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was highly approved of by gen. Washington, and pro-1778. June cured his thanks. On the 25th his excellency moved 25. his army to Kingston. Upon receiving intelligence that Sir Henry was profecuting his route toward Monmouth court-house, he dispatched 1000 select men under brigadier gen. Wayne, and fent the Marquis de la Fayette to take the command of the whole advanced corps, with orders to feize the firft fair opportunity of attacking the enemy's rear. Gen. Lee declined the command, as he was against attacking, on which it was offered to the marquis, who accepted it with pleasure. In the evening of the fame day, the whole army marched from Kingston, intending to preferve a proper diftance for fupporting the advanced corps, and arrived at Cranberry early the next morning. The intense heat of the wea- 26. ther, and a heavy ftorm coming on, made it impoffible to resume the march that day without great injury to the troops. The advanced corps being in confequence hereof too remote from the main body, and too far upon the right to be supported, the marquis had orders fent him to file off by his left toward English-town, which he executed early in the morning of the 27th. Sir Henry being fenfible of the approach of the American army, changed the difpofition of his troops, and placed in the rear what were deemed the best, confifting of all the grenadiers, light infantry, and chaffeurs of the line; at the fame time gen. Knyphaufen was requested to take the baggage of the whole army under the charge of his divifion, which made the first column. Under the head of baggage was comprised, not only all the wheel carriages of every department, but also the bat horfes-a train which, as the country admitted but of one route

1778. for carriages, extended near twelve miles. The alteration made by Sir Henry laid gen. Washington under the neceffity of increasing the number of the advanced corps. His excellency embraced this opportunity of gratifying gen. Lee, with the consent of the marquis. Lee obferving that his having declined the command of the advanced corps had leffened him in the opinion of officers and foldiers, wifhed to be appointed afresh. Washington would not confent to remove the marquis ; but a reinforcement being wanted, he detached Lee with two brigades, to join the marquis at English-town, and of course to take upon him the command of the whole. The main body marched the fame day, and encamped within three miles of that place. Morgan's corps was left hovering on Sir Henry's right flank, and the Jersey militia, amounting to about 700, under gen. Dickinfon, on his left. The royal army was strongly encamped in the neighbourhood of Monmouth courthoufe, where they halted till the morning of the 28th. When once arrived at the heights of Middle-town, about twelve miles in advance, there would have been no poffibility of attempting any thing against them with a profpect of fuccefs, the American general therefore determined to attack their rear the moment they moved from their present ground, and communicated his intention to Lee, who was ordered to make the neceffary difpofition, and to keep his troops in readiness for the fhorteft notice. The like was done with refpect to the troops under his own immediate command.

June

General Knyphaufen moved at day break: Sir Henry that he might not prefs upon him, did not follow till near eight o'clock, with the other divifion, compofed. of

t

the 3d, 4th, and 5th brigades of British, two battalions 1778. of British grenadiers, the Heffian grenadiers, a battalion of light infantry, the guards, and the 16th regiment of light dragoons, a body of troops not easily to be equalled.

About one o'clock in the morning, gen. Lee received a letter from gen. Washington, and in pursuance of the directions it contained, wrote to gen. Dickinson to select fome hundreds of his best men, and detach them as nigh to the British rear as he could. Thefe troops were to act as a corps of obfervation, and to forward the earliest intelligence respecting the enemy. He alfo ordered col Morgan to advance with the men under his command fo near as to attack them on their firft movement: but it was left to him how to act, only he was to take care and not expose his troops, in that manner as to difable him from acting in conjunction with Lee fhould there be a neceffity for it. Orders were likewife fent to Grayfon, as the commanding officer of the two brigades (of Scott and Varnum,) consisting of about 600 men, to get them instantly in readiness to march. By day light they entered English-town; but it was not till between five and fix that they marched from thence toward Mon+' mouth court-house, having been detained for want of guides. Nearly at the fame time, Lee gave orders to the feveral detachments and Maxwell's brigade, to prepare for marching immediately, leaving their packs behind under proper guard: they followed the two just mentioned brigades about feven o'clock. About five Dickinson fent an exprefs to gen. Washington, informing that the front of the enemy had began their march. His excellency inftantly put the army in motion, and fent orders to Lee to move on and attack, them, unless

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there fhould be very powerful reasons to the contrary * ;
and acquainted him, that he was marching to fupport
him, and for doing it with the greater expedition and
convenience, should make the men difencumber them-
felves of their packs and blankets. The exceptive claufe
in the orders rendered them difcretionary: they mani-
fefted the earnest defire of the commander in chief, that
an important blow might be ftruck which the enemy
fhould feel; but Lee could not confider them as re-
quiring him to risk a general engagement, in direct re-
pugnancy to the fpirit of thofe councils of war that had
been repeatedly held upon the subject. While Lee was
advancing with his column, he sent forward an aid to
order Grayson to push on as fast as poffible and attack
the enemy. Before the aid overtook him, he had passed
Freehold meeting-house with the two brigades. The
aid delivered Lee's orders; but gave it as his opinion,
that Grayfon had better not move on, for that he had
been informed, that the main body of the enemy was
near Monmouth court-house, and was thought to be
marching to attack them, of which circumftance he sup-
pofed Lee was ignorant. The aid on his return fell in
with Dickinson, who gave him the fame information,
and charged him with a meffage to Lee. Lee conform-
ed to it on its delivery, and gave orders for pofting two
militia regiments upon a hill for the fecuring of a par-
ticular road, and then pushed forward over a morafs or
ravine, by the bridge or causeway, to a height where
Dickinson was with a few militia. During his ftay on
this height, intelligence of the most contradictory nature
was continually brought him. Some afferted, that the
* General Washington's letter of July 1, 1778, to congrefs.

enemy had moved off with precipitation, and that it 1778 was only a covering party which remained; others aver→ red, that the main force was ftill on the ground, and filing off in columns to the right and left-one while the enemy's troops were turning the flanks of the Americans at another, pufhing in front. Thefe oppofite reports occafioned Varnum's brigade and part of Scott's, and col. Durgee's brigade of Lee's column, to pass and repass the bridge over the morass several times, as it was univerfally agreed to be by no means warrantable to risk an action, with a ravine in the rear, over which there was only one good paffage. While thefe marchings and counter-marchings took place, the marquis de la Fayette arrived at the head of the main body of Lee's troops; when the general, having reconnoitred a wood, into which it had been reported a battalion or two of the enemy had thrown themselves, and being fatisfied that it was groundless, determined to march on, and af certain with his own eyes, the number, order and dif pofition of the enemy, and then to conduct himself accordingly. His whole command amounted to about 4000 men, exclufive of Morgan's corps and the Jersey militia; and confifted of gen. Scott's detachment, gen, Wayne's, gen. Maxwell's brigade, gen. Varnum's, gen, Scott's, and col. Jackfon's regiment, When they had nearly paffed through the woods, with which the country abounds, and were arrived at a point facing the Court-house, and on the edge of a plain about three miles in length and one in breadth, they were formed, but within the fkirt of the wood, that the enemy might not discover them. Here they remained while gens, Lee and Wayne, and a few others, went out upon the