A general idea of the skirmishes of the morning, without elaboration of details, can be obtained from the map. At the extreme right, on the Middletown road, Knyphausen conducts the accumulated baggage-train, which, on the night of June twenty-seventh, is shown to have been distributed along the road approaching Freehold (Monmouth). Upon the high ground, below, Clinton gathered his forces as they arrived from the march. Lafayette was near the Court-House, and had a sharp skirmish with the Queen’s Rangers. He disposed his army northward, with skirmishers as far advanced as Bryar Hill—even threatening the pass by which Knyphausen had retired toward New York. The baggage column, as early as seven o’clock, had passed the Court-House. Lee appeared upon the field and practically took command, but exercised no direction over movements; gave contradictory orders when he gave any; and brigade after brigade failed to obtain from him instructions as to their movements, or their relations to other brigades. At first, Lee announced that the “entire British army was in retreat.” When Clinton, after eight o’clock, descended from his position to attack the scattered and irregular formation of the American army, Lafayette, full of hope, was first advised that a retreat had been ordered by General Lee. He protested in vain. The brigades were allowed each to seek its own choice of destination; and all fell back under a general impression, rather than specific orders, that all were to retreat and simply abandon demonstration against the British army. Clinton’s continued advance, even so far as Wenrock Creek, is indicated on the map. The truth of history requires a statement which has never been sufficiently defined, as to the antecedents of this overestimated officer, Charles Lee. As a subaltern in the British army, he had been uniformly insubordinate, and was in discredit when he was allowed to go abroad and fight under various flags as a military adventurer. He knew nothing of handling a large command, or combined commands. Before the Battle of Monmouth, if then, he had never been under fire in the lead of American troops. He was cool enough and brave enough at Monmouth, to retreat with his division; but it was saved chiefly by the self-possession of its officers, and the wonderful endurance of the rank and file. He was unequal to the command, even if he had desired battle. To have fought the battle, with any chance of being taken prisoner, would have exposed him to a double penalty for treason at the hands of General Howe. He was in the attitude of defeating his “plan” (before alluded to), and defeating the very invasion which he had so ingeniously advised.