fide, about four miles without the Hook, and in the vicinity of the fmall town of Shrewfbury, The fpirit that was displayed on this occafion, not only in the fleet and army, but through every order and denomination of feamen, was never exceeded, and will not often be equalled. A thousand volunteers were immediately dif patched from the tranfports to the fleet. The remainder of the crews, could not reftrain their indignation at being left behind, and fought every poffible means, by hiding in the boats or otherwife, to escape on board the men of war; fo that the agents could fcarcely keep by force |