American Scenery, Vol. 2 (of 2): or, Land, lake, and river illustrations of transatlantic natureWillis, Nathaniel Parker
General
American Scenery, Vol. 2 (of 2): or, Land, lake, and river illustrations of transatlantic nature
Willis, Nathaniel Parker
United States -- Description and travel
A description of these beautiful Falls having been given in another page
of the work, it may be worth while to step a little aside from the
immediate subject of the drawing, in search of historic incident. The
annals of New Jersey present nothing more interesting than the military
operations of Washington, within its border; and among these stands
conspicuous the battle at Monmouth Court House. On the news of the
alliance between America and France, the British Government ordered its
forces to be concentrated at New York. The royal army, in consequence,
evacuated Philadelphia, and took up their march through New Jersey,
where Washington resolved to hazard a battle. “The British army,” says
the historian, “marched in two divisions,—the van commanded by General
Knyphausen, and the rear by Lord Cornwallis; but the British
commander-in-chief, judging that the design of the American General was
to make an attempt on his baggage, put it under the care of General
Knyphausen, that the rear division, consisting of the flower of the
British army, might be ready to act with vigour. This arrangement being
made, General Knyphausen’s division marched, in pursuance of orders, at
break of day, on the 28th of June; but the other division, under Lord
Cornwallis, attended by the Commander-in-chief, did not move until
eight, that it might not press too closely on the baggage. General Lee
appeared on the heights of Freehold, soon after the British had left
them; and, following them into the plain, made dispositions for
intercepting their covering party in the rear. While he was advancing to
the front of a wood, adjoining the plain, to reconnoitre the enemy in
person, Sir Henry Clinton was marching back his whole rear division, to
attack the Americans. Lee now perceived that he had mistaken the force
which formed the rear of the British; but he still proposed to engage on
that ground. While both armies were preparing for action, General Scott,
mistaking an oblique march of an American column for a retreat, left his
position, and repassed a morass in his rear. Lee, dissatisfied with the
ground on which the army was drawn up, did not correct the error of
Scott, but directed the whole detachment to repass the morass, and
regain the heights. During this retrograde movement, the rear of the
army, which at the first firing had thrown off their packs, and advanced
rapidly to the support of the front, approached the scene of action; and
General Washington, riding forward, met the advanced corps, to his
extreme mortification and astonishment, retiring before the enemy. On
coming up to Lee, he spoke to him in terms of disapprobation; but,
though warm, he lost not for a moment that self-command, than which, at
so critical a moment, nothing could be more essential to the command of
others. He instantly ordered Colonel Stewart’s and Lieutenant-Colonel
Ramsay’s battalions to form on a piece of ground, which he judged
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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