Selby and his comrades were glad that the winter was
over, and everyone was still rejoicing over the news that the French had
decided to form an alliance with them against the British. Even so, they were
all tired of Valley Forge and their impatience was building as rapidly as the
summer heat.
2 General Sir Henry Clinton had taken over command of
the British Army, and he was busily evacuating that force from Philadelphia.
Observing his preparations and movements and spoiling for an opportunity to
test his newly trained soldiers against the enemy, General George Washington
summoned his subordinates for a council of war.
3 “We should wait for the French to arrive,” General
Charles Lee advised. “If we fail to harass and engage the enemy now, the public
will conclude that we don’t have the will or the courage to face them,” General
Anthony Wayne disagreed. “It would be criminal recklessness to risk any action
at the present time!” Lee exploded.
4 “We will follow and harass the enemy,” Washington
announced. “We will not, however, risk a general action with them unless
circumstances render our success a certainty.”
5 Nevertheless, in spite of his decision to move
forward, the Commander-in-Chief equivocated about which one of his generals to
place in command of his advance force against Clinton. Lee was his senior
general, but Washington was worried about his publicly expressed distaste for
the course of action on which he had settled. However, when General Lee learned
that Washington intended to place Lafayette at the helm of the force,
professional jealousy overcame any scruples he had against the operation.
6 “Seeing your determination to pursue this course, I
now see the whole operation in a different light,” Lee explained to Washington.
“I would, of course, be honored to lead these soldiers,” he told him.
7 Late the next morning, General Lee and his troops
marched out of Valley Forge in pursuit of the British forces which had just
crossed the Delaware River into New Jersey. Washington, along with Selby’s unit
and most of the rest of the Army, followed a short while later.
8 For Clinton, however, the progress was slow. His men
were carrying heavy packs and hauling even heavier artillery pieces across
country, and the summer heat was oppressive. His men were already exhausted.
So, he stopped near Monmouth Courthouse and decided to rest for a day.
9 Seeing an opportunity at last, Washington summoned
his generals to another council. “When General Clinton resumes his march, his
columns will be spread out and vulnerable,” he told them. “His advance guard
will be separated from his rear guard, and we will attack,” he explained.
“General Lee will initiate the attack, and we will follow and support him,”
Washington concluded.
10 Early the next morning, the British resumed their
march toward Sandy Hook. General Washington immediately dispatched Lieutenant
Colonel Meade to order Lee to begin the attack. At the same time, he commenced
preparations for the rest of the Army to join Lee’s soldiers on the
battlefield.
11 Colonel John Patton’s 2nd North Carolina
Regiment marched alongside the Commander-in-Chief. Selby thought the General
looked splendid and serene atop his proud white horse.
12 The heat, however, was withering. “Feels like we’re
walkin in an oven,” one of the soldiers grumbled. Even so, the men followed
their determined and confident General forward toward the impending battle.
13 It was now about noon, and Selby had noticed a
change in the General’s demeanor. He had a concerned look on his face. “We
should be getting close,” he said without looking at anyone in particular.
“Where are the sounds of battle?” he seemed to ask himself. He leaned forward
on his horse, and then galloped a short distance ahead of the marching troops.
14 Selby could see that Washington was talking with
two soldiers who had emerged from a clump of trees. Within minutes, General Lee
and his staff came into view just as the boys from North Carolina caught up
with their Commander-in-Chief.
15 “Sir, what is the meaning of all of this!” Selby
heard Washington demand of Lee. “Why this disorder, confusion and retreat?” he
pressed. “Sir?” Lee stammered. “Damn you, man, what are you about here?”
Washington shouted. “The attack failed,” Lee stammered. “We are in retreat,” he
almost whispered. “Those soldiers told me that they fired a single volley
before falling back in confusion,” Washington said with obvious disgust. Lee
was speechless.
16 “Sir, you are relieved of command!” the
Commander-in-Chief snarled. “General Greene, you will assume command of these
soldiers and form them into lines behind that ravine,” Washington ordered. Then
he turned and rode forward into the retreating American Army.
17 Selby could hear the musket and artillery fire
getting nearer to their position, but they hadn’t had time to get all of their
men into position. Then he noticed men coming from the direction of the
fighting and forming up into a line behind a hedgerow just in front of their
own position.
18 The men in the hedgerow opened fire on the
advancing Redcoats and gave General Greene’s men time to get into place. Then
they fell back across the ravine and joined the rest of the Army.
19 The British surged forward, and Selby and his
comrades opened fire. The Redcoats wavered and fell back and tried again, but
the American lines held. There was an intense and prolonged exchange of
artillery fire. Men were dropping like flies on both sides from the intense
heat, and then the sun was setting.
20 Both armies bivouacked on the battlefield that
night. “We will attack them in the morning!” Selby heard Washington say to
General Greene. Selby could see the flickering flames of the British campfires
and wondered what the morrow would bring.
21 In the morning, however, the enemy was gone. They
had slipped away during the night. “I finally have an army that will fight,”
Washington thought as he rode through the abandoned camp. Things may not have
unfolded as he had planned, but his men had responded quickly to his commands
and stood their ground.
22 For his part, Clinton was stunned by the
performance of the American Army. This was not the sloppy, cowardly and
unprofessional army that he had expected to face.
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